Reviews of Shofuso Japanese House and Garden (Gardener)

Deborah Jones

Beautiful. Exceptionally beautiful, peaceful, educational. A great place to take a book and read., relax and spend some time. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. All my questions were answered. Then we just strolled the ground and set and for a while

vakul mohanty

A traditional Japanese house and garden with a coy fish pond. The entry fee is a bit high so I wouldn't go out of my way to visit.

Rob Nagle

Great garden and opportunity to learn and understand another culture a bit more

Matt Bulbul

Amazing place to visit. Clean and simple. Guides were very helpfulcand answered all our questions about the house and Japanese culture. Great place for family weekend out.

DancingSuNn Pro

It was a great to visit and learn about the house and some of Japanese culture. There are information cards, an area where you can sit, a Buddhist statue that you can make an offering too, a home that you can walk through. Ask questions! Everything has a reason very interesting. Even the gutter chains. I wish it was larger! Very interesting. I wanted to learn more. Oh and the pond is full of friendly Koi, I think catfish turtles and frogs.

Justin Ott

What a gem in the middle of Fairmount Park! The gardens are amazing. The koi pond stocked with what must be 100 koi fish is beautiful. The house itself is pretty interesting to walk through, and I do like how they have demonstrations throughout the day. It's the garden and the koi pond that keep me coming back though.

Sarah Houck

A must see. Loved experiencing the parks on tap here.

Ruthely Escobar

It is absolutely gorgeous! I love that you can feed the koi, my girls enjoy this very much.

Loretta McGlory

We enjoyed walking through the gardens and through the house and feeling the simple yet efficient life style. They had a wonderful presentation outside with music and dancers. All in all beautiful day of a different culture.

Eileen Benson

Beautiful definitely worth the trip if you have time.

Keliomer Castillo

Lovely place, the waterfall is simply amazing. Feeding the koi is definitely a must if you visit! If you're lucky you'll get to see a wonderful white heron!

Amanda Maier

My children enjoyed feeding the fish.

Mel

An absolute must in your into Japanese culture. What a beautiful time warp of a place and even though it isn't huge, it was well worth it. It's 12 bucks to get in and you can feed the koi and buy some items.

Douglas Mitchell

Very authentic Japanese experience. Shofuso was made in Japan by master Craftsmen, then taken apart and put back together in Fairmount Park. It is a really beautiful little place in all seasons, but I think the spring would be best when Cherry blossoms are in bloom.

Brittany Wingate

A beautiful serene gem in the city of brotherly love. They have self-guided tours or tour guides. Admission is discounted with a student ID, but reasonable nonetheless. You can feed the koi, catfish and turtles of the pond for 2 dollars a cup. Best to bring cash. Shoes are not to be worn inside of the house, but are permitted at all other areas of the park. Can't wait to go again in the summer.

Robert Sacks

Paid $12 each to go inside you could have taken a peek and seen everything that was their definitely not worth the money

Mark Hondo

Beautiful gardens & house. The demonstrations were informative and also beautiful.

John Wellbrock

The Shofuso house is an interesting look into how the wealthy in Japan lived around the middle of the Twentieth century. The day we visited a display of Ikebana was in progress, what a nice surprise! Watching each woman create their own designed flower arrangements in the individual rooms was amazing. My daughter and I marveled at how each person took various natural items and brought them together in wonderful floral creations according to Japanese tradition. Lucky us!

Andrew Calvarese

Nice and peaceful hidden gem.

Alan Leybman

You get the full cultural feel here. I could spend hours here. I had a chance to feed the coy fish too.

Jorge Barreras

Lovely place to contemplate a Japanese lake and see a true masterpiece of architecture. Great energy in the place, it will calm down you down. The tour is pretty good too.

Jennifer Sotomayor

Beautifully maintained Japanese house and garden. Very picturesque. Great place to take a stroll, the tour guides are very knowledgable, and you can even feed the koi fish.

Andrew Ryan

So beautiful and serene. I had a hard time leaving this place because of how at peace I was here. It was almost like stepping back in time. The staff are very friendly and informative and the koi you can feed are large. My only regret from this trip, was not being able to give a tip to the tour guide.

Ashlei Michael

Beautiful attraction right off the park

Zach Root

Loved this place. Very unique and peaceful

Stephanie Chapman

Lovely place. I had my ceremony here!

Shaun Appleton

Very relaxing time and ale to take lots of great pictures.

