KENNETT SQUARE, PA — Winter’s gray grip loosens at Longwood Gardens as its annual Winter Wonder exhibition fills acres of conservatories and landscapes with vibrant blooms, glowing installations, and a new nighttime spectacle designed to transform the season’s coldest months into a multisensory escape through March 22, 2026.
The centerpiece of this year’s program is Garden Glow, a newly introduced after-hours experience running select Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings from February 13 through March 8. From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., visitors are invited to explore immersive installations that blend horticulture, art, and light across both indoor and outdoor spaces.
In the Main Conservatory, Seeking Light: Bonsai Illuminated presents Shimpaku junipers aged between 200 and 1,000 years, revealed under blacklight to expose living veins against sculpted deadwood. Created by Longwood bonsai curator Kevin Bielicki, the display explores balance, renewal, and time through living sculpture.
The West Conservatory is reimagined as a dramatic aerial installation by award-winning floral designer Jennifer Reed of Jennifer Designs, with nearly 500 yards of suspended voile fabric and botanical elements stretching almost 100 feet overhead. Reed, whose work has appeared at the FIFA World Cup and the Grammy Awards, said the installation was designed to shift mood and perception as light travels across the space.
Outdoors, SPARK by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde of Studio Roosegaarde sends thousands of biodegradable points of light drifting skyward, carried entirely by wind. Inspired by fireflies, star systems, and flocks of birds, the installation replaces fireworks with what Roosegaarde describes as light that “amplifies nature instead of overpowering it.” No two SPARK moments are the same, shaped by weather and air currents in real time.
By day, Winter Wonder continues to showcase lush plantings under glass, from Mediterranean-inspired displays in the West Conservatory to cascading baskets of cape-primrose, jasmine, and kangaroo paws in the Main and East Conservatories. Outdoors, muted winter tones settle across the Hillside Garden and the 86-acre Meadow Garden, offering a quieter seasonal contrast.
Garden Glow tickets are required for evening access and include all-day Gardens admission with re-entry. Adult tickets are $45, or $25 for members, with youth tickets priced at $25, or $15 for member youth. SPARK is scheduled to run from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., though availability may be affected by extreme cold or severe weather.
Winter Wonder also features live organ performances on Longwood’s 10,010-pipe Aeolian Organ, a monthly Science Series highlighting conservation and horticultural research, seasonal dining experiences at 1906, and a wide slate of classes, lectures, and workshops tied to gardening, design, and botanical science.
General admission is $32 for adults and $17 for youth. Longwood Gardens is open Wednesday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Tuesdays. Additional details, tickets, and reservations are available at longwoodgardens.org.
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