Bartram’s Garden

Looking for a green place to stroll and have a picnic? Bartram’s Garden fits the bill. You might even see some wildlife, such as:
Deer
Cardinal
Gull
Hummingbird
Wild turkey
Eastern kingbird
Brown creeper
White-​breasted nuthatch

Very serene park and pleasant park. Wonderful place to enjoy nature while sitting under a tree on a sunny day and reading a book or magazine– that’s exactly what I did.
Far away from kids running around or other people sitting next to me. I came here with my boyfriend and we sat on the grass under a tree overlooking the water. We read a story about Dolphins returning to the sea after being held captive for shows. The story had a nice ending and then we just fell asleep under the sun. It was all so peaceful. I loved my afternoon in the park.

Came here in late November and even then it was such a nice walk. If you want to go just to relax and enjoy the fresh smell of trees, dead leaves and crisp water because there’s not too much else going on around the city in the winter, come here! It’s quiet and serene and no one’s there. Definitely a recommendation for a nice crisp mid day walk. Don’t be alarmed by the rough neighborhood around it– it’s a beautiful enclave unto itself.

Wonderful 19^th Century estate garden, nestled in the middle of Southwest Philly.

As a wedding photographer, I would highly recommend this place for your wedding. It is a piece of cake to get amazing photos here. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

This is a beautiful place to walk around or to just sit and enjoy nature. I love it!

I am a FAN FAN FAN! I love that this is pretty much in the middle of southwest Philly. Right next to the Bartrams projects. This is the shit I love about philly. You’re in the middle of nowhere, and you find something so special, and so beautiful. Something to take you away from all the drugs, gunshots, violence and dirtyness everyone says about «Filthadelphia».
It’s a gorgeous walk. It’s so confusing at first! We parked and we were like. where do we go? We just walked towards the back towards the trees, and walked through the woods. It was so peaceful, so much green. so much nature happiness. If you’re having a bad day, go. If you’re having a good day, GO.
Take a look at my photos for a taste, but seriously, you have to go to really experience it!

There’s not a whole lot to see at Bartram’s Garden. But at the same time, it’s the first botanical gardens in the US. It’s free; and available by public transit. It’s a good addition to the community is SW Philadelphia.
It’s an urban oasis in its own right. Everyone should visit at least once.

Since it was nice out last Sunday, my boyfriend and I decided to check out Bartram’s Garden. The neighborhood didn’t really creep me out, but my boyfriend (who is from West Philly) kept insisting that it was the hood. Once you’re in the garden, though, it’s hard to remember that you’re in Philadelphia.
Maaaybe it wasn’t the best idea to stop by in mid November, when everything is pretty much dead. Even the 65 degree and sunny weather couldn’t really make it look beautiful. Nevertheless, it was still a lovely experience. We didn’t see a soul who worked there, so we didn’t take a tour, but it was really nice just walking around.
The garden is pretty small. It took us maybe 15 minutes to walk around the entire thing. You can see the river, there’s a small pond, and plenty of benches and stumps to sit on. I can definitely imagine how it’d be really beautiful in the spring and summer and fully intend on returning to see it.

So you ever have those moments when you see/​experience something for the first time, and you thought you were hip and «in the know», and in an instant you are shocked to the reality that you are exactly the opposite, because everyone hip and in the know knew about it before you? Welcome to Bartram’s Garden.

I live about six minutes away so I try to stop by the gardens on my days off to relax and sit on one of the benches with a book. It’s a beautiful area kinda funny that it’s next to what could be considered a «shady area» but I love it, it really is sorta like a rose in the concrete.

