Pittsburgh’s favorite holiday tradition is about to glow again. Phipps Holiday Magic: Winter Flower Show and Light Garden opens Friday, November 20 at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and runs through Sunday, January 10, filling the historic glasshouse and its outdoor gardens with color, light and seasonal cheer.
This year’s theme, Botanical Brilliance, celebrates the beauty of plants through sparkling metallics, rich jewel tones and imaginative topiary displays. Poinsettias, amaryllis and narcissus bloom across the glasshouse, joined by gilded foliage and luminous botanical sculptures. New highlights include a 10-foot-tall poinsettia tree crowned with gold leaf, a 12.5-foot anthurium tree with an animated starburst topper, 130 feet of illuminated magnolia garland, and motion-activated ice-skating animal topiaries gliding on a frozen pond beneath snowflake lights.
Outside, the Winter Light Garden transforms the night with a color-changing snowflake tree, glowing orbs and a gazebo lit in bright white — and every light used in the show is an energy-efficient LED. Families can also discover the new Garden Railroad: Fairies and Gnomes, a miniature forest where trains wind through villages tucked into lush greenery.
All Holiday Magic tickets must be reserved in advance, and Phipps members can book a week ahead of each public release. Phipps stays open late on many nights — until 11 p.m. on select dates — and will be closed November 26 and December 25, closing at 5 p.m. on December 24. Happy City News recommends booking early: this is one Pittsburgh tradition that truly makes spirits soar.
Photo: Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
