The Phipps Conservatory was founded by Henry Phipps in 1898; he was a steel and real estate magnate who built the conservatory as a gift to the City of Pittsburgh. The public gardens and Victorian-style greenhouses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its prime purposes are to entertain and to educate.

The 14-room conservatory is filled with exotic plants from around the world, including palm trees, ferns, orchids, tropical fruits, spices, and a desert garden overhung with a magnificent chandelier by Dale Chihuly. Outdoors there is a rooftop edible garden that provides fresh produce for the conservatory’s café, a Japanese garden, and a children’s garden that focuses on plants that attract birds, bees, and butterflies. The Phipps Conservatory has free parking, a café, and an excellent gift shop.

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