Shofuso Japanese House & Garden

I got a Groupon for this place and it was really nice! It’s hard to believe in the middle of Philly. It was so peaceful and relaxing. There isn’t much to do… just kind of explore, relax and just a nice getaway in the middle of a busy city. My favorite part was the Koi Pond. I loved all the fishes and feeding them. No shoes allowed. It only cost me $ 7.00. You really can’t go wrong with this place.

What a lovely experience I had at this beautiful establishment! It was so much fun learning about the Japanese tea house and the things that the garden incorporates. I feed the koi fish, which was so much more fun than I anticipated, and even bought a few sets of chopsticks for my family. A must see for all those interested in learning about Japanese culture.

I’m amazed! Out of Japan but in Japan. enjoying myself in Philly. I was amazed with the koi fish. The garden was beautiful. I learned so much from the the documentary we saw on the projector. I even took a few shots of one of the models that was on site. The staff was nice and very helpful. I am definitely coming back again.

Shofuso holds a special place in my heart because 20 years separate my first and second visits. I went to Shofuso on a preschool field trip — I have pictures to corroborate that. I had completely forgotten about it, until one of my best friends — who coincidentally went to preschool with me — suggested that we come here on a day when we were both doing a whole lot of nothing. So my time here was intensely nostalgic — the beautiful verdure certainly enhanced those feelings.
WARNING: This place is as hidden as hidden gets. It took me over half an hour of circling and re-​circling the various Belmont Ave. side streets to find the winding path you’ll need to take to end up here. But part of Shofuso’s magic is how tucked away it is. This isn’t the type of place you’ll just stumble upon. But that’s why it’s a lovely little wonderland.
While I know next to nothing about Japanese culture, I still enjoy visiting Shofuso. You don’t need to be a world history aficionado to appreciate this place. Just some natural curiosity and an appreciation for something literally and figuratively off the beaten path. The $ 7 entrance fee did strike me as a bit steep initially, but this place is immersive in such a calming way that I didn’t mind in the end. Not only can you tour the house and get little lessons on each room (note: there are several rooms you are NOT allowed to enter… which is a lot for a tiny house), but the surrounding garden and pond offer a mini-​escape for people like me who are constantly busy/​plugged in.
I will echo what others have said: this should not be your «day plan». You can see everything, talk to some of the staff and feed the koi in under and hour — and it won’t be tight. This should just be an outing — maybe on your way into or out of Philly.
Note: If you can, go take a peek at the koi. Unbeknownst to me, koi are meek little fish. I quickly found out that they are actually very, very big fish. And assertive ones at that. If they so much as sense the presence of food, those mouths will be fighting each other mercilessly immediately. It’s quite the spectacle, I must say. My friend and I were entranced by them for quite a while. Their color, unusual gaping mechanism, their size… yet another attraction.
I want to end on how serene this place is, which is why I enjoy it so much. The pictures do not do the garden/​pond justice. It’s a gorgeous little sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of the city. These types of places are sorely underappreciated in this day and age. Sure, we took some pictures, but for the most part we allowed ourselves to be wrapped up in the natural beauty here. That kind of experience is a gift — one that’s impossible to replicate in front of a computer or TV screen.

It’s sad to read reviews where they pan this place for being too small or having an admission fee that’s too expensive. In a world where the internet provides free news and games, people have become so jaded that they can’t appreciate a true treasure like Shofuso. If you’re expecting a laser light show with animatronic tour guides giving a PowerPoint presentation on a Tea Ceremony for a $ 2 admission, go somewhere else. If you’re looking for a tranquil place where you can chill out, feed the Koi and appreciate the landscaping and architecture, go for a visit.

It’s true what they say it’s very small but the theme of Japan is creative and beautiful.

This place is beautiful and the garden is awesome I would love to live in this house, definitely recommend this place and the staff is very helpful.

So beautiful. A true hidden gem!

If you’re planning to spend an entire day at Shofuso, think again. Shofuso feels more like a museum. With a small koi pond around the house, the entire estate is quite small, and you will be done looking in about forty-​five minutes.
Technically, you are not allowed inside some rooms of the house, but if you see a guide walking around, you can ask them to let you in and even tell you more about its construction and purpose. The historical significance of the style of architecture — not so much.
No spots to picnic inside Shofuso, but there is a lot of grass outside, near the Horticultural Center that you could lay out a blanket and hang out.