Lance Welch I Opus13

Incredibly tranquil. Wife and I loved taking the tour and learning about the house, and I usually am not interested in guided tours at all. Student discount was nice!

Jonathan

Both the traditional Japanese building and the nature around it looked really nice.

Ahmed Rahi

Very attractive example of a traditional Japanese house and garden. The grounds are beautiful and the house has many interesting features to look at. My only issue is that the $12 price is a little high considering you will spend probably about 30 min or less to go through the various rooms and garden. It is self guided with some info sheets in each room to learn about them and not much else to do besides. The koi pond is fun but will cost you $2 extra to feed them. We went during the Obon festival so it was a little crowded as well. During off peak I think it would have been a more relaxing experience.

triplerivera

Beautiful just a lovely place to visit.

Tony Turner

A great place to chill out with the one you love.

Saumya Srivastava

It is a beautiful place that can be seen in about an hour (or less). You may hang around longer in the gardens outside though which look lovely during spring with all the cherry blossoms blooming and make for great photo ops.

waffocopter

I've been to one other Japanese garden that was bigger but that one felt very spread out. While this one is small, I believe this is worth every penny, especially when you take into account the authenticity like hinoki wood. We easily spent over an hour and could've spent even more if we didn't have afternoon plans. Everything here and beautiful and the placement seems planned to perfection. We took so many pictures and the guides were very helpful.

v chenoah

Absolutely serene and beautiful! I especially enjoyed the large koi!

Hyun Lee

Such a beautiful place! Would definitely recommend! It’s a very peaceful place and the garden is really nice! The pond has turtles and fishes and is very serene

Vincent DiAngelus

Wonderful interaction with the guide and was surprised at how much we learned about Japanese culture from the design of a house, garden, and tea.

Mark Brown

Super well engineered Japanese garden, but small. Additionally, an outdoor beer garden is set up on the grounds, which is great, but you need to download stuff to get into the compound. A pain for sure. Still a nice break from the hustle of downtown.

Wenxiong Huang

Really nice place and would recommend. There is an entrance fee but overall still worthy. The spot that is near the pool is amazing to chill.

Amira Chappelle

Beautiful garden! They had traditional Japanese dishes for sale as well.

Adam Wan

Small. But a beautiful place. Maintained well. Koi fish to feed. Lots of beautiful scenery. Like transported to Japan pretty. Especially with cherry blossoms.

Janet Sadriu

Beautiful place, a must see, you can do a picnic and relax.

Jennifer-Sophia

So lovely and authentic.

Mike Lee

Awesome family trip. Still in the heart of Philly but it feels like an escape.

Alexis Peppers

This place is awesome, today they are having tap on the park. They are serving beer and food

Robert Braun

This is a world-class gem!

Gregory Chalikes

Beautiful garden and historic Japanese house, is always a great time.

Jonathan Ervin

The best place in Philly! Relaxing calm and content. Recommend to all and is a great culture reference!

Deep Jariwala

We went here for Parks on tap beer garden. It's an amazing, tranquil and serene place.

Alberta Lalavska

The place is as wonderful as they come! Beautiful and relaxing! They have tea ceremonies on certain dates! However, there's one downside: for 12 dollars per person it's fairly small, and you can practically see and enjoy everything from the fence outside.. Plus the park is right there, so you even have benches..

M. Fynn

Small but beautiful self-guided Japanese house. However they do have guides on the premises that make it an even better experience! I liked Candice especially. She was very thorough and seemed to have a personal interest in the culture itself, which showed while explaining areas of the house. I would definitely visit again. Pics attached are of the bath, toilet area, tearoom and the grounds.

Viktor Bek

Japanese cultural heritage in Philadelphia park...guides are entusiastic and knowledgeable tea ceremony is worth the time...budget for a good weather and feed the fish in the pond it is really zen experience

Joe Soprani

Beautiful hidden treasures in Fairmount Park.

Mavis A

A place worth visiting any day and time but definitely during the cherry blossom festival! The Shofuso Japanese House is beautiful with a serene garden that is so magical.

Elizabeth Genazzio

Excellent gem hidden in Philadelphia fairmount park. Take tour and tea tasting. Guide is very informative. House is gift from Japan had been on display in NYC previously

morgan sweeney

Love this place! Traditional Japanese house and garden you can walk around and experience a historical Japanese house. Beautiful koi pond where you can purchase food to feed the fish. Plenty of guides around to answer questions and give tours. If you have the time absolutely stop by and visit Shofuso!

Cori Clickner

Absolutely beautiful. We went during cherry blossom season and the trees were stunning.

