Friday Field Trip: The Phipps Conservatory

I decided to share start sharing things I do out and about around town, since many of us are at the age where our social lives are not planned for us by teachers and dependent upon signed permission slips. But there's no reason I can't go on personal field trips even if I don't board a yellow bus to get there.

When I spent some time in Pittsburgh over the holidays, my mom, her friend, and my middle sister decided to check out Phipps Conservatory! Phipps Conservatory is right next to Carnegie Mellon's campus and Schenley Park, which isn't too far from where I grew up, but I had still never been there.

The building from the outside.

The funny thing about going to conservatories is you get to ask people if they know what a conservatory is - and many don't! This conversation happened between my sister and me when we were literally walking from our car to the conservatory:

Sister: What's a conservatory?
Me: A place to look at plants.
Sister: Oh, I thought it was a place to look at stars.
Me: No, that's an observatory!

But she wasn't the only one! Another friend thought it was a "place you go up high to look at views" and another thought it was something to do with music. Haven't you people ever played Clue? It was Mrs. White in the Conservatory with a Candlestick. Clue is the only reason I previously knew what a conservatory is, but as of now I've actually been in a beautiful one. Enjoy the pictures:

The flowers were just beautiful:

The even had a special holiday display going on including plant-made snowmen:

this snowman bride is kind of hilarious.

and the snowman ring bearer (obviously).

a very festive garden.

A pretty tree outside and me looking awkward!

They had special dedicate rooms to different types of plants:

The dessert room was one of my favorites. Doesn't the huge plant look like it's something out of science fiction? I felt like it was going grab my leg and violently drag me into a ditch. :)

They had an orchid room. I think orchids are often pretty and often really weird looking!

The fern room was one of my favorites - I love all the green!

If you're live in an almost-tundra like me and you're thinking to yourself "I don't know what I'm doing this weekend but it better not involve going outdoors" then I encourage you to look up your local conservatory, wander around the exotic plants, and dream of summer. Have a great weekend!