Last Updated on November 18, 2022 by Jeremy
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When it comes to holiday festivities, one of the best places in Pittsburgh to visit is Phipps Conservatory. Their winter flower show, which begins the Friday before Thanksgiving and runs until early January, is a celebration of the holiday season with festive art pieces, an array of gorgeous winter flowers, and some of the most beautifully decorated Christmas trees in Pittsburgh.
The 2022-2023 flower show is themed Holiday Magic and features numerous arctic animals plus those inspired by stories from the North Pole- like the abominable snowman and unicorns!
As members of the conservatory, we got the chance to visit this one on opening day in the 2022-2023 season (running until January 8th, 2023) and wanted to share a few of our favorite rooms here!
Note: The outdoor garden shots were from 2021’s show while indoor shots were from this year’s 2022-2023 show. As such, there may be some differences outside when you visit this year.
The Broderie Room
No matter what flower show is going on, you can always expect the Broderie Room to be stunning. This room mimics a French chateaux garden with swooping walkways, central planters, and statues adorning the walls. During the winter flower show, the gardens feature bright red poinsettias with other beautiful flowers adding a gorgeous contrast that works wonderfully with the statues.
We may not be in Europe, but spending a few moments in this room will certainly make you feel like you are there this Christmas season.
The East Room
The East Room is similar to the Broderie Room in that most of the display is blocked off from public access, such that you can appreciate the beauty of the room from a distance.
Rather than using the room’s design as a focal point, The East Room offers only subtle compliments to the winter flowers with a central stream, and elegantly lit Christmas trees in the background. For the 2022-2023 season, the conservatory has filled the room with polar bears and white flowers to give this one a vibrant North Pole theme!
The Serpentine Room
The Serpentine Room was perhaps our favorite of all of the interior rooms at Phipps for the Winter Flower Show, if only because this larger room was dedicated to all things narwhal.
Yes, everyone’s favorite whale is the star attraction of this room with many popping out from water features plus decorated trees full of narwhal stuffed animals. This one is playful and fun just like this rare and beautiful creature.
The Outdoor Light Garden
One of my favorite spots at Phipps during the winter flower show is, in fact, not even inside the conservatory at all!
The outdoor Light Garden is found in the sprawling outdoor wing of the conservatory, where every tree is adorned with lights, even more ornate Christmas trees and all-light trees can be found, and other specialty made lights are visible with either the conservatory or Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning as a stunning backdrop.
You may not be out in the Light Garden to appreciate the flowers that call the conservatory home, but we’re more than okay with the alternative as the lights are simply spectacular.
Overall, there are many other features of the winter flower show that we could feature in this article, but as is the case in most of our museum visits, we do not want to give it all away. To see the rest, you’ll just have to go visit!
The Winter Flower Show at Phipps Conservatory will run until January 8th, 2023. It is best viewed at night to experience the outdoor Light Garden which typically opens at 5 pm; however, the conservatory is beautiful at any time of day. Timed entry tickets are required for the show and has surge pricing for nights and weekends. We suggest arriving at Phipps at around 4:30 pm if you can to enjoy the indoor gardens as the sun is setting and the Light Garden once the sun goes down (and then return inside to see it when it is completely dark outside)!
After visiting Phipps Conservatory, head over to the Cathedral of Learning to check out their Christmas decorations! Or if you’re looking for more activities during winter in Pittsburgh, click the previous link!
