I lived in Pittsburgh all four years I was in college and I visited Phipps Conservatory every other weekend. When you are in a city covered with snow you tend to reminisce about the hot weather back home and what better way to do it than in a tropical garden. Phipps is one of those gems that you stumble upon by mistake and it stays with you forever. When My dad came to visit I gave him an entire tour of the place and he loved it as much as I did.
Going to Phipps is a unique experience and everyone visiting Pittsburgh should make it a point to put this on their things to do list. It was my favorite place to go every weekend and I bet you will love it.
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is located in the Oakland district right across from Schenley Hill and Carnegie Mellon University. It has a total area of 15 acres with 14 historical glasshouse and 23 different gardens. I personally love it because I have experiences here that I wouldn’t have been able to see anywhere else. Its butterfly exhibits, orchid and bonsai outdoor garden, historic glass chandeliers from Pittsburgh Glassworks (the main hall at my university, Carnegie Mellon also has one of these chandeliers in their main entrance hall on Forbes Ave), the Tropical Forest with a tumbling waterfall and a miniature replica of Pittsburgh railroad in the South Conservatory during fall and winter with a tiny train are a few of my favorite things.
Adult Admission: $19.95
Child Admission: $11.95 (2-18) under 2 FREE
Senior Admission: $17.95 (62+)
Parking Charge: Free
Group Size: 15-300.
Gardens and Rooms
The indoor spaces at Phipps Conservatory have a variety of different rooms each catering to a specific fauna. Three of my favorite rooms were the ones below.
Desert Room @ Phipps
The Desert Room has a variety of cactuses. From huge thorny 10 foot monsters to tiny little baby cactuses. It is one of my favorite rooms because of how unique it is to find such flora in the middle of Pennsylvania. Kinda a mind f*ck.
Stove Room @ Phipps
The Stove Room is filled with butterflies during season and you can walk along and find a plethora of tiny winged creatures that are beautiful. I have seen some of the cutest little butterflies here.
Tropical Fruit and Spice Room @ Phipps
Lastly my favorite room is the Tropical Fruit and Spice Room. It smells exactly like India and when it is snowing outside and cold af I love being in this room. The room smells so warm and cozy with all kinds of spice smells that it feels like a hug from home.
Tropical Forest Conservatory @ Phipps
Going further you find a huge indoor forest called the Tropical Forest Conservatory. They have turned the entire room into a tropical terrarium. There is a huge waterfall on the right side that sprays you in the face as you walk by it and when you reach the bottom they have a fish tank with lots of fish.
The spot is especially cool cause they hold some amazing exhibitions here. The one that is most memorable for me was when I got to hold a 10 foot python in my arms and see a tarantula up close.
Events
What makes Phipps unique is how awesomely curated their shows and activities are. Their annual Summer Flower Show, Sponsoring a glass pane, Make your own Troll for kids and The Photographs of Donald M. Robinson are events currently taking place. They have classes and programs for every activity you could want like Horticulture, Botanical Art, Flower Design etc. I love the energy that they put into creating the best possible experience for their patrons. I have participated in a lot of these and they make me so happy.
When I went last time they recreated the pictures of VAN GOGH IN FLOWERS! It was the awesomest thing ever!
Phipps annually puts up a Miniature Garden Railroad and am a huge fan of miniature art. I mean who doesn’t love tiny trains and tiny buildings and tiny people. . I took so many photographs of the miniature models every year, my friend used to get very annoyed. But the whole model was honestly so beautiful and you could see how much work was put into making sure each detail was accurate. Look at the pictures below and you can see the train running in front of a tiny model of the Phipps Conservatory as it looked at that time. It’s marvelous!
One of the things you should not miss if you are here in November or December is the Winter Garden Exhibit they have. They set up magical light in the outdoor garden and when night comes it turns into a fairyland with the snow and twinkling lights. I went to this exhibit multiple times every year because of how amazing it was.
Resources
The Shop at Phipps
The Shop at Phipps is another perfectly curated shop that sells high equality items. They have small terraniums and plants you can take home to build your own garden. They also have some amazing glass pieces like soap holders which are perfect examples of the booming glass industry in Pittsburgh.
This Week at Phipps
Phipps Conservatory have a weekly blog about events taking place at the conservatory which is the best way to stay up to date. They list the date and timings for all events so you can make sure you catch the ones you like the most. I used this to make sure I didn’t miss the Van Gogh in Flowers exhibition cause there are some really cool things you don’t want to miss!
