An explosion of water thrusts high into the sky, then another and another and another as a fountain at Longwood Gardens performs a beautifully choreographed dance. Industrialist Pierre du Pont purchased a small farm at Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, in 1906 to preserve an old-wood arboretum of the previous owners, the Pierce family.

Over the next 20 years, he envisioned and built beautiful fountains to grace the estate in what he called a “Fountain Theater.” The Open Air Theatre debuted in 1914 for performing arts shows. Today, fountain displays delight audiences before and after the main performances take place on the stage.

Since 1914, several more garden fountains have been constructed. The five-acre Main Fountain Garden is the center display at Longwood. This was inspired by the great fountain at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Another, the Italian Water Garden, is found in a clearing within a 200-year-old wooded grove, planned as if coming upon a secret garden made by an ancient culture. Inspired by the Villa Gamberaia, near Florence, Italy, the garden was designed and constructed from 1925 to 1927 and is formed in an open geometric plan that projects a refined, peaceful atmosphere.

Longwood Gardens is a place to watch majestic fountains spring to life. The 1,077-acre destination is recognized not only for its innovative fountain displays, but also for its meadows, woodlands, conservatory, and gardens that take horticultural design to a new level. The site has brought people together in their leisure time and given them a place to contemplate and enjoy the beauty of nature.