Robert Fulcher

What a pleasant surprise to find what's almost a secret Japanese garden located in Philly! A beautiful place with an engaging story. The creative and detailed craftsmanship are incredible. The staff and volunteers help you understand how form and function are blended in almost every aspect of the architecture. The garden grounds are charming and serene.

gordinaeug

Beautiful place to learn about a different culture, relaxing small place

Joe Ward

It had a very relaxing atmosphere.

Kyle Drummond

Amazing experience here!!! Loved the garden and the koi!! Had a wonderful tour of the house and Japanese history thanks to Candice (she’s awesome!!!!!) :)

Liz Piantedosi

Absolutely breathtaking views with a knowledgeable and fun staff. The koi pond is beautiful, and I highly recommend hand feeding the fish! You will not be disappointed with the calm, meditative environment this location envokes.

W. Carl Ammons

Truley wonderful experience. Thank you for entertaining a humble family from Montana. Blessings!

GREEN Beast Alchemist

I slice of Japan very beautiful nice people very clean

Daniel Munyon

A very unique experience! Highly recommended!

Mykaela Valentin

Shofuso Japanese House is so beautiful. I loved visiting. I will definitely come again. I was there during the Cherry Blossom Festival and had so much fun!

Amber K

It is absolutely gorgeous here. I would highly recommend this place for anyone who is interested in Japanese architecture and history.

Bryan Liesner

Beautiful, authentic Japanese house, dismantled in Japan and rebuilt here in Philly by Japanese Craftsmen. The garden is stunning. This is a must see attraction. Definitely sign up to see s tea ceremony.

Sisi T

It was amazingly beautiful and everyone was so nice!

Mindy Cardwell

This is a very beautiful authentic and serene place. I enjoyed dipping into the Japanese culture and feeding the koi fish

Vincent Nocito

Authentic Japanese house in the muddle of Fairmont park. Self guided tour of the house and garden. A pleasant place to spend an hour or two. Feed the koi fish and relax. Admission is charged.

Scott Persinger

Beautiful garden, the house was a traditional Japanese home showcasing simplistic living and classic Japanese architecture. Amazing!!!! A must see for anyone interested in Japanese culture or a simplified life style. There is not a gift shop however there are two small tables with Japanese trinkets and books available for purchase. Parking is free!!!

Dan L.

Nice place,not much to do,a little too small though.

Jim Downey

Beautiful and peaceful.

Carlton Gorrell

The cumulative effect of all the subtleties that make this an outstanding attraction are very much like the minimalist Japanese architecture, craftsmanship, and decor that captures and enchants those who can appreciate fine things. This place truly transported me and temped me to assimilate Japanese culture. I was lured by the beauty of the garden itself and the human constructs that punctuated nature such as the Buddha and the subtle tome ishi (stop stone). A small soothing waterfall further relaxed me and caressed my mind. Huge colorful koi fish jostled each other and jockeyed for position as they swarmed the bank of the pond expecting food to be thrown into their gaping mouths. (They were SUPER greedy.) The water, the Flora, and the garden art would have been enough to please my daughter and I, but we hadn't even gone into the tea house yet at that point. When we did, we were further delighted by the culture we found. Attendants who would regularly make their rounds through the garden and the Tea House would gladly answer our questions about what we saw and educate us about what we saw. A troop of geisha had even shown up and practiced dance to some traditional Japanese tunes. Even my sense of smell was appeased by the incense for sale. My taste was the sole sense that had been disengaged during our visit. I think a bowl of noodles, a cup of tea, or a ninja fight are the only things that could have improved on this experience. We have to come back in the spring when the cherry blossoms are here.

Jumayar Ahmed

Very peaceful place

Christin Repella

The experience of the home is beautiful. However don't park near the house. Our vehicle was broken into and after speaking with park rangers it is a common issue, the thieves seems to know the area and have a two car system. The parking lot cameras are fake and apparently it is well know. Sadly, our experience left a biker injured as the assailant was fleeing the scene. Be safe.

Libby Kline

Very informational and Zen!

Nisren Ibrahim

Knowledgable volunteers, great info, amazing view and landscaping

karin Druckenmiller

Gorgeous and very relaxing. We had such a peaceful experience.

Boyd Owens

The park.Traditional Japanese house in

Monil Bid

So beautiful and serene!

Kevin Holmes

Its cute, well maintained. Personally not worth $12 to enter for me.

