Social Guide

Before You Go

For entrance into the Gardens, please bring your Gardens Admission Ticket or your Member reservation and photo ID. Any fidgets, headphones, or other comfort tools are also allowed.
You are allowed to bring water and snacks (not picnics) into the Gardens.
Communicate about your visit with your family.
Prepare for social engagement, create a social script for engaging with staff who sell tickets in the Visitor Center or people who work in the Gardens.
Before you go, check the website to inform you about any potential sensory issues.
If you have a service animal, create a social script to answer questions about your animal.
Plan your travel to and from the Gardens, there is no public transportation that makes scheduled stops at Longwood Gardens.
The exhibits are always changing, so check the website before you visit to find out what flowers are in bloom, what tours are available, and fountain show times.
If you have visited the Gardens before, remember that the displays change often and you might not see all the same things that you saw last time.
Restrooms are available in the Visitor Center and throughout the Gardens. Look for signs in the Gardens to find the restroom location nearest you.
Once you are in the Gardens, stay as long as you like! Re-entry is not allowed at this time
Longwood covers many acres (nearly 200 that are open to the public!). Walking or using a personal mobility device, wheelchair, or electric scooter are the only ways in which to experience it.
Mobility device rentals are available on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of wheelchairs and strollers are available via self-service at the Visitor Center. Scooter rentals are also available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Visitor Center. You are welcome to bring your own mobility device.

Sensory Tips

Visual: There will be many signs in flower beds indicating types of plants on display. The Organ and Pump House museums have large displays describing what you are seeing. Text information is not necessarily required to experience but adds to the exhibit.
Touch: Please do not touch any of the plants you see, but feel free to splash in the water at either of the Children’s Gardens (when available).
Auditory: The fountain shows will have loud music, colored lights, and the water jets can make loud popping sounds too. Many nights, you can also hear live music playing in the Gardens, including at the Beer Garden.
Olfactory: Many of the plants on display in the Conservatory have smells that may be familiar or new—if the smell is too strong, feel free to step outside for some fresh air.

Please contact us with any additional questions regarding accessibility at Longwood. We welcome feedback regarding our access program services and how we may improve our access services to best accommodate your next visit to our Gardens.

Call 610.388.1000
Email questions@longwoodgardens.org

Visiting Our Gardens

Scroll through the social guide below (or download the pdf) for an introduction to the Gardens for first-time visitors, families, or visitors on the autism spectrum.

A Social Guide

Tall red and orange canna sprout up among other colorful garden beds on a misty morning — We can read this story as we get ready for our trip to Longwood Gardens. In this story we'll learn about how to park and enter the Gardens, some of the people who work at the Gardens who can help us with our visit, and some of the things that we can do and see when we visit.

Getting Ready

Soon I will go to Longwood Gardens. This is a story about what I will see, hear, and even touch! When I see this sign I know we have arrived.

people gather outside a building with garden beds around them — Entering the Parking Lot

Once we park our car, we will enter the Gardens through the Visitor Center. We may park our car in a grassy lot, a paved lot, or park far away and take a bus to the Visitor Center. There will be staff in yellow shirts helping find a place to park. I will stay with my family as we walk from the car to the Visitor Center.

Inside the Visitor Center

I will get in line to scan my ticket. It could be busy, and may have to wait a few minutes. I will patiently wait for my turn. Once it is my turn, I will talk to the staff member and pay for my ticket. The staff member can answer any questions I may have. I need to use my inside voice because the hallways are long and everything echoes.

two people talking in a conservatory — Types of Helpful Staff Members I May Meet

Garden Staff: When I enter the Visitor Center I will be greeted by a staff member wearing a green shirt and name tag. I will see these staff members in the Visitor Center, working in the garden beds, and walking around ready to answer questions.

Public Safety and Security: I will see Security Guards in the Visitor Center and all over the Gardens. These staff members wear yellow shirts and a name tag. They are here to help keep me and plants in the Gardens safe. If I have any questions, I can ask a Security Guard.

Have My Member Card or Ticket Ready

I will scan my ticket, Membership card, or Member reservation at the entrance to the Gardens.

