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A Longwood Christmas
No holiday is complete without a visit to A Longwood Christmas at Longwood Gardens, where more than half a million twinkling lights and spectacular fountain shows compose a brilliant holiday wonderland.
Visitors can stroll through the grounds and marvel at the glowing trees and seasonal plants decked out with the most festive ornaments. Elsewhere, colorful fountains dance to holiday music and toasty fire pits invite you to cozy up under the stars.
A Longwood Christmas takes place from November 17, 2023 through January 7, 2024. Note that timed tickets are required.
Named the Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights (for the fifth year in a row) in 2022 by USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, A Longwood Christmas features over 550,000 glimmering lights, live musical performances, an outdoor railway display and other big surprises.
The theme for 2023’s winter extravaganza? “A Very Retro Christmas.”
This year’s throwback celebration evokes the Norman Rockwell vibes of holidays past, with vintage décor, glistening tinsel, old-school ornaments and nostalgic children’s toys.
Twinkling trees and brilliant light displays span hundreds of acres of outdoor gardens, indoor conservatories, misty lakes and intimate passages across the attraction.
Plus, guests can enjoy Christmas music and festive fountain shows, wander through the brilliantly illuminated displays, grab pay-as-you-go refreshments, or warm up beside the fire pits.
Icicle lights — Photo courtesy Longwood Gardens
The 2023 edition of A Longwood Christmas debuts a vintage holiday street, a holiday party scene, new outdoor installations and plenty of classic ornaments.
Indoor Highlights
Inside, the main conservatory becomes a merry 1940s- and 1950s-era holiday street scene, with decorated street lamps, shiny tinsel garland and retro ornaments.
Elsewhere, the Music Room transforms into a swanky holiday party scene, complete with gold accents, a mirrored bar, a champagne-colored tinsel tree and handcrafted glassware (including candy dishes, glass leaves, etc.).
Other must-sees include:
— Photo courtesy Longwood Gardens
Outdoor Highlights
Outside, you can witness captivating fountain shows with 750 water jets dancing to holiday music at the Open Air Theatre, walk through a 200-foot-long illuminated tunnel (with shifting lights!) along the Meadow Boardwalk, watch dozens of mini locomotives ride the Garden Railway and listen to festive songs from roaming carolers.
More highlights include:
Longwood Gardens is located in Kennett Square — about an hour from Center City Philadelphia.
The attraction is especially popular during the holiday season, so timed tickets are required for A Longwood Christmas. Timeslots may sell out (so advance purchase is highly recommended).
Garden Railway — Photo courtesy Longwood Gardens
Reminder: This holiday celebration takes place both indoors and outdoors, so be sure to bundle up.
For more information about A Longwood Christmas, click the button below.
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