Kobiljon Yusupov

Very nice place reflecting japanese interior and exterior design and styling. For a moment you will really dive into the culture and relaxation. The outside garden and pond is beautiful but relatively small. Remember to buy some suveniers for a long term memories.

Pallavi Gujar

Amazing place. We visited just today. Tomorrow it's gonu be cherry blossom festival in the park. There are so many cherry blossom trees in the park with pink and white flowers. There are fountains too. Kids have a gala time playing in the grass. Entry fees to Shofuso house is 8 $ per person. There's a koi pond inside. A must go in summer with family and friends. Wonderful vibe, happy smiling people enjoying colorful cherry blossom.

Melissa Hernandez

A must see hidden gem in the ideas of tourist places to visit in Philadelphia its so Serene and beautiful

Oscar Wright

Please if beauty and peace is what you seek go to this place

Nicholas Capoferri

So beautiful. Go if you love Japan and tea.

Rony Torres

Lovely garden gets a bit packed around spring for cherry blossom festival. Worth the visit.

Courtney Summers

Gorgeous Philadelphia must-see with nice staff and a cute gift table.

Catherine Bouvier

Very peaceful and a wonderful spot to walk the dog.

Teresa Nance

This is a place of remarkable beauty, peace, and tranquility in the midst of Fairmount park. Just plain awesome

licia cakes

First time trying and I loved it . Even my pi ly 5 year old ate a whole bowl!

Shingo Bessho

Beautifully maintained building and garden

Donielle H. G.

Truly a beautiful atmosphere. It was my first time going, and I can guarantee that it won't be my last!

Super Nova

I love this place when it's not busy.

Patrick Lee

It's very small but well maintained. Probably not worth $12, but I didn't feel ripped off.

Ronnie Cameron

One of my favorite places to go in Philadelphia.

bobbie g

This place is so beautiful. Its like an escape into another culture. You feel like your in japan. And they just happened to have a samurai preformance that day. It was amazing

Gus Krebs

Historic landmark and cultural center.

Shashank Singh

Peaceful environs. Go there to engage in multiple layers of listening..birds, flowing water, breeze rustling leaves. Fantastic!

Nabil

Beautiful place, small a,little bit but let you have a wise moment. Don't forget to write something in the wish tree.

Sharath Kumar

The Japanese house is ok to visit. The entrance cost is way too much considering what we get to see inside. But the surrounding area is amazing with all the trees.

mehul s

Very nice place. Unique experience..

Abishek Jerome

Such a serene experience. The cherry blossom festival held there during April is worth going.

Maria Rivera

Lovely experience, I will definitely return with more friends. Everyone should go visit. It was a refreshing change of scenery.

Ronald Kelso

A hidden treasure. Gorgeous garden and peaceful atmosphere

Chris Benjamin

We visited recently and had the absolute pleasure of having Candice give us a tour. She was extremely knowledgeable and informed us of all the intricate purposes of each room of Shofuso. We spent almost two hours touring and were very happy to have Candice as a guide! Highly recommended!

Soumen R

one of the best place to visit during Spring. cherry blossom, pond and the Japanese house all make trip interesting

Jessica Fontana

Such a pretty place

vickygavs

A beautiful spot to visit. You can come for an event or just to walk around and take in the view. It's very peaceful and nice.

Kevin Nguyen

Not a whole lot to see. Good quick visit if you happen to be in the area, but nothing to go out of your way for.

Sonia Galindez

Must see it's a beautiful house with lots of history and info and very relaxing.

Kate Powers

What a beautiful, peaceful oasis. Visited for Parks on Tap and even in the pouring rain, we had a lovely experience!

Betsabeth Sánchez Olivero

Beautiful and relaxing place, even when packed with people is like a small paradise within the busyness of a city

Jeremy

Shofuso has very beautiful and peaceful grounds. The staff are also very respectful and friendly. I suggest asking them questions as they know a lot of fun and interesting facts that made our experience much more immersive.

ben lowe

Awesome place! Very laid back neighborhood bar with decent beer at decent prices. The crowd is friendly and inviting. Randomly stumbled in there while on vacation and glad I did

Patricia Farley

Very beautiful. I was upset to see visitors littering

Lewis Beermann

Beautiful scenery, and very aesthetic gardens and architecture. I feel I should inform that, when the festival is being held, and they serve the cold sake mixed drinks, do not get them. Not just myself, but other patrons advised against it. I went with a lemongrass ale and was not disappointed. And neither was my friend because she tasted it and had me buy her one. Great place.

dennine williams

It's as if someone plopped old Japan in the middle of the big city. I felt transformed I to a different world. So serene. Beautiful place for photo ops.

