Heritage Homestead at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden reflects Western Pennsylvania’s history and has a unique connection to the Whiskey Rebellion of the 1790’s. Join us to hear from local author and historian Brady Crytzer as he describes the factors leading up to this tax protest, the characters involved, and the significance to our region. A tour of the Walker-Ewing-Glass Log House and a whiskey/moonshine tasting from local McLaughlin Distillery will set the stage for the lecture.

Program Fee:

Members $30 | Nonmembers $40

Spirits tasting and tour included with ticket price

Explore the joys and challenges of plein air painting over a six-week series with master painter, Robert Bowden. Weekly themes of the classes will include understanding and painting nature’s colors, representing outdoor space and composing an inviting work – all painted in the varied and extraordinary venues on the grounds of the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Experience in painting is not a prerequisite. The specific topics and techniques of the series will cover materials, set-ups, drawing, color understanding and spatial representation. Watercolor, acrylics or oils are all acceptable. All participants are responsible for bringing their own [familiar] supplies and materials. A list of required materials/supplies for each medium (watercolor, acrylic, oil) is available upon request.

6-Week Series:

Thursdays, October 7, 14, 21 & 28, November 4 & 11

9:30am – 12:30pm

Program Fee:

$200 Non-Member, $150 Member

Program fee includes full 6-week series. Participants must register for the full series to reserve their spot in the course.

Attendance of each weekly session is highly encouraged, but not required to participate.

About Robert Bowden:

Robert Bowden’s work is in four museum permanent collections, three in the Carnegie Museum of Art. He has had four books of his watercolors published and he has produced over 20 solo exhibitions. He has taught watercolor for over 20 years. This includes 12 years at Carnegie Museum of Art, ten at Carnegie Mellon University Adult Education programs and most recently at the JCC. He operated his own graphic design office in Pittsburgh for 40 years.

Certified instructors, from Yoga H’Om, will lead sessions aimed at improving flexibility, strength, and mind-body connection. Bring a yoga mat. Suitable for adults, 18 or older. All levels welcome.

Program Fee:

$12 Member | $18 Nonmember

Pittsburgh Botanic Garden Members: To receive your discount, make sure that you have registered for our website. Then Sign In (located in the upper right-hand corner) so that you receive your Membership discount when you check out.

For your safety and the safety of our instructors, class sizes are limited and physical distancing and other precautions will be taken during all education programs.

Visit Pittsburgh Botanic Garden every Sunday this October to celebrate Autumn in the Garden. As the length of daylight shortens and the temperature cools down, the natural beauty around us starts to change. This season is a perfect time to bring the family to the Garden to explore and see nature in action.

Go batty in the Garden just in time for Halloween! The Carnegie Museum of Natural History will be bringing their Mini Museum to display bat specimens and teach you about our nocturnal neighbors. During your visit, learn all about these fascinating creatures, find out how to create a bat-friendly habitat, and work on a bat-inspired craft to take home with you.

Included with Daily Admission. As always, Members receive complimentary Daily Admission.

Activity stations will be open from 11 am – 3 pm. 

Autumn in the Garden sponsored by

For your safety and the safety of our staff and volunteers, physical distancing and other precautions will be taken during all activities. It is recommended that you bring hand sanitizer or wipes. 

Pittsburgh Botanic Garden Members: To receive your discount, make sure that you have Registered for our website. Then Sign In (located in the upper right-hand corner) so that you receive your Membership discount when you check out.

Developed in Japan during the 1980s, Forest Bathing or Forest Therapy (“shinrin-yoku” in Japanese) is an immersive experience where you consciously take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest. It’s not about doing anything strenuous or getting your heart rate up — rather, the point is to slow down and fully experience in your own individual way what the forest has to offer.

According to the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs, Forest Therapy offers scientifically documented health benefits, including reduced stress, improved mental clarity, and boosted immune function. Your walk will last from two to two and a half hours. Your guide, Dr. Doug Jones, will stop you every so often along the trail for invitations designed to maximize being present and deepen your connection with nature.

