[4] The gardens were founded in 1893 by steel and real-estate magnate Henry Phipps Jr. as a gift to the City of Pittsburgh.

Its purpose is to educate and entertain the people of Pittsburgh with formal gardens (Roman, English, etc.)

In addition to its primary flora exhibits, the sophisticated glass and metalwork of the Lord & Burnham conservatory offers an interesting example of Victorian greenhouse architecture.

On December 7, 1893, the Phipps Conservatory was opened to the public, displaying many plants from the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

The first phase, a green engineered Welcome Center topped by a neo-Victorian dome, was designed by IKM Incorporated, and completed in 2005.

[citation needed] The Tropical Forest conservatory has a different theme every three years, beginning with the country of Thailand.

In addition to a "Research Forest Station" and a "Healer's Hut" (designed to educate visitors about various cultural topics), there are two waterfalls, several bridges, a stream, and a wide variety of plants from bamboo, orchids and frangipani to plants of economic, cultural, and horticultural value to the people of Thailand.

Following the closing of the exhibit in February, the conservatory retained four prominent pieces (the Welcome Center chandelier, the hanging gold star in the Desert Room, the celadon and purple gilded Fiori in the Tropical Fruit and Spice Room and the bronze, apricot and chartreuse Ikebana in the Palm Court) and subsequently purchased 26 smaller pieces for its permanent collection including six multicolored Macchia (wavy, shell-like bowls), thirteen amber Cattails and seven Paintbrushes, all of which are installed in the Palm Court.

[citation needed] The Palm Court is the first room visitors see after entering the Conservatory through the main entrance.

[12] The room contains the original dated plaque from the Conservatory's opening as well as numerous glass installations by Dale Chihuly.

The original wood and annealed glass in the Palm Court had deteriorated to a point for the need of emergency stabilization in 2008.

The dominant species in the room are representative of the Triassic, during which ferns and cycads were common as flowering plants would not evolve until millennia later.

Since 1999, during fall and winter months, the room transforms into the Garden Railroad exhibit, in which miniature trains wind among a variety of small plants.

[22] Originally called the Economic Room, the South Conservatory was built between 1896 and 1897 as a gift from Henry Phipps.

The marble basin in the center of the room features a Dale Chihuly glass sculpture in purple and celadon.

[25] The room features a different region every three years, and contains man-made waterfalls, winding pathways, a fish pond, and interactive learning stations.

It has "earth tubes" running underground to help cool the tropical forest and a solid oxide fuel cell, which efficiently produces 5 kW of electricity from natural gas.

In addition, there are computer-controlled shades that block excess sunlight from entering the structure and also help to insulate it at night.

History of exhibits: 2006 - Thailand 2009 - Peru 2012 - India 2015 - Congo 2018 - Cuba 2022 - Hawaii The Gallery Room is located east of the South Conservatory.

A glass chandelier named Desert Gold Star by Dale Chihuly can also be found in the room.

The Botany Hall, across from Panther Hollow Bridge, features a small garden containing walkways, curved benches, and a fountain.

[44] The Botany Hall was funded, in 1901, by Henry Phipps to be used by local teachers looking to enhance class trips to the glasshouse.

One of the pools features a statue of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, which was presented to Phipps shortly after the conservatory opened in 1893.

[47] Opened in December 2012, the building produces all of its own energy and treats and reuses all water captured on site.

The CSL has received a Platinum LEED certification along with fulfilling the Living Building Challenge for net-zero energy,[5] Additionally, the CSL is the first and only building to receive Four Stars Sustainable SITES Initiative Archived 2015-05-15 at the Wayback Machine certification for landscaping projects.