1. Longwood Gardens
Kennett Square
This jewel situated near the Philadelphia and Lancaster regions is a place of unparalleled beauty. Often referred to as the world's premier horticultural showplace, Longwood Gardens' 1050 acres of natural woodlands, majestic gardens, opulent conservatories, and dancing fountains are open every day of the year.
2. Pennsylvania Horticulture Society Philadelphia Flower Show
Philadelphia
For the first time ever, the 2021 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is moving outdoors. The nation’s largest and longest-running horticultural event will take place from June 5 to June 13 and will incorporate the beautiful landscapes of FDR Park. This year’s theme, HABITAT: Nature’s Masterpiece, will showcase the beauty of life through nature’s kaleidoscopic lens. Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
3. Bartram’s Garden
Philadelphia
Bartram’s Garden is America's oldest living botanic garden surrounded by the urban bustle of Philadelphia. You won't believe you are in the city when you see the wildflower meadow, majestic trees, river trail, wetland, stone house and farm buildings overlooking the Schuylkill River, and the historic botanic garden of American native plants.
4. Brandywine River Museum of Art
Chadds Ford
The Brandywine River Museum of Art is surrounded by wildflower gardens in glorious color from spring through autumn. The gardens are meant to preserve, protect, and share American artistic, natural, and historical resources, principally of the Brandywine region.
5. Wyck
Philadelphia
Wyck’s main focus is on the conservation and propagation of historic plants. There is growing consensus that the rose collection held at Wyck is one of the most important in America, being an intact 19th century garden and not a modern restoration. It is also used as a tool to educate and delight both serious gardeners as well as casual visitors.
6. Graver Arboretum of Muhlenberg College
Allentown
The Graver Arboretum of Muhlenberg College serves the educational mission of the college by providing an outdoor space for course activities, taking students out of the classroom and into the environment. Others enjoy the arboretum by hiking through the inviting trails or by finding a quiet place to relax and reflect.
7. Rose Garden Park
Bethlehem
The Rose Garden Park is known for its more than 100 varieties of fragrant flowers, with the bandshell hosting a series of free concert performances every summer. In addition to its floral and lawns, this local park also features a bandshell and war memorial.
8. Malcolm W. Gross Rose Garden
Allentown
Allentown's old-fashioned Rose Gardens, with many beautiful flowers and ponds filled with water lilies, are known for their All America Rose Selections. With many different varieties of roses, the Malcolm W. Gross Rose Garden offers sights for all flower enthusiasts.
9. Liberty Forge Arboretum
Mechanicsburg
Liberty Forge Arboretum is a registered member of the American Public Gardens Association that offers a sense of solitude and beauty. Nestled among the rolling terrain of the golf course, professionally landscaped gardens offer splashes of color and fragrance among ponds and fountains.
10. Hershey Gardens
Hershey
Located on 23 acres of horticultural excellence, you can enjoy spectacular seasonal displays, theme gardens, and more than 7,000 breathtaking roses at Hershey Gardens. The family will love the popular Butterfly House and the Children's Garden that are filled with surprises at every turn.
11. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden
Pittsburgh
Wander through 60 acres of woodlands and enjoy an award-winning lotus pond at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. The Garden is already connecting people to Pittsburgh’s history and the beauty of Western Pennsylvania.
12. Chatham College Arboretum
Pittsburgh
Chatham’s 39-acre campus encompasses a 32-acre arboretum featuring 115 different varieties of species, including Japanese Flowering Crabapple, River Birch, and Kentucky Coffee tree. The Chatham College Arboretum provides an outdoor classroom for students, as well as an inviting place to stroll and to meditate.
13. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Inc.
Pittsburgh
The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Inc. feature lush tropical plants, palms, orchids, ferns, and desert plants, as well as many special flower shows, exhibits, and butterflies. Outdoor gardens and collections include the children's Discovery Garden, Japanese Courtyard Garden, bonsai, butterflies, perennials, annuals, herbs, and aquatics.
14. Goodell Gardens and Homestead
Edinboro
The Goodell Gardens and Homestead boasts 40 specimens of Azaleas and Rhododendrons, 60+ tree species (including Dawn Redwood, Jeffery Pines, Franklinia, Carolina Silverbell, and a champion Paper Birch), a wonderful array of native PA plants, and much more.
15. Erie Zoo Gardens
Erie
Through the winding walkways of Erie Zoo Gardens, one will encounter beautifully landscaped grounds with over 2,500 specimens of 600 species of plants. Various gardens include the Butterfly Gardens, the Greenhouse, and the Great Gardens at Kiboka Outpost where the rhinos roam.
16. Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park
Erie
The Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park contains more than 250 varieties of trees and is open 365 days a year. Hiking/ biking trails, a meditative labyrinth, a playground, and tennis courts, as well as sled riding hills during the winter, are all available in the arboretum, making it an educational and recreational oasis for all visitors.
17. Marywood University Arboretum
Scranton
The Marywood University Arboretum offers many events throughout the year including educational activities, community workshops, and special tours and events. The arboretum is open daily for quiet nature walks and offers a wide array of different trees, flowers, and plants to be seen.
18. Arboretum at Penn State
State College
Visitation to the Arboretum at Penn State has increased substantially each season since PSU has developed community events and rented garden venues for University and private gatherings. The mission of the Arboretum is to engage the academic strengths of the University in promoting scholarship and education about plants and their history and importance on earth.
19. 23rd Annual Art in Bloom Spring Show
Ebensburg
Each year, the display features more than 170 pieces of artwork by professional and amateur artists from all over Pennsylvania. Artwork is judged by an independent juror in five different categories, with awards given for each category, along with "Best of Show" and "Peoples’ Choice" awards. This year, the Annual Art in Bloom Spring Show will take place virtually on April 24 and 25.
20. Ekey Garden Museum
Warren
Since 1916, the Ekey's Garden Museum has offered a great history of the gardening business and how it and horticulture have changed throughout the years. Come check out the wonderful flowers, plants, and other features at this unique attraction.
21. Laurel Hill State Park
Somerset
Laurel Hill State Park is surrounded by thousands of acres of pristine state forestlands and greenery. A trail system invites you to hike and explore the park and observe the wide diversity of plants and wildlife. A beautiful stand of old-growth hemlocks lies along the Hemlock Trail.
22. A Garden Tour of Lewisburg
Lewisburg
Over the past 70+ years, the Lewisburg Garden Club has evolved and grown. Floral design and arrangements are still a priority, but the club also comes together to create and maintain public gardens, provide scholarships and learn about such topics as organic farming, creating essential oils from flowers, building rain barrels and the importance of native plants to the habitat of birds, bees, and butterflies. Beginning June, the Garden Club will be offering a Garden Tour of Lewisburg.
23. Keithan’s Bluebird Gardens
Sunbury
Located on a 1.5-acre tract along Sunbury’s riverside, Keithan's Bluebird Gardens still contains some of the exotic trees that Charles Keithan imported from around the world, as well as representative species of two of his favorite plants - azaleas and rhododendrons.
To learn about additional gardens in Pennsylvania, check out the visitPA website. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more PA inspiration. Don’t forget to sign up for our monthly Happy Thoughts e-newsletter so you never miss an update.