KENNETT SQUARE, PA — Autumn at Longwood Gardens will arrive in layers this year: thousands of sculpted chrysanthemums indoors, fiery foliage outside, fountain shows after dark, family storytimes beneath the trees and a full slate of seasonal classes and programs.
“Autumn’s Colors” runs Oct. 2 through Nov. 15, with the Chrysanthemum Festival returning Oct. 16. The seasonal display brings together more than 5,000 chrysanthemum plants, changing fall foliage, harvest displays, the Garden Railway and the final Illuminated Fountain Performances of the year.
“Our Autumn display pairs nature’s colorful foliage with the ancient artistry of chrysanthemum training,” Chris Cole, vice president of horticulture at Longwood Gardens, said. “More than 5,000 chrysanthemum plants are on display, many carefully sculpted by our expert horticulturists into spirals, clouds, and other forms for an exhibit that takes more than a year of planning and is only on view for a few weeks.”
Chrysanthemums Take Center Stage
Beginning Oct. 16, the East and Main Conservatories will be filled with chrysanthemums trained into spirals, cascading clouds and other sculptural forms in shades of yellow, orange, lavender and maroon.
New this year is a double chrysanthemum arch. The Bonsai Workshop will feature chrysanthemum bonsai created by students and staff.
In the Exhibition Hall, visitors will encounter a live chrysanthemum curtain alongside a new display inspired by the Japanese art of suiseki, or viewing stones. Longwood’s horticulturists have created chrysanthemum forms — some reaching 10 feet long — inspired by naturally occurring stones that resemble mountains, islands and waterfalls.
Visitors curious about how those forms are created can attend “Meet Us at the Mums” from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 24. Members of Longwood’s Science team will be stationed throughout the conservatories to discuss their research, techniques and the horticultural work behind the festival. The program is included with Gardens admission, with advance registration suggested at https://longwoodgardens.org/events-performances/events/science-series.
Halloween Comes to the Fountain Garden
Longwood’s Main Fountain Garden will present its final Illuminated Fountain Performances of the year at 8:15 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 31.
A new program joins the lineup Oct. 23 with “Symphony of Horror,” combining projected scenes from the classic film “Nosferatu” with live organ music performed by Longwood Gardens Principal Organist Peter Richard Conte.
The family favorite “Halloween Magic” returns for performances Oct. 24, 25 and 31.
Event Details
- What: Longwood Gardens’ “Autumn’s Colors,” including the Chrysanthemum Festival, fall foliage, seasonal displays and fountain performances
- When: Oct. 2-Nov. 15, 2026; Chrysanthemum Festival begins Oct. 16. Hours through Nov. 1 are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Sunday. From Nov. 2-15, the Gardens are open Wednesday-Monday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Longwood is closed Tuesdays.
- Where: Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348
- Cost/Tickets: Timed admission tickets are required and should be purchased in advance. Additional fees apply for select classes and workshops.
- More Info: longwoodgardens.org
Fall Color From the Conservatories to the Treehouses
The seasonal transformation extends well beyond the chrysanthemums.
Inside the conservatories, ornamental peppers, copper-toned sedges, coleus and coral bells will shift the palette toward autumn. Outdoors, visitors can take in changing foliage from three treehouses: the Birdhouse Treehouse, the ADA-accessible Lookout Loft and the Canopy Cathedral Treehouse overlooking the Large Lake.
From Oct. 3 through 31, the Rose Arbor, Idea Garden and Peirce-du Pont House Plaza will feature a fall harvest display filled with ornamental grasses, mums, pink and purple celosias and gourds.
The Garden Railway also returns with miniature Longwood landmarks, seasonal plantings and dozens of engines running beneath white birches.
Families with younger children can add Storytime to their visit on Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 at 11 a.m. Designed for ages 3 to 6, each session will feature two or three seasonally inspired stories read by Longwood educators beneath the London Plane-trees in the West Conservatory Plaza.
Seasonal Food and Learning
The Beer Garden will continue serving seasonal fare and craft drinks beneath golden ginkgo trees, with live music Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings through Nov. 1.
Longwood’s 1906 restaurant will also feature produce harvested from the Idea Garden, including cabbage, kale, peppers and lettuces. Lunch will be offered Monday and Thursday, with lunch and dinner Friday through Sunday through Nov. 1.
The season’s educational programs range from carnivorous plants and chrysanthemum floral design to bird care, stormwater management and eco-printing.
Among the offerings are “Chrysanthemum Floral Design” on Oct. 24, which begins with a private tour of the festival before the Gardens open; a free Oct. 25 author talk with flower historian Jill Brooke; a layered bulb container workshop Oct. 28; and an Oct. 31 class tracing chocolate from cacao bean to finished product.
Family workshops continue on the second Saturday of each month, including “Protecting Our Feathered Friends” on Oct. 10 and “Fall Copper Leaf Creations” on Nov. 14.
Guests looking to linger can also purchase two-day passes Wednesdays through Sundays through Oct. 25, offering 10% off regular admission. Gardens By Day and Night tickets are available Fridays through Sundays through Oct. 25 for an additional $6 per ticket, allowing untimed admission and one reentry.
From the first hints of changing leaves to the final fountain show of the season, Longwood’s autumn calendar gives visitors plenty of reasons to return — whether for the precision of a 10-foot chrysanthemum form, the glow of a Halloween fountain performance or simply an afternoon beneath trees turning gold.
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