Autumn’s Colors October 3–November 16
Autumn’s Colors
On View
October 3–November 16, 2025
This fall, nature picks up her brush and paints the landscape in breathtaking hues, while masters of their craft create works that beautifully illustrate all of who we are.
Immerse yourself in the beauty of our Flower Garden Walk, the bounty of our Ornamental Kitchen Garden, and the vibrancy of hardy Korean mums in our Idea Garden. Our artists and scientists stretch their horticultural limits with Chrysanthemum Festival, opening October 24. New this year, we share a behind-the-scenes look at the display with a detailed exhibit.
Experience art—and our mission—at work as our Gardens transform into an ever-changing gallery of masterful moments. Creativity not only grows here; it flourishes.
Fountain Finale
Our fountain choreographers expertly blend movement, music, light, and water into captivating experiences. Join us for a fountain finale of dancing and twirling, soaring and astounding, all month long.
Illuminated Fountain Performances
Now–October 26
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays 8:15 pm
From 80s hits to dance-inspired tunes, classical favorites to wicked Halloween fun, we have something fun for everyone.
Daytime Fountain Performances
Now–October 26
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays: 11:15 am, 1:15 pm, 3:15 pm, 5:15 pm
Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays: 11:15 am, 1:15 pm, 3:15 pm, 5:15 pm, 7:15 pm
Enjoy the thrill of daily performances as our fountains spin, soar, twirl, and delight.
Fountain Fest Weekend: Wicked Fun
October 24, 25, and 26 5–9 pm
Close out this year’s fountain performances in spooky good style with a Halloween weekend full of festive tunes and thrillers.
Climb to the top of the Chimes Tower for a stunning view (4–6 pm); join in on a themed family activity in the Pumphouse Plaza (5–7 pm); enjoy live music in the Beer Garden with Polkadelphia (5–7:45 pm); and hear fun, spooky selections in a new way on the carillon (6:30 pm) and on the Longwood Organ (October 24 and 26 at 6:30 and 7:30 pm).
Cap off each evening with our spooktacular Halloween Magic Illuminated Fountain Performance (8:15 pm), as fountains dance along to Defying Gravity, Werewolves of London, Thriller, and more festive favorites.
Family Fun Autumn at Longwood:
a time for crisp air, cozy moments, and the simple joy of being together. Enjoy it all amid these beautiful, festive features.
Pumpkin Displays
October 3–31
Courtesy of our talented horticulturists, festive seasonal displays of pumpkins, gourds, and more adorn our Rose Arbor, the Peirce-du Pont House Plaza, and our Idea Garden and Ornamental Kitchen Garden.
Garden Railway
October 3, 2025–January 11, 2026
A fanciful blend of horticulture, engineering, and fun, our Garden Railway is turning 25 this year! Each fall, our Horticulture, Facilities, and Guest Services teams join together to achieve the not-so-small feat of creating this multi-level world in miniature, complete with a seasonally changing plant palette. The Garden Railway also features a collection of models that represent and recreate many of Longwood’s most beloved features, in miniature—including a new-this-year Chimes Tower and Waterfall model.
Celebrate 25 years of this whimsical, wonderful display located outdoors near the Beer Garden. Our collection of large-scale model trains include steam, diesel, electric, and specialty engines that rumble along nearly 500 feet of track amid textural foliage, flowering plants, and woody plants.
The Garden Railway operates during regular Gardens hours, weather permitting.
Family Nature Strolls
October 4, 11, 18 10:30 am and 11:30 am
Discover the sights, sounds, and scents of the season with a fun, 30-minute nature walk designed for the entire family.
Free with Gardens Admission
An Exquisite Return
Chrysanthemum Festival On View October 24–November 16
When the inherent beauty of a chrysanthemum meets the talent of our horticultural artists and scientists, the result is unlike anything you could imagine.
Join us for the return of Chrysanthemum Festival and experience a living masterpiece of ever-changing wonder. We stretch our limits—and color outside the lines—by nurturing and training fall’s favorite flower into 66 specialty forms, from baskets to spirals, columns to clouds, that we can’t wait to share with you.
