History of the Philadelphia Flower Show

Philadelphia gave birth to America's first horticultural society, The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, in 1827 and the nation's first flower show, the Philadelphia Flower Show, in 1829. The Show was held in an 82-by-69-foot building called Masonic Hall on Chestnut Street. Twenty-five Society members showed off their horticultural treasures including a variety of exotic and native plants like magnolias, peonies from China, an India rubber tree, the Coffee Tree of Arabia, and sugar cane from the West Indies.

From 1927 until the mid '60s, management of the Flower Show was under the auspices of Philadelphia Flower Show, Inc., a professional group of nurserymen and growers. During that time, the Society produced the amateur competitive sections that are now a major component of the Show, called Competitive Classes.

In 1964, the city of Philadelphia announced plans to tear down the old Commercial Museum, Philadelphia Flower Show, Inc. decided to abandon the Show for two years until the new Philadelphia Civic Center was completed. The executive director of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Ernesta D. Ballard, felt visitors would lose interest if Philadelphia was without a Show for that amount of time and she persuaded the PHS's Council members to stage the 1965 Show in the 23rd Street Armory to maintain the momentum.

In 1966, the Show was presented in the lower level of the Civic Center and, in 1968, PHS became the official producer. The Flower Show remained in the Civic Center through the mid-'90s. In 1996, the Show moved to its current location at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where it encompasses 33 indoor acres, with exhibit space taking up 10 acres of the main exhibit hall. The Show's expanded size and scope makes it the largest indoor Flower Show in the world, entertaining crowds over 250,000 people annually.

In the state-of-the-art Convention Center, the Flower Show features a host of amenities including a larger lecture and demonstration series, culinary presentations, Garden Teas, and 140 Marketplace vendors. Under the direction of PHS president, Jane G. Pepper, the Philadelphia Flower Show has blossomed into the leading show of its kind in the nation.

Proceeds from the Philadelphia Flower Show, including sponsorship contributions of PNC Financial Services Group, help fund PHS's outreach programs including Philadelphia Green, the nation's largest and most comprehensive neighborhood greening program. Philadelphia Green works with more than 800 organized community groups on thousands of projects that include planting street trees, maintaining neighborhood parks, and creating vegetable and flower gardens.

FOR PRESS INFORMATION, CONTACT:

ALAN JAFFE, email or call 215-988-8833
LAURA BEITMAN, email or call 215-988-8836