Making its debut on June 8, 2006, Schenley Plaza was the result of a community partnership that included the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. Used as a parking lot for decades, the five-acre Schenley Plaza was restored to its intended use by the Parks Conservancy and its community partners in 2006.
Today, it's a public, open green space, featuring a one-acre lawn, amended with a unique soil mixture that allows for the holding capacity after a three-inch rain event, functioning as a large rain garden to slow down the absorption of rainwater. The mature trees on the lawn provide shade in the summer heat. The Victorian-style carousel is surrounded by garden beds filled with Heuchera. The formal garden area includes seven annual beds that are surrounded by 13 perennial beds. The beds are filled with pollinator plants, native herbaceous plants, ornamental grasses, and a spring bulb display including common snowdrops, crocus’, hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils’ of various sizes.
The garden beds are sectioned off by evergreen hedgerows, giving park users a sense of privacy while enjoying the seating throughout the garden area. Throughout the Plaza, visitors can explore more than 20 containers of annual flowers throughout the five-acre area.
YOUR PARKS MATTER
Parks thrive when they have sun, soil, rain…and you. You ensure programs are offered, trees are planted, capital projects are funded, flowers are tended to, research is pursued. There is nothing the parks can’t do with you behind them.