A lovely spot to spend a late morning or afternoon. Whether you visit for a boujie version of forest bathing or to let your toddler run off her excess energy, you’ll be delighted by how well maintained the grounds are, how easy it is to get around on the paved path with a stroller (or in your nicest boujie shoes), and how clean and accessible the restrooms are. And if you were hoping for a little more adventure than that, there are so many secrets of the garden to discover. My daughter and I are always discovering little treasures—secret paths amongst the Japanese maples, giant azaleas, a balustrade we fondly call “Elsa’s Castle,” a friendly pair of swans who always swim over to greet us, even little trails that go down to the banks of the Wissahickon. It can be a quick trip for some fresh air, or complete immersion into another world. We love it so much we purchased a membership and spend hours each week enjoying this idyllic urban garden.

Our recommended path for those with littles: start at the Canopy Walk, then down to the Rose Garden, over to the Fernery (can you find the tiny dino hidden here?), down the hill to the Fairy Woods to build your own fairy house (can you find the giant frog hidden here?), over to the giant willow maze for a quick game of Hide & Seek [edit: Willow Maze was removed in early 2023], then over to the log cabin (build your own log cabin with the Lincoln Logs hidden here!). After this, if you’re not too tired already, hit up the train when it’s running, then walk up the hill to the Orange Balustrade and the parking lot (maybe you will spot the resident groundhogs as you cut through on the forest path here). At this point, you’ve only seen half the place, so you’ll leave feeling eager to come back for more some other day.🤣