Promit Kumar Ghosh

The garden is good...but exhibits are not so attractive

Dan Smith

Stunningly beautiful gardens and wonderful architecture. Our guide, Christina was so knowledgeable, we really had no questions because she covered everything so thoroughly. Will definitely return to see the gardens in different seasons and maybe to learn about tea ceremonies.

Ramesh Gurjar

Small Garden. Neatly/well maintained Food not allowed inside Entrance fee appears to be a bit high

Tonya Lockhart

Such a beautiful place. I recommend taking the time to get away for tranquility.

Markus Alukard

Unique experience. Beautiful and very peaceful.

Erin Baker

One of the most peaceful, serene places in Philadelphia! I think this site is a must visit!

Michael Dutka

Exciting display of Japanese culture the dancing and the drums were fantastic. The house was a traditional Japanese house it is beautiful. The gardens surrounding the show house were done to perfection. I really enjoyed the cost.

Andrew Murphy

Great place to bring the family for a quiet relaxing afternoon. The garden area around the house is beautiful, and the house itself is enchanting. We went on a really hot day but sitting on the porch, gazing out at the pond and garden in the shade felt very comfortable. The history behind the house is also interesting, and the tour guides are great!

LaTonia Lee

I love Shofuso! We come here often. Check out Sakura Sunday and Philadelphia Obon Festival along with the many other events offered by this gem located in a beautiful park!

Albert Hykes

Beautiful Japanese architecture and garden. Staff is helpful and knowledgable. Learned a lot and had fun.

Oliva나탈리아

Beautifully crafted and maintained. This 17th century Japanese house model makes an excellent learning experience for Japanese students. Shofuso , from now on, will be one of my field trip destinations for my future students.

Christina Harris

I never even knew that this place existed although I’ve been quite near it several times. I had the opportunity to visit with parks on tap. It was a great experience. The grounds are lovely, especially the koi pond. It’s a very natural and serene environment. Perfect for either a family outing or a date. I enjoyed the displays they had—which I believe change regularly. There are also small items for sale.

Alison StJohn

Beautiful! But small. Great historical building and cultural experience, but viewable in 1-2 hrs.

Shad Brifcani

Nice house & clean but hot

Ari Kuroda

A truly beautiful place. It's the kind of place that's good to visit if you want to breathe deep and clear your head. It's a serene place where you can really get in touch with nature. It's especially nice to stand by the waterside and feed the koi fish.

Shy Foreman

A very pretty house and garden. The staff is generally kind and respectful, and some are in full Japanese-style clothing. Its a fun place to spend 30-45 minutes, but there's not much more to do, so don't expect to spend a full day.

Nitish Jaiswal

Beautiful place! You also get to learn about Japanese architecture and culture

Hilda Reedom

Hamachi Kama! Sushi rolls. All fresh and good.

Vanessa Hutchins

It's a very pretty place and some amazing pictures. Even though are car was broken into while in the house. It was probably the best place in philly.

Bro. Matthew Levis O. de M.

The scenery was nice but not worth the price to walk through the building

Dawud WOO 215 Christopher

Beautiful Beautiful! Oh, did I say Beautiful!

Terry Messner

We visited during the Cherry Blossom/Asian cultural festival so we weren't able to go into the house but we were allowed to walk through the garden area and look inside. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and the entire day was enjoyable.

Anthony Granovskiy

Fun garden, dont think it's worth the money however but think of the admission cost as basically a donation. The garden is pretty and there is a tree to take pictures at. The coy pond is relaxing and a nice place to sit and relax for a moment as well as feed the fish.

Joseph Berrillo

Excellent location for walking meditation.

Guru Mani

Beautifully maintained Japanese house, with murals, nice pond, bonsai trees...a hidden gem

Kelbell

The house and garden are very beautiful, but also very small. I'm happy I got a student discount because I did not feel it was worth the price. We took our time and read the informational cards at each stop/room. They did a rain chain demo and that was really pretty. Overall it's a nice place to spend maybe 45 minutes but don't plan on spending the day!

Bevin Journey

If you don't have any particularly strong feelings about Japanese gardens, then this one is more or less what you would expect, and a good place to spend an hour.

Cirithungul

Always worth a trip here. Beautiful Japanese building, lovely gardens and professional service. You won't regret escaping modern American times for a few minutes at this historical and educational place.