I am writing specifically about The Little Explorers Class on the first Wednesday of the month! Every month is a different theme! I took my 2 year old daughter for the first time on flowers and bees day and it got me hooked! It’s $ 10 from 10am to about 11:30am for ages 2 – 4 which is great and just enough time to keep their interest, entertain and educate them and still get the home for lunch and nap time! It was great… First they started off in the building where the colored, read books on flowers, looked at different flowers through magnifying glasses, matched up flash cards with different flowers on them, and had someone showing beeswax and explaining about bees. Then we took a walk through the garden. Looked at, smelled and touched different flowers, visited the lily pond and learned a lot. It was insanely hot out and the instructors had spray bottles to mist the kids with. Then we went back into the air-​conditioning for snack time which is based around the theme of the class! That day it was rosewater lemonade, and yogurt with granola and a edible flower in it! The kids then did a flower art project and while it was drying they moved under a tent outside for songs and a skit on bees which helped some kids with their fears! It was adorable! The instructors were attentive and friendly and I very much look forward to going back! Great activity for stay at home Moms! Look on their website for upcoming dates and themes. I believe there is a strawberry day coming up as well as a don’t be afraid of bugs day too! It’s a real short drive from the city, not even 10 minutes from South Philly! It’s cheap, educational, and fun!
UPDATE: We have been attending classes here for years. Now, with both of my children. It’s truly lovely. We pack a picnic lunch for afterwards. It’s always something I look forward to with my girls. They really do love it. Mr. Zack who now runs the classes and scheduling is so great. You can call him to reserve a spot or now you can do it on their website! They do fill up quickly. Last I heard they were trying to add another class or may have. There’s also a homeschooling day. I have a lot of good memories here with my kiddos. I cannot wait to head back there soon. We usually just do the yearly membership which winds up being cheaper than the individual classes. Highly recommend.

A little bit of history that people seem to pass by. Even though it was cold and the garden was… brown we still had a wonderful time taking the tour and walking around. Our tour guide, Carolyn, took the two of us on a tour that lasted about an hour. It was cool to hear Bartram’s story, take a tour of the house and hear little tidbits about the different plants/​trees/​flowers we did manage to see. Check it out!

Now I have to be honest. My original intention was to visit Bartram’s garden and THEN go kayaking, but as I arrived a bit late and wanted to get out on the water, I found their parking lot and called them to see which direction the dock was in.
The location of the garden itself wasn’t hard to find from a few blocks away as there was sufficient signage. And the neighborhood wasn’t that bad, despite the picture painted by some.
After confirming the direction via phone, I proceeded down the trail past some manmade beehives and eventually down to the water. Reading up on the garden I found that they sell their own honey, so I imagine that’s the source. The path I took leads you down to the river and a decrepit, half-​submerged dock… perfect! I snapped a few photos and settled in the kayak only to slide down rather fast right into the water.
From the unique vantage point of the middle of the Schuylkill River I was able to see a shiny, NEW dock about 400 feet downriver. I still prefer the old one. The current is confusing at times – it was actually harder to paddle downstream towards the Delaware – so make sure Philadelphia is on your right when you embark.
I found the overall lack of information on this PUBLIC dock (it’s one of 2 – 3 on the lower Schuylkill) so I took the liberty of checking it out for myself, snapping a few pictures, and denoting via Google Maps where they actually are and the paths to reach them.
I will definitely make a return visit and this time take a more dedicated look at the garden.

I was pretty excited about checking out Bartram’s garden after reading about John Bartrum online and learning about his role in American Botany. Sadly the current state of Bartram’s Garden does very little to reflect this.
There is a small gift shop where you can register for a tour of the house, which is about an hour long, which was interesting, but I would have liked a little more history with it.
The garden itself is way smaller than you would think, and provides only 3 or 4 information plaques throughout the entire garden. There are some interesting things to see, but you look at them and speculate what it was since there is no information near it to explain.
Overall I was happy that I went to check it out, but I was very underwhelmed by the experience. Go to check it out if you are interested, but don’t expect a botanical garden, maybe it used to be, but not anymore.

John Bartram was one of our nation’s great naturalists. During the 1700’s he collected, cataloged and cultivated native plant specimens from the eastern United States. 45 acres– about half of Bartrams original estate has been preserved as a botanical garden of native plants and his home as a museum. The Garden is open from 10 – 5 every day except holidays, and is free. A guided tour of the museum is offered for a small fee.
I enjoy going to the Garden when they have special events such as the Native Plant Sale. Some special events such as this have some really fun planned activities and vendors, for which there is a small charge. Since Bartram’s Garden is such a sprawling campus (it isn’t crammed with themed gardens like Longwood Gardens) it’s best enjoyed when they are having special events. A listing of events is found on the website.
As previous reviewers have mentioned, the garden is really a hidden gem. It’s located in Southwest Philly (where my family is from) and it’s a baaaaaaad neighborhood. It’s easy to get to by Septa trolley #36, but if you aren’t the type that’s «comfortable» in the city, I recommend you take your own vehicle. Once you’re on the campus of the garden, you’re *ahem* safe, but this isn’t a neighborhood where you stop and ask for directions or wanna be wandering around on foot. But don’t be deterred by the shady neighborhood; once you’re in the garden, you’ll forget you’re in the city at all. A must see for plant lovers.

