Park, Boat ramp, Botanical garden, Community garden, Farm, Tourist attraction
Bartram's Garden
Nearly 50 acres of gardens, woods and fields on the tidal Schuylkill River, Bartram's Garden pairs a 1700s house and barn with the country's oldest surviving ginkgo and open views of the city skyline.
The story
Founded in 1728, with its 300th anniversary set for 2028, the garden sits in Lenapehoking, the homeland of the Lenape people. At its centre stand the historic Bartram house, barn and outbuildings from the 1700s, surrounded by a botanic garden of flowers, trees and orchids. The giant ginkgo, a male tree at its best in autumn, is the oldest surviving one in the country. Paved, gravel and grass paths lead through woods to the river, where a dock and community boathouse host fishing and kayaking in good weather. Sankofa Community Farm grows food with an African Diaspora focus, more than 100 bird species rely on the site, and the open fields frame the Philadelphia skyline. There is also a playground, a hilltop pavilion and carved benches by the water.
Good to know
TAGGG AI- ✦Some paths are rocky and rough, so wear proper shoes and allow a full day to see everything.
- ✦Boating and fishing at the community boathouse run on Saturdays in good weather, and kayak rental may be closed on weekdays.
- ✦Weekdays and Sunday mornings are quiet, while Saturdays can bring music and vendors to the grounds.