Story Time

Story Time is a monthly storytelling session for preschoolers at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, held on the first Wednesday of each month. It's part of Phipps' Discovery Programs, which are designed to get the youngest visitors interested in the natural world. A storyteller reads tales about gardens, fruits, vegetables, animals, and other nature-focused topics, and the sessions are meant for preschool-age children.

Depending on the season, the setting changes. During the warm months, the story circle is outdoors; the rest of the year, it moves inside to the Tropical Forest Conservatory. In the winter and early spring, the stories have touched on how people, plants, and animals adapt to cold weather, seasonal holidays, emotions, dancing, and the arrival of spring, with books drawn from select Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branches. The conservatory itself was gifted to the city by Henry Phipps in 1893 and has been a part of Pittsburgh for over 130 years.

There are two sessions each month, one at 10:30 AM and another at 1 PM, and each lasts 30 minutes. The program is open to the first 40 ticketed participants, so you'll need to register in advance. Children under age 2 don't need a ticket, but their guardians do. One house rule to keep in mind: the story circle must remain snack-free. The session is free with admission.