Bartram Village

John Bartram's botanical garden and arboretum are historical touches that make Philadelphia so special. On the western side of the Schuylkill River, John Bartram built a repository of plants that is now the oldest in America. He sent numerous samples to the King of England.

Bartram Gardens has partnered with Swarthmore College and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in an effort to maintaining the area by driving more visitors to the site.

Various family activities have been sponsored at the garden which is located between 54th Street, Lindbergh Blvd. and the Schuylkill River. There are boat rides down the river from Market Street upstream. Tickets are a bit pricey at $20 (children) and $30 (adults) however it is a nearly 4 hour excursion. Families with children and pets can enjoy various festivals. And there are numerous gardening seminars and programs. To counterbalance the decline of bees, there are educational programs in urban beekeeping.

In this primarily African American neighborhood, there is some housing in the area and a public high school named after John Bartram. Public transportation is not all that great.

The home of the Bartram Family is open for tourists and is listed on the National Historical Registry. Recently, the American Association of Public Gardens brought its membership of 500 for a visit to the gardens.

Bartram Village, also known as Bartram’s Garden is located in Southwest Philadelphia and barely a neighborhood. The section from 54th to 56th streets and Woodland Avenue are housing projects. The other side of the tracks is a world of natural wonder and rich history courtesy of a pre-revolutionary man.

The public housing area of Bartram is far nicer than most public housing areas of Philadelphia. The predominantly African-American community is in decent condition and feels considerably safer than what you would expect if you were comparing it to other areas of the same income bracket.

The part of Bartram Village that attracts people to it is the estate and gardens of John Bartram, a notable botanist. The 46 acre garden is the oldest surviving botanic garden in North America. If you’re not interested in just walking down the trails of the garden, there are special events that are held at Bartram’s Garden. There are annual plant sales and holiday specific festivities that draw crowds. It is a beautiful place worth checking out and is often overlooked by people who live in the city.
Bartram Village is an interesting mix of tourist attraction and public housing projects. It’s a bizarre look into different worlds.