New this year, we give you a behind-the-scenes look with an in-depth exhibit examining the art and science behind Chrysanthemum Festival … and how our artists achieve this horticulturally rigorous (and gorgeous!) display with flying colors.
Science Series
Reimagining Traditions: A Fresh Look at Chrysanthemum Festival
October 25 at 11 am
Conservatory Ballroom
Horticultural Specialty Grower Jason Simpson details the innovation and tradition that go into our Chrysanthemum Festival horticultural techniques—from developing and following intricate training methods to creating one-of-a-kind forms.
Free with Gardens Admission
Autumn Calendar
Spotlight Tours Daily at 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 2 pm
October 1–23
Learn how we fill our gardens under glass with beauty in every season.
October 24–November 16
Marvel at our Chrysanthemum Festival and the horticulture, art, and science that make it all possible.
Free with Gardens Admission. Sign up at the Main Conservatory Information Desk on the day of your visit. Please note: Capacity is limited.
October
October 3
Autumn's Colors On View Now–November 16
Pumpkin Displays On View Now–October 31
Garden Railway On View Now–January 11, 2026
October 4
Family Nature Strolls 10:30 and 11:30 ams
October 5
Member Appreciation Day 10 am–9 pm
Enjoy 20% discounts in The Garden Shop (onsite and online) and on dining.
Michael Xavier Lundy 1 and 3 pm
October 7
Virtual Member Orientation 12 pm1
Meet Longwood staff online for an introduction to our Gardens and discover all your Membership has to offer.
October 11
Family Nature Strolls 10:30 and 11:30 am
October 12
Luke Staisiunas 1 and 3 pm
October 18
Family Nature Strolls 10:30 and 11:30 am
Member Orientation 10:30 am1
Meet Longwood staff for an introduction to our Gardens and discover all your Membership has to offer.
October 19
Open Organ Console Day 10:30 am–1:30 pm2
Storytelling with Poet Laureate Joy Harjo 2 pm3
October 23
Peter Richard Conte and Opera Philadelphia 7:30 pm4
October 24
Chrysanthemum Festival On View Now–November 16
Fountain Fest Weekend: Wicked Fun 5–9 pm
October 25
Science Series: Reimagining Traditions: A Fresh Look at Chrysanthemum Festival
11 am
Fountain Fest Weekend: Wicked Fun 5–9 pm
October 26
Fountain Fest Weekend: Wicked Fun 5–9 pm
November
November 15
Celebrating Longwood Gardens Christmas with Colvin Randall and Jim Sutton
1–2:30 pm3
Member Appreciation Day featuring a Holiday Shopping Opportunity
10 am–5 pm
Enjoy 20% discounts in The Garden Shop (onsite and online) and on dining.
Member Orientation
10:30 am1
Meet Longwood staff for an introduction to our Gardens and discover all your Membership has to offer.
November 17
Closed for A Longwood Christmas installation
The Garden Shop Closed
November 18
Closed for A Longwood Christmas installation
The Garden Shop Closed
November 19
Closed for A Longwood Christmas installation
The Garden Shop Closed
November 20
Closed for A Longwood Christmas installation
A Longwood Christmas Innovator Preview
5–8 pm Exclusively for Longwood Innovators
The Garden Shop Closed
November 21 A Longwood Christmas On View Now–January 11
registration required: longwoodgardens.org/memberorientation or 610.388.1000 2 Advance registration required by email: performingarts@ longwoodgardens.org. Time slots are limited. 3 Advance registration required: longwoodgardens.org
4 Special ticket required: longwoodgardens.org or 610.388.1000
To access and print our complete autumn calendar, use this QR code or visit longwoodgardens.org/ autumn-calendar
Our Mission in Action
At Longwood Gardens, beauty is just the beginning. Rooted in stewardship, we are guided by our mission to bring joy and inspiration to all through the beauty of nature, conservation, and learning— reaching far beyond our displays.