Navigating Around the Garden

If I have a smart phone, I can view the interactive mobile map at longwoodgardens.org/map. If I use the mobile map, I can explore information on the Main Fountain Garden, learn more about *Light*, identify trees in Peirce’s Woods, and more!

exterior view of the east conservatory buliding — Exploring the Gardens: Conservatory

I can explore all the different rooms of the Conservatory. I will walk in the Conservatory not run and will not touch any of the plants I see. I must use my inside voice while in the Conservatory. The Conservatory can get a little crowded, so I will stay close to my family. If I need to leave, there are many exits so I can go outside. I may see a big project happening next to the Conservatory called *Longwood Reimagined*. It involves cranes, diggers, and more! Sometimes, I may hear them building a new Conservatory and spaces to visit.

a wide view of the organ museum at longwood gardens — Exploring the Gardens: Organ Museum

I can visit the Organ Museum in the Conservatory and interact with different buttons and sounds. These can be loud at times so I may want to bring headphones. In the Organ Museum I can see all 10,010 pipes that make the organ work. There are a lot of signs I can read in the museum to teach me how the organ works. During the day, I can hear the Organ play. It’s very loud and can be heard throughout the Conservatory.

the canopy cathedral treehouse on a sunny spring day — Exploring the Gardens: Treehouses

Canopy Cathedral Treehouse: I can explore this two-story tree house near the Italian Water Gardens. I can walk out on the deck and
see a beautiful view of the Large Lake. I need to be careful going up the stairs, if it rains or snows, the stairs can be slippery.

Lookout Loft Treehouse: I can use my wheelchair to get into this treehouse. I can listen through the copper horns to hear the sounds from the surrounding forest and meadow.

Birdhouse Treehouse: I can climb the stairs to the top of the treehouse to get a bird’s eye view of the Gardens.

Illuminated orange and purple fountains arch over a water area — Exploring the Gardens: Fountain Performances

Daytime Fountain Performances (depending on the season): I can walk through the Main Fountain Garden and if time allows watch a fountain performance.

Illuminated Fountain Shows: On select nights during the summer and fall I can see an Illuminated Fountain Performance. I will see
hundreds of water jets, beautiful colors, and hear great music. For this show, I can bring a chair or blanket to sit on. It may be crowded at this fountain show so I will stay close to my family.

*I can not play in these fountains, only look with my eyes. The music and water jets can be very loud, I may want to wear my headphones during the show.*

close up view of a historic pump with two wheels — Exploring the Gardens: Historic Pumproom & Gallery

If I want to look at something other than flowers, I can visit the Historic Pump Room & Gallery also known as the Engineer’s Garden.
Here I can learn about and touch the pumps that used to make the Main Fountain Garden work. There are tons of artifacts and drawings I can look at and read about. This is also a nice place to visit if I get too hot from walking around the Gardens and need to take a break.

map of quiet places to rest in longwood gardens — Quiet Places to Rest

If the Gardens get too loud or I need to take a rest from walking I can find a quiet place to take a break (see map image). Additional benches and quiet places to rest are found throughout the Gardens.

map of restrooms in longwood gardens — Restrooms

If I need to use the restroom, I can find one in several places throughout the Gardens. If I need to use the bathroom, I will tell someone in my family. I can look on my Gardens Map (or on the image below) to find the nearest one to my family and me.

indoor cafe with food selections — Dining in the Gardens

There are many options to eat while I am at Longwood Gardens. We can eat in The Café (pictured here), 1906 Fine Dining, Beer Garden, or at the Picnic Area located outside the Main Parking Lot on Longwood Road. If the weather is nice, I can sit outside and eat with my family. I can bring a snack into the Gardens with me, but full picnics are not allowed in the Gardens. I can picnic before or after my visit in the Picnic Area.

The Garden Shop

After my time exploring the Gardens is over, I can walk through The Garden Shop to look for a souvenir to remember my visit. I can ask anyone wearing a name tag in The Garden Shop if I have questions about any of the items for sale. I will walk through The Garden Shop and use my inside voice. The entrance to The Garden Shop is on the outside patio of the Visitor Center.

indoor visitor center with people standing around — Exiting the Gardens

When my visit to Longwood Gardens is over. I am going to exit through the Visitor Center. The same way we came in. My family and I will find our car in the parking lot. If it is a busy day I may have to ride a bus back to the place where we parked our car. I had a great time exploring the Gardens with my family today, I can’t wait to come back soon!

Want to learn more?

Explore more about our accessibility options in the Gardens.

At Longwood Gardens, we welcome everyone to enjoy the beauty of our Gardens. Scroll through our social guide gallery on the right and read through our know-before-you-go tips!

Download a pdf of the Social Guide.

Find out more about accessibility in the Gardens.

Need assistance getting around the Gardens?