Skip this, dont come here unless you have nothing to do, it is TINY! I came knowing this place is small but i was still surprised at how small it is. We finished strolling around the whole place (outside pond + inside the house) in 5mins. Definitely not worth the $ 7 per person especially if you have been to Japan. Aside from the fact that this is small, i dont find it pretty at all either… My picture pretty much shows the whole back garden of this place.
If you do decide to come, make sure to check in on Unilocal and get your free pair of chopsticks!

Beautiful and interesting. Small. Free parking, and it was nice getting away from the extremely trafficky city for a while.
I don’t know much about traditional Japanese houses, but this one was very nice. I liked the outdoor pathways overlooking the stream and the trees, and seeing the old-​time wooden toilet, in particular. I would love to have a house where you basically have rooms and all the paths to the rooms are outside.
The fantastic koi pond was my favorite part! First of all the pond/​stream at the back of the house was tranquil, quiet and beautiful. But it suddenly gets not so tranquil when you feed the koi and they come about burping and slurping and leaping over each other trying to get some food. Buy koi food for $ 2 and have a fun time feeding them! Their sucky mouths are really funny to watch and they pile on top of each other. I took a lot of pictures and we sat there for a while.
If you want to take 45 minutes of your day and enjoy an interesting and relaxing site with cool fish and learn something about Japanese culture, this is a good place. And we got a free pair of chopsticks!

Great hidden jem! You would never know this place was so close to center city. Go for the afternoon and sit on the deck, watch the huge koi and little turtles swimming in the pond and listen to the birds in the cherry blossom trees. Admission is a meer $ 7 and it is totally worth it to support the house and gardens. It is so peaceful that I wish I could design my dream home to be exactly like it!

I always love coming here during Sakura Sunday. You can always tell the staff are really passionate about the house and what they do.

Beautiful hidden gem in fairmount park. It’s even a little hard to find.
It’s only $ 7 for an adult admission. They have a promo right now if you check in on Unilocal you’ll get free chopsticks – I used that coupon!
The area is small and only took about 40 minutes to look at everything. We were expecting to spend maybe an hour or more. But it was beautiful and interesting nonetheless.
The house is meant to be traditional, so you must remove your shoes before entering and wear socks inside. Not to worry if you wore sandals, though – they provide peds.
Worth the trip! Also they have events and tea ceremonies that sound interesting!

I LOVE THIS PLACE. This is definitely one of the hidden gems in Philly — such a beautiful but not many people know of or visit it. And best of all, they have FREE PARKING.
The garden is located in Fairmount Park. Oh my goodness, I cannot stress enough how BEAUTIFUL this place is. I already know I want to come back. Definitely perfect for a casual stroll or a date. Tickets are $ 7 for adults and $ 5 for students with a student ID. The staff are super nice. I forgot my ID but the man at the front still let me in for $ 5. The place is absolutely serene and scenic. (Excuse this nerd moment but this place honestly looked like that scene of the Spirit Oasis in the Northern Water Tribe from that show, Avatar the Last Airbender. Yes, that was my first thought after walking in. And yes, my friend totally pretended he didn’t hear what I just said after I voiced my thoughts out loud.)
Anyway they have so many cute things to do!
1.) TEA CEREMONY (check their website for the event dates/​times) — Unfortunately there was no tea ceremony on the day we came because of July 4^th weekend, but I’d definitely come back again if they were holding another event.
2.) STORY TIME for kids (but a lot of adults go too). There’s also an arts & crafts table to make origami and paper kimonos. My friend and I spent a good hour at the table craftin’ away and the staff was so sweet. I’m a huge fan of arts & crafts and I have to say, both of the kimonos I made came out pretty well.
3.) FEED KOI FISH for an extra $ 2. The koi fish are HUGE because they’re fed so often by tourists but they’re also very beautiful.
4.) Small GIFT SHOP that sells cultural items (chopsticks, koi fish lanterns, Japanese books, incense, bowls & mortars, the absolutely cutest erasers ever, and more)
*NOTE: I highly recommend coming here, ESPECIALLY when the weather is nice; it makes the experience that much more memorable. My friend and I came on a day that was 70 degrees warm and sunny and it was perfect :)

I visited Shofuso Garden and House during a recent trip to Philadelphia. My favorite part of the House and Garden was the instant peace I felt when I walked in the house. After exiting the house, I visited the garden and fed the Koi fish in the pond. I would have loved to stay longer and just sit. The $ 7 admission for adults is reasonable. You can buy a small cup of food to feed the Koi fish for $ 2. It was really fun feeding the fish. The Garden and the House can be seen in under an hour, because there is not a lot of ground to cover. It was well worth the visit.

