Select from one of the three options below:
Scheduled Appointments
Scheduled visits for individuals and small groups. These appointments are similar to past years and include a single ticket for your group, during which you will be the only visitors for your time slot.
Your ticket is free although The Bower appreciates cash or online donations to further our work and offset costs for the infrastructure that makes your visit more comfortable.
A schedule of appointments for each successive month will be posted 1 month in advance (eg June appointment calendar is available May 1). See General Information below to plan your visit.
Wandering Wednesdays and Second Saturdays
Open visitor days this year will be held on Wednesdays of each month. A few select Second Saturdays will also be open days: May 10, July 12, August 9, and October 11. On open days, visitors do not need to make an appointment. Arrive and visit anytime between 9:30 and 4pm. Bring a pack in -pack out picnic if you like.
What’s different about these days?
No need to make an appointment on the calendar. As with appointment visits, these visits are free, though donations are very much appreciated. Donations can be made on the website or in our Visitor Center when you come.
All visits on these days are self-guided. Stop in at the Visitor Center next to the parking area to get information and a map.
There may be others visiting when you are here.
Hosted Large Group Visits
Guided large group visits may be booked directly with The Bower by contacting us via our website contact form. These visits have been popular in the past for Garden Clubs, Public Gardens, Art Associations, Governmental Agencies, Living Communities, Corporate Groups, Professional Organization, and Schools. Visits may include guided tours, boxed lunches and other refreshments. There is no charge for a large group visit but donations are appreciated via the link below.
Visitors begin with a meadow walk which takes them through the planted gardens, the six-acre meadow, along the woods edge or savanna, and the rain filled “pools”. Curated sculptures are carefully sited into the environment to enhance the visitor’s experience. The walk can be extended with a one mile trail through the forest and, if desired, to the top of Little Mountain. Walking sticks are highly recommended for this rocky path. Our visitor center provides information on native plants and the sculptures.
FOR KIDS: Explorer Backpacks Pick up a backpack or two, magnifiers, binoculars, activity book(s) and writing materials down at the barn for kids in your group! The Bower thanks Penn Cumberland Garden Club for a grant to provide for these new educational materials this year.
Please scroll below through each section to learn more about a visit and what you need to know prior to your trip to The Bower. Plan to take your time on your visit; relax and enjoy the natural world. The natural setting is sloped, so expect to do some walking up and down the trails. If you are not able to walk on rough and sometimes steep terrain, please make sure to discuss with us before your visit. Please let us know if you must cancel your visit, so that we can open up the time for others. Follow us on Instagram @gardenbower to keep up with The Bower.
We are an easy day trip in the region: Harrisburg 30 min; Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, and Carlisle 25 min; Lancaster, York, Lewisburg, and Gettysburg 1 hour; Baltimore, MD, Huntingdon or State College, PA 1 1/2 hours; Washington D.C., and Philadelphia 2 1/2 hours.
You will be outside, so dress appropriately.
Layers are good in cooler weather.
Sturdy, closed toe shoes are a must.
A hat and perhaps some bug spray are recommended in summer months.
A hiking pole or stick will be useful for upland walks though the rocky Appalachian Mountain terrain.
Birds and butterflies abound at The Bower; you may want to bring binoculars.
This is a very rural area so you may want to bring snacks and a picnic lunch.
Plan to pack your paper and plastic waste to take home with you.
Bring a water bottle to quench your thirst.
We have no food or beverage facilities on site.
We have no public rest room facilities on site at this time. A portable toilet is available May-October only.
We want you to have the freedom to enjoy our art installations and the expansive property’s features. We do have a few simple guidelines that we ask you to follow to preserve the area and provide an enjoyable experience for all.
If you live in an area with Spotted Lantern Fly, please check your vehicle and remove (and destroy) any uninvited pests before leaving home.
The entire property is a no smoking area
Take care of the plants by looking and not picking/stepping into the garden bed
Walk gently across moss and ferns, but only as necessary
Stay on the paths to avoid critters and observe wildlife from a distance
Quiet voices in the woods will enhance your chances of seeing wildlife
bower (noun) 1. a pleasant shady place; 2. a retreat or sanctuary