Event Spotlight
A Longwood Christmas 2026: A Cosmic Holiday Garden in Pennsylvania’s Brandywine Valley
Every winter, Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, decorates its conservatory and outdoor gardens for the holidays. A Longwood Christmas runs November 20, 2026 - January 10, 2027, and this year’s theme is a Cosmic Christmas: rotating trees covered in stars, an astronomer’s observatory in the Music Room and a galaxy of poinsettias in the Exhibition Hall. Here’s how to plan a visit.
What’s on: a Cosmic Christmas, indoors and out
Longwood’s Christmas page describes the 2026 display as inspired by "the mystery and majesty of the cosmos." Here are the main stops.
- The light tunnel. A tunnel lit by nearly 20,000 bulbs. Many outdoor lights start coming on at 10 AM daily, and the organizer’s visiting tips say they’re best viewed after dusk.
- The Conservatory. The Exhibition Hall is redesigned every year to fit the theme, and this year it becomes a spherical galaxy with sweeps of poinsettias. The Music Room, reinvented each season, becomes a gilded astronomer’s observatory. In the Orangery, evergreens are set among poinsettias, orchids and winter blooms.
- Fountains. The Open Air Theatre fountains dance to holiday color and classic Christmas music. In the Main Fountain Garden, festive lights and music begin at 2 PM daily. The fountains in that garden are turned off for the season, so come for the lights there, not the water.
- For kids. The Wildlife Tree is decorated for the birds and animals, and model trains run through a landscaped garden railway during regular hours.
- Music. Organ music plays on The Longwood Organ in the Main Conservatory daily from noon to 10 PM. On select dates from Nov. 27, the Olde Towne Carolers stroll the outdoor display from 4:30 to 8:30 PM, per the musicians schedule. On New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, outdoor musicians and the organ play from noon to 10 PM. All of these are free with Gardens admission.
From a country farm to a holiday tradition
Longwood’s history pages say the land was once home to the Lenni Lenape, and later became an arboretum called Peirce’s Park. Pierre S. du Pont bought the farm in 1906 to save its trees. "I have recently experienced what I would formerly have diagnosed as an attack of insanity; that is, I have purchased a small farm," he wrote to a friend, according to Longwood. He laid out his first garden, the 600-foot Flower Garden Walk, in 1907.
The glass Conservatory where much of the Christmas display now stands opened in 1921, and the public "came in droves" to see it. In 1923 du Pont added the walnut-paneled Music Room, the same room that’s redesigned for each holiday season. He died in 1954, and the trustees he had put in place turned the private estate into a public garden.
The Christmas display started small. In the early 1960s it was about 1,000 poinsettias indoors and a small Christmas Tree Lane in the parking lot, Longwood says. By 1984 there were 81 trees outdoors with 60,000 lights. What sets it apart today is that it’s a garden show as much as a light show: the Conservatory gets a new floral theme every year, so it never looks the same twice.
The food: mushrooms, a beer garden and a holiday buffet
Kennett Square is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World, and the Mushroom Festival says the area grows more than half of the mushrooms eaten in the United States, with farming roots dating to the late 1800s. You’ll find that on the menu at Longwood too.
- The Café. Open 11 AM to 9 PM daily during the display, per Longwood’s dining page.
- The Beer Garden. Open 4 to 10:30 PM on weekdays and noon to 10:30 PM on weekends during the season.
- 1906. Longwood’s full-service restaurant is open 11 AM to 9 PM daily, with a holiday season menu. Reservations go through Tock or 610.388.5290.
- Taste of Christmas in The Fountain Room. A holiday buffet on Dec. 20 to 24 and Dec. 26 to 30. The menu lists a Kennett Square Mushroom Soup, a wild mushroom and sourdough stuffing and herb-roasted turkey breast. It’s ticketed separately, and you still need Gardens admission, with an entry time before your reservation.
- Rule to know. You need Gardens admission to use the restaurants, and outside food and coolers aren’t allowed inside. Individual-size water bottles are fine.
Getting there, tickets and what to bring
- Driving. Longwood is on U.S. Route 1, about 3 miles northeast of Kennett Square. Its directions page puts it about 30 miles from Philadelphia, 12 from Wilmington, 72 from Baltimore and 130 from New York City.
- Parking. Parking is free in all lots. On peak days, Longwood uses a grass overflow lot or an off-site paved lot, with transportation to the Visitor Center.
