Chanticleer

The Experience

The gardeners here are also artists, and they design their own installations.

Chanticleer offers much to explore.

Follow the winding path past the Tennis Court Garden down to the vegetable gardens toward the stream. Explore the terrace gardens and meander past the grass labyrinth to the pond, which is bordered by sun-worshipping wildflowers. The Minder Ruin Garden, set among the remains of one of the family homes, is punctuated with plants, still pools and unusual sculptures.

Don’t be surprised to come across nature photographers and birdwatchers, as birds are plentiful in this botanical wonderland.

Two large houses reside on the property: the Administration Building and the main house.

For a parting memory, check out the exotic Tropical Teacup garden and the imaginatively planted courtyard, which in summer brim with lush tropical plants, many bursting out of their containers.

  — Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia

The History

Chanticleer was originally built in 1913 as a country retreat for wealthy Philadelphians Adolph Rosengarten, Sr., and his wife, Christine. Generations of the family lived here for decades.

Upon his death in 1990, Adolph Rosengarten, Jr. designated that the property be used for the education and enjoyment of the public.

The property’s moniker has strong literary ties. “Chanticlere” was an estate in William Makepeace Thackeray’s 1854 novel The Newcomes, and long before that, Chaucer named a rooster Chanticleer in The Canterbury Tales in the late fourteenth century. Keep an eye out for rooster motifs as you stroll through the property.