Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pittsburgh

It is so beautiful, colorful, and awesome!!!! thank dale chihuly for creating those absolutly wonderful sculptures, too. I LOVE Phipps conservatory!!!! It also has cool ponds that have all kinds of balls in there. I is so sweet!!!

Our family enjoys Phipps. It is very relaxing for us and we love seeing the living plants and the ways that they decorate. My mother and I used to come every year to the spring fall and winter flower shows. She is gone now and I enjoy bringing my daughter to Phipps too. We loved the Chihulee glass event, it was spectacular.

The Phipps Conservatory is the best thing (and in my opinion, the only thing) that Pittsburgh has to offer. The Chihuly exhibit was amazing! Nothing else to see or do in Pittsburgh.

We had an amazing time here. Not usually a fan of plants, etc, but when Chihuly's exhibit was displayed in it, it was absolutely amazing and kept my attention throughout the entire thing. Great time.

I was awe struck at Chihully's works even though I've seen them before. Not as many as the ones I just saw. I didn't expect such a huge and vast display. It was awesome. I would still be impressed with the conservatory without them. I would love to return.

Exhibit great . Atmosphere very good. Great place to spend a rainy afternoon. Thailand exhibit was exceptional. But watch out for the parking! Needs work for a more enjoyable experience to tour the exhibit. Overall: PARKING terrible. Watch out for the attendants!!!!

If you ever go to Pittsburgh. you should not miss the Phipps conservatory. I would rank it as one of the finest in the country. You go from one room to the next and cannot imagine that there is still more to see. The tropical areas, focusing on various ferns, palms and orchids and bromeliads, are unparalleled. Only the desert room is a bit underwhelming but you can go to Phoenix for that kind of flora. Don't miss this Pittsburgh icon!

My GrandMother loved Phipp's; I'm from Pittsburgh, so have been visiting each season for a long, long time. When I taught I used to take my students there, till the nazi did away with that. Phipp's is Absolutely Gorgeous, especially around Christmas & Easter. It is also very educational for all. I've always adored it*

Go during a non-busy time, as any exhibit should be attended! Then take your time going through it. I like the front-left room for it's calming effects. The exhibits have changed during the previous two visits (3 and 5 years ago), yet there is much the same feeling of a conservatory dedicated to learning and showing off it's plants. The gift shop up front is not too large, but has nice easy to locate uniqueness of items. The butterfly and orcid rooms are nice (although smelly -- gee, wonder why?) and the roses are overwhelming (think weddings happening here) and the fountain is very pretty. In December, I expect the outdoor features will not be much to see this year. Big compactflash chip for camera already purchased.

First off, I am from Pittsburgh and hold a family membership to Phipps, so I will reveal my bias right there. However, even if I did not have homer bias, I think I would rank Phipps right up there with the best anyway. As proof of that, I would point you to all the other reviews on here. To add to what has been said and maybe repeat what has already been said, Phipps is just an amazing place. It is centered perfectly Schenly Park, next to the acadamia region of Pittsburgh, Oakland, home most of or at least portions of all the major world class universities of Pittsburgh. So Phipps gets much support from the universities directly and indirectly, through not neccessarily money, but intelligent and talented individuals. I imagine that is the biggest reason it has stayed one of the finesst and oldest conservatories in the US. Phipps is just completing a major renovation. We were after the new visitors center opened this past Christmas, but before the new tropical room was open and ready. We went to an evening program that was under the "Enchanted Forest" (I think that's what it was called) billing, which had the walkways lit by candlelight and a polish jazz/polka clarinetist and accompanying guitar player perfoming. There were many other performances scheduled nightly over a several week period spanning the holidays. It was wonderful and surreal. They had a circus type theme trains set up in a center room, and many of the rooms in full Christmas and holidal glory, and at night the lights were all wonderful. Phipps offers a butterfly garden in the spring and summer, and we will be going up that soon as well, and we have to see the new tropical room that I think is completed now. We have been to the orchid shows the last few springs, but missed it this year. Phipps has a wonderful collections of just about anything you like, succulents, ferns, orchids, tropical plants, etc. I have been to many conservatories and botanical gardens, Krohn Conservatory in Cincinnati, the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls, the Elizibethan Gardens of Manteo Island, the Queen Elizabeth II botanical garden of Grand Cayman, Missouri Botanical Gardens, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Toronto Botanical Garden, the Botanical Gardens in Montreal (Jardin Botanique de Montreal), the Niagara Parks botanical gardens and floral clock, and many others, and can confidently say that Phipps ranks among the finest in the world. Right now Phipps is featuring Mythical Beasts, with a 70 foot dragon, and statutes and flowering and vineing creatures from the worlds myths. This and the butterfly forest will be available until October. The Mythical Beasts show is part of the Pittsburgh Regions "Pittsburgh Roars" program. There are some upcoming jazz in the garden shows too -- those are wonderful. Check their online calendar for dates and times. Phipps is one of the "goods" that you simply must look into to experience what Pittsburgh has to offer. If you have more time, be sure to take a stroll around Schenley Park as well! It's an amazing area. Enjoy!