Come as you are. No advance preparation is needed other than arriving ten minutes early for the walk and dressing appropriately for the weather. We will walk rain or shine, except when there is lightning or an extended downpour. The paths are well groomed on rolling terrain.

Program fee:

$35 Member | $45 Nonmember

Includes daily admission to the Garden on the day of the class

Pittsburgh Botanic Garden Members: To receive your discount, make sure that you have registered for our website. Then Sign In (located in the upper right-hand corner) so that you receive your Membership discount when you check out.

Explore the joys and challenges of plein air painting over a six-week series with master painter, Robert Bowden. Weekly themes of the classes will include understanding and painting nature’s colors, representing outdoor space and composing an inviting work – all painted in the varied and extraordinary venues on the grounds of the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Experience in painting is not a prerequisite. The specific topics and techniques of the series will cover materials, set-ups, drawing, color understanding and spatial representation. Watercolor, acrylics or oils are all acceptable. All participants are responsible for bringing their own [familiar] supplies and materials. A list of required materials/supplies for each medium (watercolor, acrylic, oil) is available upon request.

6-Week Series:

Thursdays, October 7, 14, 21 & 28, November 4 & 11

9:30am – 12:30pm

Program Fee:

$200 Non-Member, $150 Member

Program fee includes full 6-week series. Participants must register for the full series to reserve their spot in the course.

Attendance of each weekly session is highly encouraged, but not required to participate.

About Robert Bowden:

Robert Bowden’s work is in four museum permanent collections, three in the Carnegie Museum of Art. He has had four books of his watercolors published and he has produced over 20 solo exhibitions. He has taught watercolor for over 20 years. This includes 12 years at Carnegie Museum of Art, ten at Carnegie Mellon University Adult Education programs and most recently at the JCC. He operated his own graphic design office in Pittsburgh for 40 years.

The Holiday Season is upon us and you will want to be ready to capture special gatherings and fun activities!

If you love taking photos with your phone, but want to learn to make those photos even better, join professional photographer and teacher Don Orkoskey to learn the fundamentals! Learn to apply traditional photography principles to your phone photography in order to create awe-inspiring images of people, nature and much more for your friends and family to admire. Explore the limitations and advantages of your phone’s camera, and learn how to exploit both of those to make pictures you and everyone who sees them will adore.

Program Fee:

Members $50  |  Nonmembers $75

Winter is coming! The coldest season of the year does not have to be barren and lifeless. Join us as Education Director Dr. Mark Miller discusses some of the actions you can take to prepare your landscape for winter and make it infinitely more visually appealing. Herbaceous and woody plants that display interesting form, foliage, bark or fruit will be highlighted – with an emphasis on those that are hardy and critter resistant.

Program Fee:

Members $10  |  Nonmembers $15

Join us for an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and celebrating the newest exhibition from Pittsburgh Glass Center, Second Nature.

Second Nature is inspired by and celebrates the beauty, wonderment and power in the natural world through the medium of glass. From hot and molten to cool and solid, glass can be magical and mesmerizing to both maker and viewer—a perfect medium to capture, highlight and evoke nature and natural forms.

This exhibition features 11 local Pittsburgh glass artists in partnership with Pittsburgh Glass Center.

Admission

Members $45 | Nonmembers $60

Ticket includes admission, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

Cover Image: “Earthly Celebrations” by Sarah Cohen (PetalVision Glass)

The Holiday Season is upon us and you will want to be ready to capture special gatherings and fun activities!

If you love taking photos with your phone, but want to learn to make those photos even better, join professional photographer and teacher Don Orkoskey to learn the fundamentals! Learn to apply traditional photography principles to your phone photography in order to create awe-inspiring images of people, nature and much more for your friends and family to admire. Explore the limitations and advantages of your phone’s camera, and learn how to exploit both of those to make pictures you and everyone who sees them will adore.

