Reimagining the Longwood Visitor Journey
Phunware's Mobile Experience Platform seamlessly layers into Longwood Gardens' existing digital infrastructure — transforming 1,083 acres of world-class horticulture into a connected, data-driven guest experience.
A World-Class Garden Deserves a World-Class Digital Experience
Longwood's $250M reimagination has elevated the physical experience to new heights. Phunware bridges the gap between that extraordinary physical environment and the digital layer guests increasingly expect.
With 1,083 acres, multiple districts, a brand-new 32,000 sq ft conservatory, and seasonal exhibits, guests frequently struggle to discover and navigate the full breadth of the property — reducing dwell time and per-visit spend.
Longwood recently migrated to a new ticketing platform, creating a natural integration window. Phunware's APIs connect directly to ticketing, membership, and CRM systems to create a unified guest profile.
With 1.6M annual visitors and 80,000 member households, Longwood has enormous potential to leverage location and engagement data — currently uncaptured — to optimize programming, staffing, and revenue.
Today's garden visitor arrives with a smartphone and expects real-time information, personalized recommendations, and seamless digital-physical integration throughout their visit.
How Phunware Connects to Longwood's Existing Stack
Phunware's modular SDK architecture integrates non-disruptively with Longwood's current systems — no rip-and-replace required. Each layer communicates through secure APIs, preserving existing investments while adding new capabilities.
Every Module Mapped to a Longwood Use Case
Phunware's modular platform means Longwood can start with the highest-impact capabilities and expand over time — without rebuilding from scratch.
Blue-dot indoor/outdoor navigation across all 1,083 acres, including the new conservatory, Bonsai Court, Cascade Garden, and Meadow Garden. Guests navigate with confidence, discover more, and stay longer.
Location-Based ServicesAs guests approach a garden district or exhibit, contextual content is automatically delivered — plant identification, curator notes, audio guides, and event reminders — all triggered by BLE beacons.
Engagement MessagingBased on visit history, membership tier, and stated interests, the app builds a personalized itinerary — highlighting what's in bloom, upcoming performances, and dining reservations.
Content ManagementReal-time event schedules, fountain show countdowns, and performance reminders are surfaced contextually within the app, driving attendance to revenue-generating programming.
Mobile EngagementDedicated accessible routing across the property, with real-time information on elevator availability, accessible entrances, and rest areas — serving Longwood's commitment to inclusive access.
WayfindingWith international visitors and Longwood's globally recognized education programs, the platform supports multi-language content delivery — expanding reach to non-English-speaking guests.
Content ManagementA Phased Path to Full Integration
Phunware's implementation approach is designed to deliver value quickly while managing complexity — starting with high-visibility wins and building toward a fully connected guest experience.
Foundation & Discovery
Technical discovery to map existing systems, APIs, and infrastructure. Property mapping and BLE beacon placement planning. Initial integration architecture design and security review aligned with Longwood's PCI compliance framework.
Core Platform Launch
Launch of the branded Longwood Gardens mobile app with interactive mapping, wayfinding, and basic content management. Integration with the new ticketing platform and membership database. Beacon deployment across primary visitor zones including the new conservatory and Main Fountain Garden.
Engagement & Interpretation Layer
Activation of proximity-triggered content, audio interpretation guides, and exhibit overlays. Launch of segmented push notification campaigns for marketing programs. Analytics dashboard deployment for data systems teams.
Optimization & Expansion
Data-driven optimization of the full visitor journey based on behavioral analytics. Expansion to Longwood at Granogue (505-acre Brandywine River property). Integration of AI-driven personalization, predictive visit planning, and advanced revenue optimization features.
Measurable Impact Across Every Dimension
Based on Phunware deployments at comparable large-footprint cultural attractions and hospitality properties, these are the categories of measurable improvement Longwood can expect.
Guests who use wayfinding and proximity content stay longer, discover more of the property, and engage with more exhibits per visit.
Contextual upsell prompts for dining, events, and the Garden Shop — delivered at the right moment — drive measurable increases in per-visitor spend.
Members with access to the app show higher renewal rates, more frequent visits, and greater utilization of member-exclusive benefits.
Reducing the volume of directional questions fielded by guest services staff frees them to deliver higher-value hospitality interactions.
Longwood gains ownership of rich first-party visitor data — independent of third-party platforms — to inform programming, staffing, and strategic planning.
The same platform architecture scales seamlessly to the newly acquired 505-acre Granogue property, protecting the technology investment long-term.
Ready to Bring This Vision to Life?
Schedule a personalized demonstration with the Phunware team to see how this integration would work specifically for Longwood Gardens' infrastructure, visitor base, and strategic goals.
Questions? Contact Phunware at [email protected] · (855) 521-8485
Built for Every Decision Maker
Phunware's platform delivers measurable value across every department at Longwood Gardens — from marketing and IT to interpretation and data systems.
Visitor engagement, brand experience, membership growth, and digital marketing channels.
Proximity-triggered campaigns, personalized push notifications, member loyalty programs, and real-time event promotion that drives attendance and per-visit spend.
Infrastructure security, system integrations, PCI compliance, and technology roadmap.