Our mission-focused programs help shape horticultural leaders of tomorrow. Enrich society through learning and training programs. Steward the land. Advance scientific endeavors. Engage with our local to global community.
This autumn, we deepen our impact and broaden our reach with a variety of mission-focused programs designed to connect. To innovate. To inspire.
From horticulture to poetry to the arts, we showcase masterworks of all genres—and those who create them— throughout our Gardens.
Our mission-focused programs are made possible by gifts of all sizes. Please visit longwoodgardens.org/support or use the QR code to join our community of supporters and directly advance our commitment to these important programs.
Masterful Moments
Longwood Reimagined Screenings
September 19, 20, and 21 at 7 pm
Orchard Lawn near the Meadow Garden
On September 20, join us at 6:30 pm in the Orchard for a special talk featuring. Longwood Gardens President and Chief Executive Officer Paul B. Redman and Documentary Director Glenn Holsten as they discuss the making of the Longwood Reimagined documentary, with the screening immediately following.
Experience Longwood Reimagined, a cinematic journey tracing the creation of our extraordinary 17-acre revitalization. From the first shovel in the ground to the public opening 44 months later, meet the minds behind the vision and the talented craftsmen who brought it to life. Learn how our 100-year legacy of gardening under glass and commitment to world-class sustainability practices culminated in a transformation that is as innovative as it is beautiful.
Featuring narration by Emmy Awardwinning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph and directed by award-winning documentary storyteller Glenn Holsten, we invite you to experience the documentary during these free showings.
Guests may set up their own chairs or blankets in the Orchard on these evenings beginning at 5:30 pm. Concessions will be available.
Learn more at longwoodgardens.org/documentary
Masterful Moments
Storytelling with Poet Laureate Joy Harjo
October 19 at 2 pm
The Fountain Room
Join us for a special celebration with our inaugural André Harvey Creative Fellow and former Poet Laureate Joy Harjo.
A trailblazer in poetry and storytelling, Joy Harjo is a member of the Muscogee Nation and the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States—the first Native American to hold this position, and only the second poet to be appointed a third term, from 2019 to 2022. An internationally renowned performer and writer, Harjo is the author of 10 books of poetry, plays, children’s books, memoirs, works of nonfiction, and several music albums. Harjo has given the world a powerful voice for Indigenous storytelling, inviting us to pause, listen, and recognize the connections between all living things. This event serves as
part of Harjo’s two-week residency at Longwood, as she immerses herself in the Brandywine’s iconic landscapes while exploring the connections between art, nature, and creativity.
Advance registration required at longwoodgardens.org/storytelling-joyharjo
Established in 2025 through a generous gift to continue artist André Harvey’s artistic legacy and appreciation for life, the André Harvey Creative Fellowship offers a biennial two- to four-week residency at Longwood to creative professionals who, like Harvey, by celebrating the joy of nature, inspire empathy and love for the natural world through boundless curiosity, humor, a sense of wonder, and a spirit of endless innovation. Learn more at longwoodgardens.org/harvey-fellowship
Masterful Moments
Spotlight on the Longwood Organ
Composed of 10,010 pipes divided into 146 ranks, the Longwood Organ is the largest Aeolian organ ever constructed in a residential setting—this season, we celebrate this masterpiece of an instrument, and those who play it, with a number of organ performances.
Michael Xavier Lundy
October 5 at 1 and 3 pm
Making his Longwood debut, Director of Liturgy, Music and Parish Organist for the Saint Thomas More Catholic Church (Chapel Hill, NC)
Michael Xavier Lundy is equally at home with both church and theater organs.
Luke Staisiunas
October 12 at 1 and 3 pm
Interim Organist-Choirmaster at the Anglo-Catholic parish of Christ Church (Woodbury, NJ), Luke Staisiunas is a versatile musician and technician based in Philadelphia. Staisiunas is a frequent performer on the organs of Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City.
