Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden in Oakland, a neighborhood of Pittsburgh, with Victorian-style glasshouses and several outdoor grounds. The glass structures contain tropical plants, cacti, ferns, and rotating seasonal displays, while the outdoor gardens offer perennial beds, water features, and shaded paths through tree groves.

Industrialist Henry Phipps Jr. gave the grounds to the city in 1893 and built the first glass structures to display plants from the World's Fair in Chicago. Over the following decades the glasshouses were expanded and redesigned several times, with new sections added for different climate zones.

The name honors Henry Phipps Jr., a 19th-century industrialist who gave the grounds to the city. Visitors today see the glass conservatory with its iron framework and domes, while local residents use the place for walks among the flower beds and as a quiet retreat from urban life.

The facility opens daily and sits near Schenley Park, so a visit can be combined easily with a walk through the park. Weekends and holidays tend to be busier, so visiting early in the morning or late afternoon provides a quieter experience.

One of the administrative buildings on the grounds was built to generate all its own energy needs and recycle all rainwater on site. This structure was designed as a model for sustainable construction and has received several awards for its technical solutions.

Location: Pittsburgh

Inception: 1893

Architects: Lord & Burnham

Website: https://phipps.conservatory.org

GPS coordinates: 40.43890,-79.94770

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:24