Kennett Square Grows About 60% of America’s Mushrooms. Here’s How to Spend a Winter Day in the Mushroom Capital

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There is a good chance the mushrooms on your Thanksgiving table came from one small borough in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The Kennett Square mushroom capital title is not just a slogan: the town and its surrounding farms grow a huge share of the country’s crop, and in winter you can spend a day eating, shopping, and celebrating mushrooms, then finish at one of the country’s best-known holiday garden displays.

The Borough of Kennett Square says the town produces around 60% of all the mushrooms grown in the nation. The Brandywine Valley tourism office puts it at “over 60% of the nation’s crop,” and FreshPlaza, an industry publication, says the same. According to the borough, mushroom farming there dates to about 1885, when a florist named William Swayne had the idea of growing mushrooms under the benches of his greenhouses.

Here is the plan for a winter day: start with mushroom history and shopping on State Street, have a mushroom-forward lunch downtown, then spend the afternoon and evening at A Longwood Christmas at Longwood Gardens, just outside town. If you visit on New Year’s Eve, stay for the Mushroom Drop.

How to Spend a Winter Day in the Mushroom Capital

Morning: Learn the Mushroom Story

Start downtown on State Street, Kennett Square’s main street, where the town’s mushroom pride is everywhere: in shop windows, public art, and restaurant menus.

Why Kennett Square? A few things came together:

• An early start: Swayne’s greenhouse experiment around 1885 showed that mushrooms could grow well in the area.
• Compost: Mushrooms grow in compost, and the region’s farms and horse stables provided the raw materials.
• Mushroom houses: Farmers built low, windowless buildings to control temperature and humidity. You will see them in the countryside around town.
• Generations of workers: Italian immigrants built much of the early industry, and Mexican immigrants have made up a large share of the workforce in recent decades.

Next, stop at The Mushroom Cap at 114 W. State Street, a specialty mushroom shop. It sells fresh locally grown mushrooms, including white, baby bella, oyster, maitake, portabella, lion’s mane, and king oyster varieties, plus dried mushrooms, mushroom cookbooks, grow-your-own kits, and mushroom-themed gifts. The shop also has educational exhibits on the region’s mushroom heritage. It is an easy place to pick up stocking stuffers or ingredients for holiday cooking.

Midday: A Mushroom Lunch on State Street

Kennett Square’s downtown is compact and walkable, with restaurants, cafés, a brewpub, and bakeries within a few blocks. Many restaurants put local mushrooms on the menu, especially in fall and winter. Look for:

• Mushroom soup: A cream of mushroom or wild mushroom soup is a local staple.
• Stuffed mushrooms: A classic appetizer.
• Mushroom sandwiches and burgers: Portabella sandwiches and burgers topped with sautéed mushrooms.
• Fried mushrooms: Breaded and fried, a common bar snack.

Lunch typically runs about $15 to $30 a person. After lunch, browse the shops along State Street, which include boutiques, galleries, and gift shops.

Afternoon and Evening: A Longwood Christmas

Longwood Gardens, a famous public garden, is just a few minutes from downtown Kennett Square. Its holiday display, A Longwood Christmas, is one of the most popular holiday events in the Mid-Atlantic. According to Longwood, the 2026 display runs from November 20, 2026, through January 10, 2027, with a theme inspired by the stars and the cosmos. Gardens are open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily during the season.

• Tickets: Admission is by timed ticket purchased in advance. Longwood lists adult tickets at $45 to $52 and youth tickets at $25 to $32, depending on the date.
• What to see: Decorated conservatories, outdoor light displays across the gardens, Christmas trees, and fountain shows.
• Best timing: Arrive in the late afternoon to see the conservatory in daylight, then stay for the lights after dark, which comes before 5 p.m. in December.
• Outdoor music: Longwood schedules outdoor holiday musicians on many evenings during the season.

Book early. Weekend evenings and the weeks just before Christmas sell out.

New Year’s Eve: The Mushroom Drop

If you are in town on December 31, Kennett Square holds its own version of the Times Square ball drop, with a giant illuminated mushroom. According to the Kennett Collaborative, recent Mushroom Drop celebrations have included live bands, stage performances, lasers, and a photo booth, starting at 7 p.m. downtown.

• The Early Raise: Around 8:50 p.m., the giant mushroom is lifted 80 feet into the air, weather permitting, so families with young kids can see it before bedtime.
• The Midnight Drop: The mushroom drops at midnight to ring in the new year.
• Arrive early: Streets fill quickly, and parking is limited.
• Dress warmly: You will be outside for hours.

