Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation and Historic Harrisburg Association
Offer a Bus Trip To:
Brandywine Battlefield Park / Longwood Gardens
Saturday, June 7, 2025
Our first stop on our journey from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, will be Brandywine Battlefield Park. Located in Chadds Ford, this 52-acre park commemorates the Battle of Brandywine, which took place on September 11, 1777, and was the largest single-day battle of the American Revolution. Here, General Lafayette performed heroically but was wounded in the action.
Visitors to the site can tour the meticulously restored 18th-century Benjamin Ring House, which served as General Washington’s headquarters during the battle. The renovated Gideon Gilpin House, the home of a Quaker farmer who suffered significant losses during the conflict, is also open for tours. Despite modern encroachments, visitors to the area can still envision the bustling activity of that fateful day.
The Visitor Center, which includes exhibits and an orientation video, provides an overview of the battle. Brandywine Battlefield is a site on the Pennsylvania Trails of History.
Food Option:
Brandywine Battlefield Park has a picnic area. You can pack a picnic lunch to enjoy during your visit before we depart for Longwood Gardens. (Outside food is not allowed at Longwood Gardens.) The bus will leave at 12:15pm.
Longwood Gardens:
The bus will proceed to Longwood Gardens, arriving at approximately 12:30pm when we will enjoy a guided tour. This expert-led experience offers a fantastic opportunity to appreciate the garden legacy of founder Pierre S. du Pont. Explore the heritage, horticultural history, architectural splendor, inspiring gardens, and more. The 60-minute stroll is designed to narrate how one man’s vision transformed Longwood into one of the world’s great gardens. This tour is ideal for all guests—from first-time visitors to members alike.
Visiting the Gardens is mainly an outdoor experience. Indoor attractions include the 4-acre Conservatory, the historic Peirce-du Pont House, the Webb Farmhouse and Galleries, the Terrace, and the Visitor Center. Nearly 200 acres are open to the public. Walking is the primary way to explore the Gardens. Accessible paths are available for guests using wheelchairs, electric scooters, or strollers (see below).
The time before and after the guided tour will be on your own. Note: We will be visiting during the Festival of Fountains Season however, the illuminated light show starts at 9:15 p.m., and we will have departed before the start. The bus will leave at 6:15pm.
Accessibility at Longwood Gardens:
The Gardens are easily accessible for guests with mobility or physical disabilities. Most restrooms and drinking fountains accommodate wheelchairs. The Main Fountain Garden Overlook, Conservatory, and Terrace feature elevators, and several doors in the Visitor Center, Conservatory, and Terrace are automated. Most garden paths are wide and paved, with a suggested wheelchair route marked on their map. While the majority of the route is level or gently sloping, a few areas are steeper but manageable with the assistance of an able-bodied companion. The Lookout Loft is the only accessible treehouse. The Chimes Tower and some sections of the Peirce-du Pont House are not wheelchair accessible.
The Café: The Café features a selection of ready-to-eat sandwiches & salads, hot entrée selections, freshly prepared desserts, and their famous Longwood Gardens Mushroom Soup.
Beer Garden: Dine alfresco in the Beer Garden, featuring Victory Brewing Company, weather permitting.
1906 Fine Dining: Advance reservations are strongly recommended. The restaurant’s upscale American menu showcases produce grown in Longwood’s on-site Ornamental Kitchen Garden, where more than 200 varieties of fruits, vegetables, and herbs are cultivated. Guests can enjoy flavorful dishes that celebrate the local landscape, such as the Sunflower Seed “Risotto” and the Mushroom Wellington, all paired with an extensive wine list.
Hours, menus, and prices may vary. Current information can be found on their webpage by clicking here. Note: all information may not be updated until closer to the start of the Summer Season.
The bus will depart on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 8:30am from Boscov’s Parking Lot in the Camp Hill Shopping Center and will return to the same location at 8:00pm.
The cost is $130 for Members of the PA Heritage Foundation or Historic Harrisburg Association and $145 for Non-members.
The cost includes the bus, tickets to the sites, and tours, but meals are not included.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
