If you have ever camped or traveled great distances by car, you know how convenient it is to have a public restroom that is accessible to your and your entire family, when needed. Comfort stations are just that ? rest areas with public commodes and sinks that are strategically located to serve anyone and everyone, at any time.
There are comfort stations for campers that are, often, more-inclusive which offer laundry rooms, coin-operated ice & cold-drink machines, heating & air-conditioning, showers with dressing areas, resort information and relevant notices concerning local festivities and other recreational activities. Rules and regulations may be posted to instruct visitors as what types of of portable fire-pits can be used, noise ordinances, consumption of alcohol, etc.
But, with all this being said, there are comfort stations and then there are comfort stations! Some comfort stations are so sophisticated, they belong in a comfort station category, all their own. Longwood Gardens in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania offers a comfort station that is worth noting. Be prepared to be amazed.
The Comfort Station at Longwood Gardens
Longwood Gardens in Philadelphia, PA is located within the Brandywine Valley of Pennsylvania; and offers an impressive 1,077+ acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows ? truly, one of the great gardens of the world! Open to visitors year-round, Longwood Gardens is regarded as among the most spectacular horticultural displays in America, having become a public garden during the 1800's. Nestled within this astounding array of natural beauty, one will find a comfort station extraordinaire!
Yes, Philadelphia's Longwood Gardens offers a type of comfort station that is truly unique; and a public restroom never looked so classy or felt so intriguing. Longwood Gardens' comfort station was the proud recipient of Cintas' ?Winner of America's Best Restroom in 2014?. Cintas recognizes public restrooms for their design, hygiene and usability. Longwood Gardens' domed restroom pods are nestled within its Green Wall hallway comprised of more than 47,000 plants! It was in October of 2010 that Longwood met the need for more restrooms to accommodate more visitors, and completed the curve-shaped 4,072 square-foot Green Wall, embedded with is renowned restroom facilities.
Many-thousands of plants that adorn the curved Green Wall take vertical gardening to new heights. These pampered plants receive plenty of TLC on a regular basis; so much so, that professional caretakers actually utilize computers to water the plants with just the right amount of moisture as well regulate controlled temperatures that ensure the plants remain healthy and vibrant. An astonishing 3,590 cubicles are embedded in the Green Wall which house all the plants; but the plants are positioned in their respective cubicles according to how they will receive varying doses of sunlight ? whether direct or indirect lighting. And by the way, there are a total of 47,000 plants, here, that produce as much oxygen as ninety, 40-foot-tall trees!
As if that were not impressive enough, the top of each of the 17 toilet pods is domed glass ? skylights which permit plenty of natural sunlight to stream through. These skylights, combined with solar-powered fixtures and sleek-design architecture, certainly help to explain why this type of restroom rendezvous impresses the one-million visitors that visit Longwood Gardens, each year!
Having 'to go' is almost an adventure at Longwood Gardens; and when visiting a restroom becomes a memorable event, you know the comfort station, itself, is has something very unique to offer!