A beautiful place for wedding photos. We rented this venue out for 1hr to get some amazing photos of us & our bridal party. Staff was accommodating (we were late & there were 18 of us!!) and let our photographers run the show.
This garden is beautiful and peaceful for anyone looking for a little peace and quiet away from the hustle & bustle of city living!

A beautiful and cute place to stop by if in the area! It’s really nice and romantic, and offers great opportunities for pictures (which we witnessed as a wedding party arrived). The house itself is pretty small, but very interesting. The whole thing will probably take you 30 min to an hour, but definitely transports you back in time!
PS. Check in with Unilocal… and you get free chop sticks at the gift store!

I managed to go see Shofuso when they re-​opened recently and it’s still as great as ever. They’ve even remodeled the garden quite a bit. The area around the jizo statue is more open, the stones around the koi pond seem to have been redone, and they’ve completely removed the bushes behind the tea house which really opens up the back area. I was told there are still plans in the works for that area so we’ll see what happens.
But I thought I’d post an updated review because there also seems to be a lot of confusion about the site (judging from the other reviews).
First off, Shofuso is not a tea house in the vein of Starbucks. It is not a restaurant of Japanese cuisine. And it is not a place to find geisha’s, hostesses, and other Japanese cliché’s. What you will find is an AUTHENTIC representation of a 17^th century Japanese home.
I’ve been to other Japanese gardens, like the Morikami Japanese Garden in Florida, which are HUGE and great to visit. But they usually utilize replicas using modern materials in an effort to create a realistic facsimile. They offer audio tours which are convenient, but they’re also generally kind of dry.
Shofuso on the other hand is actually built with the materials and methods of its time. And guess what? Houses were smaller back then, so of course it’s going to be small. Their tours are also more engaging and varied depending on who’s giving it. And since there’s a person there, you can ask questions and interact with them. With a lot of museums downsizing staff and reverting to technological alternatives, it’s refreshing to have a live person available.
I was told when they repaired the thatched roof a year or so ago, they had to fly in carpenters from Japan who were literally the only family line that still knows how to properly work this style of roofing! How insane is that? If little facts and tidbits like that don’t float your boat, then maybe this place really isn’t for you. But if you enjoy learning about other cultures (particularly in regards to the history and architecture), I strongly suggest you come and ask for a tour.
And if $ 6 for an adult is too expensive to go to a place that will make you feel like you’ve been transported to Japan or too expensive to support a great non-​profit, I don’t know what to tell you. Except maybe to stick to your «free» Sunday visits to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Edit: There’s a gift shop near the entrance that sells cute Japanese nick-​nacks. There are the typical stuff like fans, cups, and erasers and a few things I have not been able to find elsewhere like tabi socks. Some of their stuff can be easily found at Asian markets like H-​Mart (Upper Darby) or Mitsuwa (Edgewater, NJ), but they’re actually cheaper here. I don’t know how that’s possible, but hey I’m not complaining.

This is a wonderful oasis in the outer reaches of Philadelphia. I was in town on business and my hotel was about a mile away from the park. On a free morning, I walked down to the park and checked it out. I always enjoy exploring some of the nearby attractions which may not necessarily be the top sites of a city. I enjoyed my visit to the Shofuso House & Garden.
Once I entered the area, I immediately felt that I had been transported to Japan. My one piece of constructive criticism was the entrance fee of $ 6 for non-​members. Though I realize that it is likely rather expensive to maintain the buildings and the grounds, I could see how the fee would be a deterrent to some. Outside of that, I was really impressed with the place.
I arrived shortly after it opened at 10:00 AM, and I had the whole place to myself. This was truly awesome as I was able to sit in front of the koi pond uninterrupted and soak it all in. If you have the chance to visit during the week in the morning (as I did), you may be likely be rewarded with peaceful solitude. I enjoyed strolling the grounds, via the stone footpaths. I found little nooks and crannies, one with a statue tucked into a corner with some bamboo stalks.
One of the employees/​guides gave me some interesting background on the house itself. It was built in Japan and transported to the United States. Some of the panels in the house have been replaced, with more modern «waterfall» screens adorning the walls. Apparently, the house was vandalized by squatters many years ago. I would be interested to see some of the original artwork on the screens, though the replacements are a lovely modern interpretation of a waterfall.
I am glad that I made the visit, particularly given the close proximity to my hotel. If you are in the neighborhood and have an affinity for going «off-​the-​beaten track» then this would be a good addition to your list. Don’t let what feels like a steep entrance fee keep you from visiting a wonderful diversion in Philadelphia.