Peek and Preview the Botanic Garden at Settlers Cabin Park

The Robinson area's newest living treasure, the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, is hosting free "sneak peek" tours this October and November.

Led by a knowledgeable guide, the guide consists of a 45-minute walk through the newly-developed Woodland Garden Trails.  

The garden is not open for general admission but wll open for these tours and other special events.

Visitors will see The Woodlands of the World. This first garden to be developed is made up of five distinct woodland areas: the Appalachian Plateau Woodlands, a Cove Forest, an Asian Woodland, an Eastern European Woodland and an English Woodland. This area will showcase temperate forest species, restore the native habitat, and promote biodiversity.

In addition, visitors will see all of the improvements made over the past two years, including 2,000 newly-planted native trees, shrubs and perennials, the solar-powered irrigation system and an mine-drainage acid-treatment system.

Also on the tour are the beginnings of nine "Family Moments"—hands-on play and discovery stations.

Reservations must be made at least two days in advance.

When complete, the 460-acre Pittsburgh Botanic Garden will have 18 distinct gardens, 5 diverse woodland experiences, a visitor’s center, an amphitheater for outdoor concerts and performances, a celebration center to accommodate large outdoor or indoor weddings and events and a center for botanic research.  It is located near Oakdale, adjacent to Settler's Cabin Park.

A master plan for the project was completed in 2002 by the Pittsburgh landscape architectural firm, Marshall, Tyler, and Rausch. The Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is a member of the American Association of Museums and American Public Gardens Association .