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Featured

Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved children’s classic, The Secret Garden, comes to life with color, fragrance and seasonal blooms.

Join us as we celebrate the return of warmer weather with Spring Flower Show. Based upon Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved children’s classic, The Secret Garden, this colorful new exhibit featuring bold blooms and sweet scents provides the perfect escape after a long Pittsburgh winter.

Interpreting the heartwarming story of 10-year-old Mary Lennox, a troubled orphan healed through a newfound love of gardens, Spring Flower Show brings the charming English-style natural spaces of Burnett’s 1910 novel to life, unlocking the magic of Martha Sowerby’s Cottage Garden, Archibald Craven’s Topiary Court, Ben Weatherstaff’s Kitchen Garden, the Secret Garden Alcove, and many other nooks and crannies filled with thousands of vibrant and aromatic tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and lilies.

Other highlights include topiaries trained to take on both geometric and whimsical animal shapes; a formal Victorian garden with a dipping pool and jet fountains; and a wild garden featuring edible and seasonal woodland plants, as well as flowering trees like redbuds and magnolias.

Spring Flower Show, designed by Terra Design Studios, runs through April 7. Exhibit hours are 9:30 a.m.—5 p.m. daily and until 10 p.m. on Fridays. Admission is $15 for adults, $14 for seniors and students, and $11 for children (ages 2-18). Members and children under 2 enter for free.

Presenting Sponsor



Photos © Paul g. Wiegman

Read The Secret Garden Before Your Visit

If your family hasn’t yet enjoyed The Secret Garden, or if you’d just like to refresh your memory before you see the show, enjoy an interactive copy of the original 1911 hardcover edition from Open Library and a full-length audiobook edition courtesy of Librivox, both available free of charge.



Other Featured Exhibits & Events

Summer Flower Show:
Glass in the Gardens
April 27 – Oct. 6, 2013
The dazzling glass creations of artists working in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania will make our gardens shimmer and shine all summer long. Highlights include lifelike floral forms, whimsical long-legged birds, rotating stained-glass towers, and a large, articulated woolly mammoth skeleton.
Butterfly Forest
April 20 – Sept. 2, 2013
Like flowers that fly, our butterfly residents will enchant nature-lovers of every age. Watch as gorgeous species such as Monarchs and Zebra Longwings emerge from their chrysalises to flutter among cheerful, bug-friendly blooms.
Party in the Tropics
Select Fridays in 2013, starting Feb. 8
7 – 11 p.m.
Ages 21+
Gather your friends and get ready to dine, drink and dance the night away at Phipps! Make our paradise your own as you indulge in sweet and savory morsels, taste unique cocktails, and dance to the beats of a live DJ in our Tropical Forest Conservatory. Entry is free with Conservatory admission.
Butterfly Weekend
June 1 and 2, 2013
Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
In celebration of one of nature’s most important pollinators, Phipps and Carnegie Science Center are hosting Butterfly Weekend on June 1 and June 2. This two-day celebration will give visitors a chance to learn about the life cycle of butterflies and discover why these amazing insects have a remarkable ability to navigate, orient and migrate.
Farmers at Phipps
Wednesdays, June – October 2013
2:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Refresh your food shopping experience! Visit our sustainably managed front lawn to browse organic and Certified Naturally Grown fruits, vegetables and more from local farms.
Inspire Speakers Series
Second Thurs. of every month, Oct. 2012-June 2013
5:30-8:30 p.m., except where noted
Green Building Alliance (GBA) and Phipps are collaborating to host a monthly speaker series at the new Center for Sustainable Landscapes (CSL) on our Oakland campus. Join us to enjoy captivating presentations from local and national experts  on the subject of healthy, high-performance green buildings. Registration with GBA is required.
Floral Notes: Jazz in the Garden
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
6:30 – 9 p.m.
Ages 21+
As the summer heats up, enjoy an evening of cool jazz surrounded by colorful flowers and lush plants. Relax in our Outdoor Garden with the live music of Pittsburgh’s own Elevations and Velvet Heat as you savor small bites and delicious drinks.
Garden Variety:
A Farm-to-Phipps Dinner
Sunday, July 21, 2013
6:30 – 9 p.m.
Enjoy a rustic yet elegant farm-to-table dinner experience with fresh, handpicked selections from our region’s farms. If you love a food adventure, you won’t want to miss this chance to join local growers and artisans for this one-of-a-kind meal.
Tropical Forest India
Now Open
Explore our new exhibit showcasing one of the most botanically rich regions of the world. Highlights include an Ayurvedic healing garden, spice and tea market displays, a stunning temple facade on Special Events Hall, and more!