House & Theater District

Part of Flower Garden Walk will be closed for repair October 20–24, 2025.

Aerial view of house and theater gardens filled with trees, a small fountain garden, and brick house

The story of Longwood Gardens begins here.

In 1906, Pierre S. du Pont purchased a 202-acre farm and former Quaker homestead in order to save a collection of historic trees, unaware at the time that his purchase would grow to become one of the greatest display gardens in the world. Developed with the specific purpose of display, the House & Theatre Gardens District is an excellent representation of how Pierre’s passion for horticulture, design, and preservation laid the groundwork for an unparalleled garden experience, to be enjoyed by guests for many years to come. Transport yourself in the early days of Longwood, taking in views that Pierre and his family enjoyed more than a century ago, including Peirce’s Park and Peirce’s Woods.

About This District

Pierre intended to restore his newly acquired land as a space for entertaining friends—but the lavish gardens and dazzling fountains would come later. His first projects involved tending to the trees for which he’d purchased the property and restoring Peirce’s Park, a historic arboretum planted a hundred years earlier by Quaker farmers Joshua and Samuel Peirce, to its former glory. In the process, his vision for Longwood’s future took shape in a series of “firsts.” The 600-foot flower garden (what is now Flower Garden Walk), punctuated with a simple round fountain (another first!), was so beautiful the following spring that Pierre decided to host his first Longwood garden party—a tradition that would continue until 1940.

 

I have recently experienced what I would formerly have diagnosed as an attack of insanity; that is, I have purchased a small farm.
- Pierre S. du Pont

 

In 1913, following an inspiring trip to the Villa Gori in Siena, Italy, with his future wife, Alice, Pierre began construction on what would become the Open Air Theatre, complete with illuminated fountains that flanked the stage. When the fountains debuted at a 1914 garden party, the guests were delighted—as were Pierre and Alice. 

Pierre found the winters in the Brandywine Valley to be dreary, so in 1914 he began construction of his first conservatory as part of an L-shaped extension to the farmhouse. Planted with exotic tropical foliage and a marble fountain, it became Longwood’s first winter garden housed under glass. 

Gardens in this District

  • Flower Garden Walk & Compartment Gardens
    Sun shines on a circular fountain with a brick pathway in the background leading through green garden beds

    Flower Garden Walk & Compartment Gardens

    In Pierre S. du Pont’s very first garden at Longwood, 600 feet of dazzling hues of orchestrated botanical forms will take your breath away in one of our most popular (and photographed!) gardens.

  • Open Air Theatre & Theatre Garden
    partially overhead view of fountain jets shooting up from a sea green stage, against a backdrop of tall green trees

    Open Air Theatre & Theatre Garden

    Framed by a canopy of towering trees and clipped arborvitae, this Italian-style, outdoor garden theater has come alive with countless performances of every kind since its debut in 1914, and features fountain performances throughout the day.

  • Peirce-du Pont House
    A hanging basket is seen in the distance in a small house conservatory with green plants, metal railings, and a lamppost

    Peirce-du Pont House

    Step back in time for a glimpse into the lives of the du Ponts and the Peirce family at one of the oldest buildings at Longwood. Not to be missed: a Monstera deliciosa vine that’s been there since the mid-1900s.

  • Peirce’s Park
    sun shines through a line of trees on to a wooden bench sitting on path made of wood chips

    Peirce’s Park

    Home to two notable allées of stately and spectacular trees, this area is where Longwood’s story begins. Enjoy woodland wildflowers and soaring tree specimens, many of which are more than 100 years old.

  • Peirce’s Woods
    A stone gazebo sits beside a small lake tucked into a forest of bright green trees

    Peirce’s Woods

    This award-winning woodland garden, designed by W.Gary Smith, showcases mighty oaks, ashes, maples, and tulip-trees that tower over 200 species of native plants and cultivars, offering seasonal interest from spring through fall.

What’s in Bloom

  • Red berries against green foliage

    Winterberry Holly

    Ilex verticillata ′Winter Red′

    Native to eastern North America, this deciduous holly can commonly be found in swamps, low woods, along streams and ponds, and in damp thickets. The bright red berries appear in late summer and persist on the plant until spring, providing an important food source for many birds, including the American Robin. Winterberry Holly also goes by the name Fever Bush, due to its medicinal use by indigenous Americans.  Hollies are dioicous meaning you need both male and female plants for reliable fruit production. Grow extra Winterberry so you can use some berries in holiday decorations!  Look for a variety of Winterberry cultivars throughout the gardens!  

  • Lion's-tail

    Leonotis leonurus

    Widespread in its native home of South Africa, this plant favors loam or clay soils and can be found growing in full sun amongst rocks or grasslands. The orange flowers can be spotted from late summer, all through autumn, and attract birds and butterflies with their nectar, making the garden a hub of activity. Early South African dwellers (Khoisan) smoked the dried leaves and flowers, reporting a feeling of calm and euphoria, giving birth to the common name, wild dagga. The leaves are rough on the upper surface, with toothed margins and give off a herbal aroma when brushed or crushed.

  • Bright blue flowers going down long stems

    Azure Sage

    Salvia azurea
  • Vibrant fall foliage in shades of red, orange, and purple.

    Franklinia

    Franklinia alatamaha

    Franklinia, or the Franklin tree is a small deciduous tree in the camellia family. It was first discovered by the Philadelphia based botanists John and William Bartram on the banks of the Alatamaha River in Georgia in 1765. William Bartram collected seed in 1773, and successfully cultivated the plant at the Bartram gardens in Philadelphia. Bartram named the new plant Franklinia alatamaha in honor of his father’s friend Benjamin Franklin.  It is a unique tree as it is the only species in its genus, and it is now extinct in the wild. The original stand of trees was restricted to a small area and the species went extinct soon after its discovery, with the last confirmed sighting recorded in 1803. The probable causes for its demise were increased activity associated with settlers; for example fires and land clearance. All known living specimens in cultivation today are descended from the seed collected by William Bartram.  Interestingly, while the tree was discovered in Georgia, it performs well in more northern climates. It has therefore been hypothesized that the tree was pushed south during the last ice age, then stranded when the ice retreated. The trees that the Bartrams discovered might have been the last remnants of a once much larger population.  The Franklin tree is available commercially and is prized in cultivation for both its story and its fragrant camellia-like flowers and red fall foliage.

  • White orchid flowers in an inflorescence

    Atlantic Ladies'-tresses

    Spiranthes bightensis 'Chadds Ford'

    As an autumn blooming orchid, Spiranthes bightensis is a native plant to the north-eastern United States. It is a small terrestrial plant that can often be found growing alongside of other bog dwelling plants in areas of low competition. Its spirally arranged flowers are small, white, and fragrant, scented of vanilla and jasmine. Spiranthes have tuberous roots and basal rosettes of papery or fleshy rounded leaves.

  • A deciduous shrub known for its graceful, arching branches and fragrant, white, bottlebrush-like flowers in late spring. In autumn, its lustrous green leaves turn a brilliant display of purples, reds, and crimson.

    Virginia Sweetspire

    Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet'