This Week at Phipps: Feb. 2 – 8

By Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

There's always something new to see and do at Phipps! This weekly blog post provides a run-down of the latest happenings so you can plan your visit. Events listed below require no advance registration unless noted otherwise. 

Open Daily: 

• Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show: Blooming with Love
  The beautiful gardens of Phipps provide the perfect warm escape from Pittsburgh's winter chill! You’ll be captivated by romantic displays in this year’s Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show: Blooming with Love. Gorgeous displays featuring an array of beautiful orchids and fascinating bonsai fill the glasshouse. Join us to celebrate love while immersing yourself in ephemeral and entrancing nature. You’re sure to leave with your heart feeling warm!
• Garden Railroad: The Age of Dinosaurs
  Garden Railroad: The Age of Dinosaurs will highlight each distinct period of the Mesozoic Era. Guests can watch a group of dinosaurs moving through greenery while listening to the powerful sound of a dinosaur roar! In addition to these features, the plant evolution through the different time periods will be on display, from ferns, cycads and conifers to the first flowering plants. Each prehistoric period will have its own train to follow along so you can learn about their unique characteristics. 
• Tropical Forest Panama: Bridge to Biodiversity
  Embark on a spectacular journey through the lush vegetation and vibrant culture of Panama, the incredibly biodiverse land bridge connecting North and South America, in our immersive new Tropical Forest Conservatory exhibit
• The Audacity of the Mundane: An Exhibition of Artwork by Charlee Brodsky
  In this collection of still-life photographs, artist Charlee Brodsky makes the ordinary extraordinary by carefully curating everyday and found objects to create a story with tension and intent. The artist pairs the photographs with clever, thought-provoking titles to enhance the narrative. 
• Planets Earth Virtual Exhibit
  A dynamic exhibit at the Center for Sustainable Landscapes (and now online) addresses the pressing environmental issues of our time and proposes a new way of thinking about how to solve them.

Mon., Feb. 2:

• Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds | 6:30 – 8 p.m.
  Hummingbirds are perhaps the most amazing flying machines on earth. There are about 340 species, and they occur only in the Americas. The combination of incredible powers of flight, often outrageously showy plumage, and fantastic nectar-seeking habits make hummers true marvels of nature. This program will mostly focus on the only breeding hummingbird in eastern North America: the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Feathered dynamos, ruby-throats are a joy to observe, and live far more complex lives than most observers realize.

Wed., Feb. 4: 

• In-Person Story Time | 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
  Kids will love visiting Phipps to listen to our storyteller weave tales about gardens, fruits, vegetables, animals and other fun topics. Attend weekly sessions with a special child in your life.

Fri., Feb. 6:

• Galentine's Night at Phipps | 5 – 10 p.m.
  On Fri., Feb. 6, Galentine's Night at Phipps invites guests to take photos with friends at our Lux Photobooth and enjoy light refreshments. Plus, view the gorgeous purple, pink and white orchids in our Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show: Blooming with Love as the Conservatory is illuminated a stunning violet hue! The first 300 people to arrive at 5 p.m. or later can receive a complimentary African violet by inquiring at our Welcome Center.

Sat., Feb. 7:

• Tropical Forest Panama Festival | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  Join us for a full day of exciting activities for all ages at our festival celebrating the Tropical Forest Panama exhibit. Festivities include entertainment, activities and more inspired by the one-of-a-kind place where people, plants and animals comprise a thriving ecosystem that constitutes one of the wildest places on Earth.

 

Photos  © Paul g. Wiegman