Non-disruptive SDK architecture, REST API connectors, PCI-compliant data bridge, and enterprise-grade security that integrates with existing ticketing, CRM, and BI systems without rip-and-replace.
Exhibit storytelling, audio interpretation, educational programming, and multi-language accessibility.
Proximity-triggered exhibit content, audio tour module, multi-language delivery, and contextual plant identification — all managed through a no-code content management system.
Data infrastructure, visitor analytics, behavioral insights, and integration with existing BI platforms.
Visitor flow heatmaps, engagement funnel reporting, real-time operational alerts, and a unified analytics dashboard that feeds directly into Longwood's existing data systems.
How to Reach the Longwood Team
A multi-channel approach targeting both the known decision makers and the broader Longwood Gardens organization — from first touch to closed deal.
Send role-specific one-pagers to each stakeholder referencing their department's priorities. Michelle receives a marketing ROI brief; Michael receives an IT integration spec sheet; Dottie receives an interpretation content demo; Greg receives an analytics dashboard preview.
Run sponsored content and InMail campaigns targeting Longwood Gardens employees by job function — Marketing, IT, Horticulture & Interpretation, and Data & Analytics. Use Phunware's cultural attractions case studies as lead magnets.
Deploy display retargeting ads to Longwood Gardens' IP ranges and known employee LinkedIn profiles. Serve ads featuring the conservatory aerial photography and visitor journey messaging to keep Phunware top-of-mind across the buying committee.
Target Longwood leadership at AAM (American Alliance of Museums) and PGAV Destinations conferences. Phunware booth presence and speaking sessions on digital guest experience at cultural attractions create natural touchpoints with the full decision-making team.
Invite VP-level and Director-level contacts (Michael Parisi, Michelle Scarpato) to a private Phunware Executive Briefing Center session — either virtual or at Phunware HQ — featuring a live demo of the platform configured for Longwood's specific property and use cases.
Publish case studies and thought leadership targeting searches like 'botanical garden mobile app,' 'museum visitor experience platform,' and 'cultural attraction wayfinding.' This page serves as a direct-share asset for warm outreach to the Longwood team.
Engage the Full Decision-Making Team
ROI, risk mitigation, integration complexity, and total cost of ownership. Lead with the non-disruptive SDK architecture and PCI compliance story.
Day-to-day value and departmental wins. Provide role-specific demos, one-pagers, and early access to the analytics dashboard.
Operational improvements and guest satisfaction. Share peer case studies from comparable botanical gardens and cultural attractions.
Campaign-Ready Materials
Personalized email templates for each stakeholder, plus LinkedIn and Google Display ad creative — all built around two high-impact hooks.
Longwood's $250M transformation is complete. The digital layer isn't. Phunware adds blue-dot wayfinding, proximity content, and real-time analytics — non-disruptively, on top of your existing stack.
1.6M annual visitors. Almost no behavioral data. Phunware turns every visit into a data stream — and every data stream into a personalized experience.
What Guests Are Saying
Across Reddit, TripAdvisor, and Yelp, a consistent pattern emerges: visitors love Longwood Gardens but struggle to find, navigate, and fully experience everything it offers. These are their words.
Guests can't navigate the grounds, miss entire sections, and leave without knowing what they skipped.
Shuttle schedules, trail closures, and event times are unknown until guests physically encounter them.
Guests wander without context, missing hidden gems, specialty rooms, and curated experiences.
Visitors arrive without knowing what's open, what's seasonal, or what the $250M renovation changed.
"I found the new conservatory very modern and as someone else mentioned looking more like an airport. Some of the $250 million could have been spent to spruce up some other parts of Longwood that need attention."
"I can't focus on anything? The waterways and paths don't guide you anywhere — you just wander and end up back where you started."
"Half the damn trails were closed!!! WHY?? There was absolutely nothing in there that I would go back to see. And NO firepits or firebarrels — ANYWHERE! What the actual heck?"
"We were so frustrated that you couldn't do a circle around the grounds with every path closed — you have to just go out one way and back the same way basically, which makes the crowding so much worse."
"Lack of stroller signs are one of the main reasons I never head to the eastern part of the gardens. Ya I know it's in the map but a small indicator on either the path or on the directional signs would also be very helpful."
"The only thing I was disappointed in was that there was no schedule posted for the one shuttle they have that takes you out to the old barn. Every time I went by where the shuttle was sitting, nobody was there, and the volunteers I asked did not know the schedule, so I didn't get to the farm."
"I used to go to Longwood monthly — it took hours to appreciate the various climates and specialty garden areas. Not anymore. The new building feels like a sterile, corporate take on what a futuristic garden would look like. It is utterly soulless."
"I miss being able to explore the old greenhouses in and out and the little side rooms — now it's just one big conservatory with not a whole lot of exploring to do."
"I was completely underwhelmed and so were friends who also have memberships. The whole thing is completely overhyped and deeply disappointing. The money could have been spent on a lot of other things."
The Problem Is Documented. The Solution Is Ready.
Every complaint above maps directly to a Phunware capability. Wayfinding, real-time event updates, contextual discovery, and pre-visit planning — all available today, purpose-built for venues like Longwood Gardens.
See How Phunware Solves This →