A Longwood Christmas

Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

December 2020

This year was my first year that I went to Longwood Gardens for their Christmas Season. My boyfriend, Ryan, and I walked along the paths of lights that led us all over the Garden grounds. We saw arrays of colorful lights strung up, down, and all around. Along with the lights, there were three fire pit locations - Italian Water Garden, Peirce-du Pont House Plaza, and Main Fountain Garden. Longwood has a Garden Railway that showcases miniature model trains, Main Fountain Garden Light Display, Open Air Theatre, Large Lake Light Display, and a Treehouse. Out of all of these attractions, we saw the Main Fountain Garden Light Display, Large Lake Light Display, and the Treehouse. I really enjoyed the Main Fountain Garden Display! The show featured music and dancing lights that imitated water. It was very fun and beautiful! The Lake Light Display was nice to walk past as well as the Treehouse. We had the opportunity to watch the Open Air Theatre, however, we decided against it because there were a mass of people all crowded next to each other. The Open Air Theatre, while outside, was crowded and did not seem to be following social distancing guidelines. Ryan and I happened to be walking near the Open Air Theatre when everyone was exiting the show and aside from the crowd, many people were either not wearing a mask or they were not wearing it correctly. It was shocking and completely turned us away from catching the next show. Another highlight that I was looking forward to was the Conservatory! I was looking forward to seeing all of the beautiful and diverse plants and greenery. Unfortunately, the Conservatory was closed to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. I completely understand why the Conservatory was closed and I support the restrictions. However, we found out about these new restrictions the day before our reservation and we were only given a $10 refund per ticket and each ticket was priced at $30. I do believe that the refund should have been a little higher (at least half) considering that the Conservatory is the main attraction.

Helpful Things To Know Before You Go

• Reserve your tickets online early!

  • I am talking weeks in advance, maybe even months, that way you can get the date and time that you want

• There are plenty of restrooms open that are inside of buildings in each main attraction area

• There are festive drinks and snacks available for purchase at several of booths that are spread throughout the Garden grounds

The whole experience took us under one hour to walk through (about 45 minutes). We made sure we bundled up warm and wore our masks the entire time. If I am being honest, it was an underwhelming experience. I did enjoy the displays but for the price, I would say it is not worth it to go more than once or twice. I am sure that the Conservatory would have helped make the trip worthwhile but I have seen better and more intricate light displays before. With that being said, I still had a lovely time with Ryan and I am glad that we were able to get out of the house and enjoy a date night together.

How Longwood Gardens is Handling COVID-19

• Longwood set out markings on the ground all over to assist with social distancing. However, I found that many people chose to ignore these markings which was upsetting.

• Wearing a mask is required at all times - unless eating or drinking. However, I did notice several of people incorrectly wearing their masks (under the nose or under the nose and mouth). I did also see a few guests who were not wearing a mask at all (I promise, they were not eating or drinking). This was certainly upsetting to see and I wished that the guests doing these things were more respectful of the rules and of others.

While this review might not be my most positive, I am just being raw and speaking of my experiences and feelings. I want to always be honest when writing and give my truth to others. I can see both positives and negatives from the experience. One of my favorite positives would be the pictures that I was able to take - posted below! I hope that you enjoy both the review and the photos.