Program Fee:

Members $50  |  Nonmembers $75

Participants will learn from Dorit Brauer about the ancient tool of walking a labyrinth for healing, wholeness and meditation, dating back as early as 400 BCE. The labyrinth will be located in the covered Weisbrod Learning Pavilion in the Garden of the Five Senses.

• Learn to relax instantly by walking a labyrinth.
• Learn about the the 3 R’s: Release, Receive and Reflect, and their importance for your everyday mental spiritual and emotional well-being.
• Learn to embrace inner peace, clarity, focus and peace of mind.

Dorit Brauer is the founder of the Brauer Institute for Holistic Medicine. She began her career at UPMC’s Center for Integrative Medicine and she has developed meditation and stress reduction programs for Highmark and many other corporate sites.

Program Fee:

Members $15  |  Nonmembers $20

Please wear comfortable clothing that is appropriate for the weather.

One of the hottest trends in floral design is capitalizing on the beautiful flowers and foliage that we see in our own backyards and gardens. Join us as local flower farmer and designer Becca Ringham Myerburg delves into the art and science of growing and using seasonal flowers/foliage while creating a beautiful fall-themed arrangement. Tips and techniques of using foraged plant materials will be examined. Attendees are encouraged to bring in foraged materials from your own landscape for that personal touch.

Program Fee

Participants will learn from Dorit Brauer about the ancient tool of walking a labyrinth for healing, wholeness and meditation, dating back as early as 400 BCE. The labyrinth will be located in the covered Weisbrod Learning Pavilion in the Garden of the Five Senses.

• Learn to relax instantly by walking a labyrinth.
• Learn about the the 3 R’s: Release, Receive and Reflect, and their importance for your everyday mental spiritual and emotional well-being.
• Learn to embrace inner peace, clarity, focus and peace of mind.

Dorit Brauer is the founder of the Brauer Institute for Holistic Medicine. She began her career at UPMC’s Center for Integrative Medicine and she has developed meditation and stress reduction programs for Highmark and many other corporate sites.

Program Fee:

Members $15  |  Nonmembers $20

Please wear comfortable clothing that is appropriate for the weather.

Moonlight & Cocoa is back again! Every winter, Pittsburgh Botanic Garden lights up the night sky with hundreds of lanterns and luminarias to create a unique evening walk through the Garden. During your adventure, warm up at a hot cocoa station and finish your adventure in the new Welcome Center. Canopy Café will be serving a limited dessert menu for the evening and Forage & Finds will have select holiday merchandise and plants for sale.

Admission

Members (Adult, 14+) | $15

Nonmember (Adult, 14+) | $20

Children (0-13) | $5

Tickets include admission and one cup of cocoa per person.

Members-Only Early Access Tickets

Pittsburgh Botanic Garden members receive early access to Moonlight & Cocoa tickets starting October 20 at 10:00am. Members please click below and sign in to register for early access tickets.

Purchase Early Access Tickets >

Please Note: General admission tickets go on sale at 10:00am on November 1, 2021. Tickets are limited to 6 per transaction. In order to maintain capacity, tickets will be limited to 100 per half hour from 5:30 – 7:30pm each night. This special winter event is a mostly outdoor experience, please dress appropriately for the weather. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden will be closed during regular daytime business hours Dec. 2-5.

This is a 4-week series taking place on Fridays, January 6, 13, 20 & 27, 2022.

Focus on the details of nature with an introduction to the world of macro photography. This 4-week series of classes is open to beginners and beyond who have an interest in learning ow to photograph small objects at life-size or greater. Join professional photographer and teacher Don Orkoskey as he teaches you how to find subjects, focus, compose and expose photos of tiny details in and around Pittsburgh Botanic Garden.

Don will also cover the basics of using Photoshop to stack photos and using tools such as bellows, extension tubes, diopters and reversal rings to make macro pictures with our existing camera and lenses, even your cell phone!

Program Fee:

Members $150  |  Nonmembers $200