Talk about your three-ring circus! You can spend an entire day at Longwood Gardens this holiday season and never run out of things to do or see. You definitely need to call ahead to reserve your timed tickets for the Christmas Tour, but the challenge will be finding time to fit it in! So here's a suggestion.
9:30 For starters, how about “Breakfast with Santa Clause" at 9:30 am in the Terrace Restaurant (for the eager beavers, there’s also an 8:00 am “sitting”).
10:45 Let's do the Christmas Tour in the Conservatory in the morning because it will probably be warmer to wonder the enormous gardens and grounds outside in the afternoon. Besides, you’ll need to work up an appetite for lunch.
The Christmas Tour combines breathtaking holiday landscapes and floral displays in the Main Conservatory with excursions into the special cultivation displays in the East and West Conservatory Complexes. Take note of the public exits as you pass them, because there aren't that many. And, be sure to bring a camera. (Check out the slide show at the bottom of the page and you'll understand why I suggested your bring the camera!)
12:30 Lunch in the newly remodeled Terrace Restaurant
1:45 Shop till you drop in the large and bustling “Garden Shop” in the Visitors Center. That will take at least an hour an hour – probably more. The prices are high but they have a lot of items you just can't find anywhere else.
2:45 Tour the extensive gardens and grounds, decorated with thousands of lights, ornaments and holiday trappings. They are even pretier at night, but hard to photo when it's dark.
3:30 Head for the ice skating rink to enjoy the world-class skaters that Longwood Gardens has brought in to make your holiday even brighter.
5:00 Enjoy the “dancing fountain” show that runs continuously from 5:00 to 9:00 pm
5:30 Try the “Yuletide Buffet” in the Terrace Restaurant (3:00 to 8:00 pm on selected evenings). It’s not inexpensive -- $52 for adults, $31 for children 5 to 11 – but there are significant discounts for members (“Garden Pass” holders) and the price includes Longwood Gardens admission.
7:00 Complete a perfect day with a concert of holiday music performed by area choral groups, madrigal singers or handbell choirs on various evenings. There’s even a “Celtic Harp Orchestra”! If 7:00 pm feels like a bit of a rush from the Yuletide Buffet, consider visiting on Friday, Saturday or Sunday when there is a second concert at 8:00 pm.
All this doesn’t come cheap. Admission is $16 for adults, $14 for seniors, student 5-18 are $6, but 4 or under is free. Of course there are discounts for “Garden Pass” holders (members), as well. And if you can get 15 or more of your friends and family to join in, you can take advantage of the $12 admission rate for groups!
TravelTip: Try to arrange your visit on Friday, Saturday or Sunday so you can take in some of the other wonderful holiday venues and restaurants in the Brandywine Valley at Winterthur, Hagley, and the Brandywine River Museum.
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