An eastern Pennsylvania holiday tradition, the Longwood Gardens Christmas event starts November 26, 2009 and runs through January 10, 2010. A perfect outdoor (and indoor) holiday celebration that can be shared by young and old alike, you’ll be amazed at all there is to experience during a Longwood Gardens Christmas. We took the kids last year and thoroughly loved it!

The horticulture showplace near Kennett Square, PA dazzles guests with spectacular floral displays, stunning trees, holiday music, 500,000 outdoor lights, dancing fountains and ice skating under the stars to delight the entire family.

Admission to the display is by Timed Ticket only, with tickets issued for specific dates and times. Timed tickets are on sale now (see below for ticket info).

Dancing Fountains, Outdoor Lights and Ice Skating Under the Stars

Longwood works its holiday magic outdoors! More than 500,000 outdoor lights adorning 74 trees in classical and free-style form enchant both young and old. New additions to the lighting extravaganza include the illumination of two of Longwood’s Nature’s Castles treehouses! Experience the treehouses decked out for the holidays as they glitter and glow in woodland settings.

Fountains dance day and night to holiday music in the Open Air Theatre (weather permitting) beneath glimmering starry snowflakes.

Ice skating performances grace Longwood’s picturesque Chimes Tower as past, present and future Olympians join professional skaters in shows throughout the day and evening. Special guests 2009 Bronze Medalist ice dancers Kim Navarro and Brent Bommentre perform Nov 27-29, while returning favorites Olympians Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn perform throughout the season. (To ensure seating, special tickets are required to view the skating - see below for ticket info)

Natural edible ornaments adorn Wildlife Trees created especially for Longwood’s feathered and furry friends. The Gardener’s Tree features ornaments crafted from garden findings, including gourds, seedpods, and cones, while topiary reindeer frolic in the geometric beauty of the nearby Topiary Garden.

Children’s Trees

Longwood invites area schools to share in the joy of the season by making ornaments for a Children’s Tree Display. This year, Longwood expanded the program to also include natural ornaments for its wildlife trees.

A Dazzling Dinner Dance, Floral Carpet and More

This year, Longwood’s Music Room is transformed into a holiday dinner dance with festively adorned tables featuring hand-painted china and vases from Portland, ME-based artist Scott Potter. Potter is known for redefining the traditional art of découpage, learning the ancient craft of gilding on glass along the way. For Longwood, he is producing lush glass masterpieces with bold fruits, flowers and pollinators as part of Longwood’s 2009 celebration The Bees & The Bees: Pollination & the Secret Lives of Plants. Guests can purchase the one-of-a-kind signed creations in the display.

Steps away in the 4.5-acre heated Conservatory, thousands of poinsettias accented with amaryllis, narcissus, begonias, cyclamen, and tulips flourish. Elegantly decorated trees shimmer and sparkle with festive flair.

In Longwood’s Exhibition Hall, dazzling icicles fashioned from lights hang from the vaulted glass ceiling over an ornate 85-foot-long carpet fashioned from more than 1,000 living plants. The red, green and creamy white creation features ivy, begonias, poinsettias and more as it flows across the Exhibition Hall leading the eye to a dazzling tree resplendent in begonias accented with red and gold ornaments and ribbons.

The East Conservatory boasts Longwood’s largest indoor tree, a 28 foot-tall Douglas Fir decorated with 800 cobalt blue butterflies that gently flutter accompanied by blue, silver and white holiday ornaments. More horticultural finery, including swags of exotic plants, living wreaths, and decorated trees flourish throughout the Conservatory.

Music & Special Events

Music is a perennial gift at Longwood Gardens. Holiday concerts in the ornate Ballroom include organ sing-alongs on Longwood’s newly renovated 10,010-pipe Aeolian organ, and evening choral and bell choir performances by area groups. In Longwood’s historic Chimes Tower, the carillon with 62 bells plays holiday music every half hour. Strolling performances on weekends fill the gardens with holiday music at every turn.

On New Year’s Eve, Longwood will remain open until 10 pm with special festive activities for the entire family. Find fun around every corner with strolling performances by carolers, and a barbershop quartet. Families will enjoy face painting, a balloon artist, a kids’ craft station and more! A spectacular 5-minute fireworks display tops off the fun at 9:15 pm.

Dining Delights

Enjoy sumptuous dinners, fun Breakfasts with Santa and the popular Yuletide Buffet throughout the holiday season. Families are invited to enjoy Breakfast with Santa December 12, 13, 19 & 20 at 8:00 and 9:30 am. Enjoy an array of breakfast items that are sure to please the entire family. Reservations are required and prices include Gardens admission. Ages 12 & over $40, ages 5-11 $22; Ages 4 and under, free. Pricing for Garden Passholders are ages 12 and older: $28; ages 5-11: $16.

Enjoy the holiday in style with the festive Yuletide Buffet featuring a carving station, a variety of side dishes, soups, delicious desserts and more. Reservations are required. The Buffet is open to the public December 19-23, 26-31; 3:00–8:00 pm. Prices include Gardens admission: Ages 12 & older: $52 ages 5-11: $31; ages 4 and under: free. Passholder pricing is $40 for ages 12 and older and $25 for ages 5-11.

Groups are welcome at our Yuletide Buffet! Call 610-388-1000 ext. 512 for special dates and hours, pricing information and reservations. Reservations are being accepted beginning October 1.

Admission & Ticketing

A Longwood Gardens Christmas runs November 26 – January 10, 9 am to 9 pm. Timed Tickets allow entry during half-hour intervals throughout the day, from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Longwood will remain open until 10 pm on Saturdays and December 26-31. Timed Tickets are on sale online at www.longwoodgardens.org or in person at Longwood.

Please note Longwood will host special Garden Pass Member-only Holiday Evenings on Monday, December 7 and Monday, December 14 from 6-10 pm. Only Garden Pass Members will be admitted on these exclusive evenings.

General Admission prices are $16 for adults; $14 for seniors (age 62+), $6 for students (ages 5-22) free age 4 and under. Tickets to view the ice skating performances are an additional fee of $5 ($4 for Garden Passholders.) and are available now. Complete information is available online at www.longwoodgardens.org.