Philadelphia & Southeastern Pennsylvania
Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Borough
The mushroom capital of the world
Kennett Square is a borough in southern Chester County, close to the Delaware state line. It calls itself the Mushroom Capital of the World because of the surrounding mushroom farms, celebrated each year at the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival. Its State Street downtown is compact and walkable.
History & Local Character
Settled in the early 1700s and incorporated in 1855, Kennett Square grew as a crossroads market town. Quaker families and later Italian immigrants built the local mushroom industry, which still supplies a large share of U.S. production.
Housing & Real Estate
The borough mixes historic singles, twins and townhouses, with more inventory in surrounding Kennett Township. Prices are moderate for southern Chester County.
Restaurants & Shopping
State Street and Union Street host restaurants, a bakery and the long-running Kennett Square Inn, with several kitchens built around local mushrooms and farm produce.
Schools & Education
Kennett Consolidated School District serves the borough and surrounding townships.
Parks & Recreation
Anson B. Nixon Park offers trails, a lake and playing fields just outside downtown, and Longwood Gardens is a short drive away.
Transportation & Accessibility
Route 1 and Route 82 pass nearby, and SEPTA bus service connects to West Chester and Wilmington.
Local Businesses
Independent restaurants, shops and the region's mushroom growers and packers form the local economy, alongside tourism tied to Longwood Gardens.
No businesses are listed in Kennett Square yet. Add your business to be the first.
Nearby Attractions
- Longwood Gardens
- Anson B. Nixon Park
- Mushroom Festival grounds
- Brandywine River Museum
Advantages & Considerations
Advantages
- Walkable historic downtown
- Distinct agricultural identity
- Close to Longwood Gardens and Delaware
- Moderate housing costs
Considerations
- Limited public transit
- Route 1 traffic
- Fewer large employers inside the borough
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Kennett Square called the Mushroom Capital of the World?
The Kennett Square area produces a large share of the mushrooms grown in the United States, and the borough hosts an annual mushroom festival.
How close is Longwood Gardens?
Longwood Gardens is roughly a ten-minute drive from downtown Kennett Square.