Peter Richard Conte and Opera Philadelphia
October 23 at 7:30 pm
In partnership with Opera Philadelphia’s Pipe Up! Series, Longwood Gardens
Principal Organist Peter Richard Conte pairs up with singers from Opera Philadelphia—a company committed to developing opera for the 21st century and hailed as “the very model of a modern opera company” (The Washington Post) and “a hotbed of operatic innovation” (The New York Times)—for an evening featuring solo organ, choral ensemble, and combined forces.
Tickets on sale now at longwoodgardens.org
Celebrating Longwood Gardens Christmas
Celebrate the second edition of Longwood Gardens Christmas by Longwood P.S. du Pont Fellow Colvin Randall with a fascinating look at Longwood’s past and present holiday celebrations.
Celebrate Longwood Gardens Christmas with Colvin Randall and Jim Sutton
November 15 at 1 pm
Join us as P.S. du Pont Fellow Colvin Randall discusses how our founders Pierre S. and Alice du Pont initiated a tradition of holiday sharing that continues to this day, while Longwood Associate Director of Display Design Jim Sutton, who has been planning our A Longwood Christmas displays since 2008, explores more recent times.
Longwood Gardens Christmas was first published in 2010. This new, expanded edition covers every A Longwood Christmas through 2024—making it a musthave for every Longwood enthusiast. Longwood Gardens Christmas will be available for purchase at The Garden Shop prior to and during the event. Randall will sign copies following the talk.
Advance registration required at longwoodgardens.org/celebrating-christmas
Masterful Moments
Our True Impact
While our Gardens captivate the senses, our true impact reaches far beyond our displays … and we extend our work well beyond the garden gate.
From engaging in far-reaching plant exploration focused on global plant conservation … to creating new teacher professional development workshops to best meet educators’ evolving needs … to shaping leadership in the field of public horticulture, our true impact is a journey of which we are proud to endeavor.
This fall, we look forward to sharing our impact with you, our Members and Innovators. Encompassing our efforts and our achievements and telling the stories of our people and our purpose, the impact report serves as a detailed look at our mission in action … and as a celebration of the incredible things we’ve realized, together.
It’s coming soon … and we can’t wait to share these stories of our impact with you.
Get Ready for a Gem of a Holiday Season
Tickets On Sale and Reservations Available Now
A Longwood Christmas On View November 21, 2025–January 11, 2026
This holiday season, our Gardens are transformed into a living jewel box as radiant as the jewels and gems that inspired it.
Nature and elegance intertwine as twinkling lights dance, hues of emerald green to ruby red to bold sapphire shimmer, and every path leads to a new treasure to behold. All that glitters is here, waiting to be discovered.
Dates to Know
Autumn’s Colors
October 3–November 16, 2025
October 3–26, 2025
Reservations
Timed reservations required for Members Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays after 3 pm. Reservations not required for Gardens Premium Members and Innovators.
Gardens and The Garden Shop Hours
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 10 am–6 pm
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 10 am–9 pm
Tuesday: Closed
1906
October 3 to 26
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday: 11 am–4 pm
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 11 am–7:30 pm
October 27–November 16, 2025
Reservations
Reservations not required for Members and Innovators.
Gardens and The Garden Shop Hours
Wednesday–Monday: 10 am–5 pm
Tuesday: Closed
1906
Wednesday-Sunday: 11 am–3 pm
Please note: Our Gardens, The Garden Shop, and 1906 will be closed November 17 through 20 as we prepare for A Longwood Christmas
Dining Hours
Find day-by-day details at longwoodgardens.org/dine
Follow Us @LongwoodGardens #LongwoodGardens
Phone: 610.388.1000 Website: longwoodgardens.org
Free WiFi available: Connect to FreeGardenWIFI Our Gardens are smoke-free.
Photography credits: Carlos Alejandro, Holden Barnes, Hank Davis, Jim Graham, Carol Gross, Morgan Horell, Becca Mathias, Sam Markey, and Daniel Traub
© 2025 Longwood Gardens
