Phipps Conservatory’s Winter Flower Show – Holiday Magic

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The Palm Court

In many ways, The Palm Court sets the stage for the flower show that is to follow as it is the first thing you see when entering the Conservatory.

For Holiday Magic, you'll be greeted by many beautifully decorated bird houses, elegant flowers, and of course a fully decked out Christmas tree! This one really sets the stage for the attention to detail at this show, and you'll be hearing us say that again and again for this one!

The Serpentine Room

While many of the rooms at Holiday Magic feature animals from the extreme north and south, The Serpentine Room takes on a little bit of a twist by going under the sea!

For many of the best animals here, you'll have to look up to see an octopus, jelly fish, and turtles “swimming” above you. They even have a motorized clam that opens and closes at the press of a button, and some of the trees even have oyster shells on as ornaments. Truly one to look around at the attention to detail.

The Gallery Room

If there is one room we often don't feature enough of at Phipps, it would be The Gallery Room. This is primarily because it doubles as a themed play area for kids, and sometimes is not decorated nearly as robust as other rooms for seasonal shows.

For 2025's Holiday Magic, however, it may be our favorite room. This is because The Gallery Room features not one, but two scenes decorated to be like a cozy home for the holidays. On one side you have a beautifully set table looking like it is waiting for guests, and the other side is a classic living room scene.

But it gets better- there are dogs everywhere. A dog sitting at the table. A dog pulling the tablecloth. Dogs playing by the trees. There are even framed photos of dogs, cats, and other animals as well. As dog people, you can imagine why this one was our favorite. Our photo above is just a quick tease!

The Outdoor Light Garden

Note: Photos from the Outdoor Light Garden are from a prior show; however, it is a favorite of ours every year. We hope to return soon to check this year's lights out at night!

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 4th, 2026. 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. 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!