Longwood Gardens plans busy 2016

Longwood2016

Nightscape: A Light and Sound Experience by Klip Collective Returns in 2016

Longwood Gardens plans five spectacular seasonal displays and nearly 600 daily horticultural, educational, performing arts, and holiday programs for 2016. Among the highlights for 2016 is the return of Nightscape: A Light and Sound Experience by Klip Collective, August 3 – October 29.

The exhibit sets Longwood aglow with moving imagery, lights, and original compositions projected onto the living canvas of our plants. Other favorite events returning include Orchid Extravaganza, spectacular spring bulb displays, Wine & Jazz Festival, Summer Concert Series, and the dazzling holiday display, A Longwood Christmas.

The outdoor gardens and Conservatory open at 9 am every day of the year. Closing time varies by season, as the Gardens remain open later frequently for special events and the holiday display. 

Admission isAdults: $20, Seniors (age 62+): $17, Students: $10 (ages 5-18) and Children 4 and under are free.

Group rates are available.

2016 Season Highlights: 

Orchid Extravaganza: January 23-March 27: Enter a dazzling world of orchids as Longwood transforms its Conservatory into an orchid oasis. Orchid blooms cascade down walls, spill from containers and adorn planting beds throughout Longwood’s 4 acres of indoor gardens. The award-winning Orchid curtain returns, featuring 250 purple Phaleanopsis and Cattleya orchids in glorious bloom.  Outdoors in March, early spring bulbs begin to carpet the landscape hinting at spring’s impending arrival.

Spring Blooms: April 2-June 3: Relish being outdoors as Longwood’s 1,077 acres herald the arrival of spring. Enjoy our spectacular outdoor spring bulb display, culminating in a rainbow of more than 250,000 blooming tulips in Longwood’s famed Flower Garden Walk and Idea Garden. Flowering trees and other spring blooms entice guests explore the splendor of the Gardens.

Summer Spectacular: June 4-September 5: This summer celebration showcases annual and perennial flowers, roses, waterlilies, as well as alfresco concerts and fountain shows.  The annual Wine & Jazz Festival returns June 4. This popular event invites guests to enjoy some of the region’s finest wines while the area’s best jazz musicians perform live throughout the day. Special tickets are required. The Longwood Beer Garden returns in June offering guests live music on select evenings.

Summer Concert Series: Longwood welcomes well-known artists performing full-length concerts in picturesque settings around the gardens. Visit longwoodgardens.org on March 1 to see the complete lineup of performers.

Nightscape: A Light and Sound Experience by Klip Collective: August 3- October 29: The Gardens are aglow with moving imagery, lights, and original compositions, all projected onto the living canvas of our plants and landscapes. Guests can also enjoy special programming throughout the exhibit. Nightscape is best viewed in darkness and is on view Wednesday through Saturday evenings. The Gardens close at 11 pm. Special tickets are required.

Autumn’s Colors: September 10-November 20: Fall fun awaits as the Gardens celebrate the harvest season with pumpkins and thousands of chrysanthemums indoors and out. Chrysanthemum Festival (October 22-Nov 20) spotlights Longwood’s horticulture expertise as chrysanthemums are crafted and grown into extraordinary shapes, some taking as long as 18 months to complete.The highlight of the display is the Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum, a single chrysanthemum that boasts more than 1,300 uniforms blooms on a single plant.  

A Longwood Christmas: November 24, 2016-January 8, 2017: Thousands of poinsettias, towering Christmas trees, and fragrant flowers transform the indoor gardens into a warm retreat celebrating the holiday season. Outdoors, 500,000 decorative lights glitter in the trees and colorful fountain displays set to music enchant visitors. Evening choral concerts, strolling carolers, and organ sing-alongs fill the gardens with the festive sounds of the holidays.

Year-round in the Gardens: Longwood’s Terrace Restaurant is open daily and offers two food service options. The Café features cafeteria-style dining year-round. 1906, the fine dining room named in honor of the year of Longwood’s founding, offers full-service dining. Make reservations for 1906 online at www.opentable.com. The Longwood Gardens Shop in the Visitor Center is open daily during garden hours.

Other year-round highlights include Longwood’s Indoor Children’s Garden, where a creative crew of Garden residents, innovative water features, and an amazing palette of plants await to inspire imaginations young and old; the Meadow Garden, an 86-acre landscape featuring more than 3 miles of walking trails; and Nature’s Castles, our three imaginative treehouses that delight young and old.

Longwood’s Education Programs encourage gardening at all levels. Classes and lectures on garden-related subjects are offered year-round, as well as student programs for individuals interested in horticulture as a profession. For information visit www.longwoodgardens.org.

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