The Mushroom Festival

Kennett Square’s biggest mushroom event is the annual Mushroom Festival, held in September. It is not a winter event, but it is worth knowing about if you want to plan a return trip. The festival fills State Street with food vendors, mushroom exhibits, and cooking demonstrations, and it draws large crowds.

Buying Mushrooms for the Holidays

If you are cooking for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s, Kennett Square is a good place to stock up.

• Buy fresh: Local mushrooms are often fresher than supermarket mushrooms.
• Store properly: Keep mushrooms in a paper bag in the refrigerator, not in plastic.
• Clean gently: Wipe with a damp paper towel or rinse quickly just before cooking.
• Try new varieties: Oyster, maitake, and lion’s mane mushrooms are good for adventurous holiday dishes.

Getting There

Kennett Square is in southern Chester County, near the Delaware state line.

• From Philadelphia: About 35 miles, roughly 50 minutes to an hour via Route 1.
• From Wilmington, Delaware: About 15 miles, roughly 25 minutes.
• From Baltimore: About 75 miles, roughly 1.5 hours.
• Parking: Downtown has metered street parking and public garages. Longwood Gardens has its own large parking lots.

Where to Stay

Kennett Square has a few inns and B&Bs, and there are more hotels nearby along Route 1 and in the Wilmington area. December rates often run about $140 to $280 a night, higher on peak weekends near Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Other Nearby Stops

• Brandywine River Museum of Art: In Chadds Ford, with Wyeth family art and a large model train display at the holidays.
• Brandywine Battlefield Park: A Revolutionary War site in Chadds Ford.
• Wineries: The Brandywine Valley has several wineries with tasting rooms.

Tips for Visiting the Kennett Square Mushroom Capital

• Book Longwood first: Choose your timed ticket, then plan the rest of the day around it.
• Shop early: Downtown shops may close by early evening.
• Bring a cooler: If you buy fresh mushrooms, keep them cool on the drive home.
• Check winter hours: Some downtown businesses close on Mondays or Tuesdays.

Who This Day Suits Best

This plan suits food lovers, families, couples, and anyone who likes holiday lights. Kids usually enjoy the giant mushroom decorations and Longwood’s lights. Mushroom skeptics can still enjoy the gardens and State Street’s restaurants, which serve plenty of non-mushroom food.

Why the Mushrooms Grow Here

Mushroom farming needs compost, controlled temperatures, and humidity, and the Kennett Square area had all three. Local farms and horse stables supplied straw and manure for compost, and the region’s climate and early greenhouse experiments helped growers learn the craft. Over time, growers built specialized mushroom houses, low buildings without windows where temperature and humidity can be controlled year-round. Because mushrooms are grown indoors, harvest continues in winter, so fresh local mushrooms are available even in December.

The Mushroom Festival’s organizers say Kennett Square produces more than half of the mushrooms consumed in the United States, and that Pennsylvania leads the nation in mushroom production, with most of it in Chester County.

A Sample Schedule

• 10 a.m.: Arrive downtown and walk State Street.
• 10:30 a.m.: Shop at The Mushroom Cap.
• Noon: Mushroom-focused lunch downtown.
• 1:30 p.m.: Browse State Street shops and galleries.
• 3 p.m.: Arrive at Longwood Gardens for your timed ticket.
• 3 to 8 p.m.: Conservatory, outdoor lights after dark, and dinner at Longwood or back in town.

What to Wear

Most of the day is spent walking, and Longwood’s outdoor displays are cold after dark. Wear warm boots, a warm coat, a hat, and gloves. The conservatory is heated, so layers are useful.

Common Questions

• Can you tour a mushroom farm? Most farms are working agricultural operations and are not open for drop-in tours. Watch for special events or festival tours.
• Are mushrooms sold year-round? Yes. Because they grow indoors, local mushrooms are harvested all year.
• Is Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square? Yes, it is just outside the borough, a few minutes from State Street.

Parking Tip

On busy December weekends, park in a downtown garage rather than circling for street spots, then walk State Street. Longwood has its own free lots, so drive there separately after lunch.

The Bottom Line

Kennett Square grows about 60% of America’s mushrooms, a business that started with a florist’s greenhouse experiment around 1885. For a winter day, learn the story and shop at The Mushroom Cap on State Street, eat a mushroom-heavy lunch downtown, and spend the afternoon and evening at A Longwood Christmas. On December 31, stay late for the Mushroom Drop.