Road Trip Garden-Chanticleer

Wayne, PA

Chanticleer … even the name sounds magical. Of all the public botanical gardens in the U.S. I have seen, this one–so far, is my favorite. It’s deemed itself ‘a pleasure garden’, and even on a miserable day in the pouring rain, it enchanted, inspired, and was indeed-a pleasure.

Chanticleer, like many public botanical gardens, started as a private, very personal garden. The house of Adolph Rosengarten, Sr., and his wife, Christine, was completed in 1913, including terraces around the home. Neighboring homes were later built for family members, and after passing in 1990, Adolph, Jr. left the entire combined property to the public.

What I love about this garden;

-The focus here is the garden as a whole experience, not just the plants, displays, or features. The flow from one garden area to another is equally as thought out as the individual gardens.

-Signage is kept to a strict, almost non-existent level, and it is WONDERFUL. If you look hard enough, you will find the occasional tag hung from a tree with the botanical name, but you won’t see ‘cemetery’ looking beds with labels sticking up all over like most public gardens.

-Even with the focus on aesthetics and the senses, educational opportunities are not ignored. Each garden area has a clever, creative ‘box’ that houses laminated sheets with plant images and corresponding names. Finding these boxes and discovering the unique qualities of each one gives a child-like level of excitement and anticipation.

What you need to know before you go;

-As of this post, Chanticleer is closed seasonally from early November through late March. Check the website for hours, special events, and admission prices.

-Parking-FREE, but the lot is small, and car-pooling, uber, taxi, etc. are encouraged during peak season and weekends.

-There is no gift shop, but the kiosk stand at the entrance has a few gift items.

-Restrooms are only located at the entrance and between the Asian Woods and Bulb Meadow.

-No food service, but picnicking is allowed in designated areas during the day or throughout the entire garden on Friday nights as of this posting.