How did I forget to review this? Such a peaceful oasis (I know, everyone uses that word, but it’s fitting) in the city, filled with great history.
Getting there without a car can be a challenge; the trolley simply rolled past us without stopping at our stop. They only came once an hour, so we headed outside and called PhillyCarShare to hook us up. All was well again.
We got to see the old cider press that we’d seen on TV (love Ron Avery’s Urban Explorer!). There are rare and heirloom plants, interesting information, and lovely views. It’s a good place for an afternoon picnic or for an educational field trip.
I loved learning that Bartram would travel along, see a place that looked good, and just plant a garden there. If I put aside thoughts about destroying the natural landscape or pushing out Native Americans, it’s such a romantic story of having a vast land to wander and claim for your horticultural activities. And to his credit, Bartram’s work as «the father of American botany» had countless benefits, and his collecting of plants helped scientists around the world.
Highly recommended for locals and tourists alike.

Easily one of Philly’s best kept historic secrets. But then again it’s not every day you have to drive through a slightly shady area to reach the oldest surviving botanic garden in North America. And it is so worth it, and not just because you can walk through an area that George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson have been in.
Bartram’s Garden is a modern day Eden in the center of an area that Edward does a slightly better job of documenting than I (don’t bring armed people, just a good car and your fine). It contains such wonders as a ginkgo tree that is believed to be the last of the 3 originals that were planted in the US, and the Franklinia which was last seen in the wild in 1803. you can also check out many rare plants and herbs, bask in front of a koi pond, and take in an immaculate river side view. And you can either do a guided tour for $ 5, or savor it on your own for free.
It’s so amazing that I can’t believe it’s in Philadelphia. Yet if you wander a bit to the side of the first batch of trees in the parking lot, you can get what might just be on of the best photo ops of the city skyline!

John and William Bartram are my literary heroes. No, I’m not kidding. these guys were badasses. Seriously!
The Bartrams were Quakers and the first English subjects to catalog flora and fauna in America. They kept journals about their adventures exploring America when it a wild and savage land. They befriended Native Americans. no really. they were friends. Quakers believed in religious tolerance and didn’t try to convert anybody. It was also the creed of PA and why so many people of different religions chose to settle in Philadelphia instead of around the crazy Puritans in Boston.
Anyways. the Bartrams sold their drawings and stories to magazines in London. It was a big sensation. No one had ever heard of a skunk or an alligator let alone seen a picture of one. They began cataloging seeds and selling them to distributors in London. Later they founded the first Botanical Garden in the United States. Farming and Agriculture was the cornerstone of American economy in the 1700’s. it was so important that the first Continental Congress took a whole day off work to explore Bartram’s garden and examine his trees. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson purchased trees from the Bartrams for Mount Vernon and Monticello respectively. The trees that remain in the Bartram’s garden are some of the oldest recorded trees in the United States.
Sadly, the neighborhood that the Bartram’s estate is located in has fallen into disrepair. Don’t let that stop you from visiting. This place needs all the support they can get. Take the paid tour and let them explain to you how massive that house was for a 1700’s home. Take into account they only have ONE gardener who tries to take care of the whole place and they dont’ get much money to stay open from the Parks service. Buy stuff in the gift shop. they need your tourist dollar. Might I add, they make their own honey from their own beehives. Tasty stuff. Buy some! I also recommend buying a copy of Bartram’s Travels in the book store. Adventure at its finest. He was a great writer and way more exciting than Shakespeare. Its TRUE… better! Go read it and then try to tell me I’m wrong. Just try. you wont’ be able to! He was the original bad ass beating up attacking alligators with a club because he didn’t want to waste bullets hahaha

«America’s Oldest Living Botanical Garden»
If you haven’t been to Bartram’s Garden, you must go! It is free to wander around but if you want a tour, you need to pay a reasonable price. It is the most peaceful place in the city, and it’s amazing that it has survived this long. There is free parking and you can also get to it by trolley or bus, heading towards Southwest Philly.
They have volunteer opportunities, special events, and an annual plant sale.