- Traffic and timing. The organizer’s Christmas tips say traffic gets heavy approaching the Gardens from 2 to 8 PM and suggest booking a time before 2 PM. Its FAQ says Mondays through Thursdays and earlier in the day are generally the best times to avoid crowds.
- Bus and rideshare. OurBus runs direct coaches from New York City and Philadelphia to the entrance. Gardens admission is sold separately. Longwood says few rideshare and taxi drivers work the area, so arrange your ride home in advance.
- Tickets. Tickets are timed. The organizer’s FAQ says it often sells out during A Longwood Christmas, so buy ahead. You can enter from 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after your ticketed time, and there’s no re-entry except for Gardens Premium Members and Innovators. Tickets are nonrefundable, but you can exchange them for another date for an $8 fee per order. Children 4 and under are free and don’t need a ticket.
- Deals. SNAP EBT and PA ACCESS cardholders can get reduced admission for up to four people. During A Longwood Christmas the rate is $8 per person, and the cardholder must be present with photo ID. Military, veteran and senior discounts aren’t offered during the Christmas season. Free Member guest tickets are blacked out every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Nov. 20 through Jan. 3, and every day from Dec. 18 through Jan. 3.
- Accessibility. Accessible parking is in the front rows of the main lot. There’s a drop-off lane at the Visitor Center. Wheelchairs are free on a first-come basis, and scooters and strollers can be rented the same way; scooter renters must be 18 or older. There’s no shuttle inside the Gardens, and the walk from the Visitor Center to the Conservatory takes 5 to 10 minutes. See the accessibility page for elevators, restrooms and the nursing room.
- What to bring. Warm layers and comfortable shoes, because the display is both indoors and outdoors. Bring your tickets on your phone or printed.
Make a trip of it: the Brandywine Valley
- Downtown Kennett Square. The Kennett Square Holiday Light Parade is Saturday, Nov. 21, at 6 PM, the day after the display opens, according to Kennett Collaborative, the town’s nonprofit.
- Wyeth country. In Chadds Ford, the Brandywine Museum of Art is known for its galleries of work by N.C., Andrew and Jamie Wyeth, and it holds its own holiday train display (below).
- Across the state line. Visit Wilmington, Delaware’s tourism office, includes Yuletide at Winterthur, Noël at Nemours, Holidays at Hagley and the Wilmington & Western Railroad’s holiday trains in its holiday guide, and it points out that Delaware has tax-free shopping.
Also on the calendar nearby
Other events on our calendar the same weeks:
A Brandywine Christmas: Brandywine Railroad
The Brandywine Museum of Art’s holiday tradition since 1972: model trains on 2,000 feet of track with more than 1,000 pieces, plus trees hung with handmade "Critter" ornaments. Holiday hours are 9:30 AM to 5 PM daily, with later hours on some December weekends. It’s closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Christmas Village in Philadelphia
A German-style Christmas market at LOVE Park and City Hall in Center City with more than 120 vendors. It’s free to enter. Hours are noon to 8 PM Sunday to Thursday and noon to 9 PM Friday and Saturday, and it’s closed Nov. 23 to 25 and Christmas Day.
Before you go
The dates, the address and an add-to-calendar link: A Longwood Christmas on USA Fest Bot
More on the calendar: Pennsylvania events and holiday lights.
Dates can change, so check the event’s website before you go.
Quick answers
When is A Longwood Christmas in 2026?
November 20, 2026 - January 10, 2027, per Longwood Gardens and our listing. The Gardens are open 10 AM to 11 PM daily during the display.
Do I need a ticket in advance?
Yes. Admission is by timed ticket, and the organizer says the display often sells out, so buy ahead from Longwood. Children 4 and under are free and don’t need a ticket.
When are the lights on?
Many outdoor lights start coming on at 10 AM, and Longwood says they’re best viewed after dusk. The Main Fountain Garden light display starts at 2 PM daily.
Is parking free?
Yes. Parking is free in all of Longwood’s lots. On busy days you may be sent to an overflow or off-site lot with transportation to the entrance.
When is the best time to go?
Longwood’s FAQ says Mondays through Thursdays and earlier in the day are generally the best times to avoid crowds. Its tips say traffic is heavy approaching the Gardens from 2 to 8 PM.
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