Home to the Steelers and formerly the heart of American steel industry, this city has a ton of things to offer to visitors. It is also known as “The city of Bridges” with more than 400 bridges of various colours and design connecting its residents.
Point State park – This area is the heart of downtown Pittsburgh with the Golden Triangle where the 3 rivers (Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela) meet. Actually Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio river.
The North Shore riverwalk trail will get you acquainted with most of the attractions in the downtown area. It is a gorgeous walk along the Allegheny river and you will pass by many of the landmark bridges and buildings in the downtown area.
The Duquesne Incline – Opened in 1877, the incline was restored by local residents in 1963 and is a delight to ride on its original wooden cable cars. You pay by cash on arrival and there is a change machine available for your convenience.
To ride the incline, you can park near the lower station at 1197 West Carson street. The cable car will transport you to the top of Mount Washington where an observation deck offers a fantastic view of the city and its Golden Triangle.
Mount Washington – This neighborhood is a popular area with beautiful (and expensive) houses and excellent restaurants. You can either drive to this area or as mentioned above take the incline from Station Square.
The view from up here of the city and its many bridges is stunning.
Acrisure Stadium – Home to Pittsburgh football team, Steelers, it is considered to be one of the best stadium in the United States. A variety of tours are offered where you will get to see the Steelers locker room, the playing field etc.
Strip District – Bordering downtown, this one-half square mile shopping district is lined with a vibrant mix of old-style grocers and gourmet food shops, street stands selling produce and t-shirts, upbeat bars, classic Italian eateries and some great breakfast and sandwich places.
St. Stanislaus Kostka Church – This beautiful Polish church in strip district is located at the intersection of 22nd and Smallman street and was dedicated on July 31, 1892.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History – If you are interested in the world of dinosaurs, you should visit this museum. The museum’s core exhibit’ Dinosaurs in their Time’ features real dinosaur fossils. This exhibition is home to dozens of original fossils from throughout the Mesozoic Era displayed in scientifically accurate reconstructions of their ancient habitats. Several of these skeletons—including those of the iconic dinosaurs Apatosaurus louisae, Diplodocus carnegii, and Tyrannosaurus rex—are holotypes, the original specimens upon which their respective species are based.
Carnegie Science Center – This place offers 4 floors of interactive exhibits that is fun for all ages. It also has a giant cinema, a planetarium, and 3 theaters that have shows throughout the day.
Andy Warhol Museum – This museum is the largest museum in North America dedicated to a single artist. It holds an extensive permanent collection of art and archives from the Pittsburgh born art icon, Andy Warhol.
Cathedral of Learning – Built between 1926-1934, This 535 feet tall skyscraper with 42-stories serves as the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh’s main campus in the Oakland neighbourhood. The Cathedral is the second-tallest educational building in the world after the University of Moscow’s main building.
In addition to housing administrative offices, computer labs, and libraries, it houses classrooms that include the internationally renowned Nationality Classrooms. Guided tours are available of the Nationality rooms. The Indian Room is one of the Nationality classroom where classes are held. The construction and architecture of the room is based upon the ancient Buddhist university of Nalanda. The ruins of Nalanda university is located in the state of Patna in India.
Gateway Clipper Riverboat Cruise – Another popular way to begin your sightseeing in Pittsburgh is to cruise the rivers with Gateway Clipper Fleet. For over 50 years, they have been sailing the Three Rivers hosting Pittsburgh sightseeing and dining cruises.
To take the cruise, parking is available in Station Square. you can park in the Parking Garage or the West Carson/River lot for easy access to the dock and riverboats.
Schenly Park – This park was created in 1889 with the land donated by heiress Mary Schenley. Being close to the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, it is a daily destination for university students. The park also hosts many major and minor annual events.
The Phipps Conservatory – This place is within walking distance from Schenley park and you can combine the 2 visits. This botanical garden was donated to the city in 1893 by the real estate baron Henry Phipps.
Phipps Conservatory is also available to the public to host weddings, birthdays and any other special events. Phipps will work with you to set up the place for your special day.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater – Located 70 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, this house was designed by the famous architect Frankie Lloyd wright in 1935. This building was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019. 1-hour Guided house tours are available daily. This is the only Frankie Lloyd wright house with its setting, original furnishings, and artwork intact.
Frank Lloyd designed this house in 1935 for the Kaufmann family. This house (like all his others) exemplifies the architect’s philosophy of “harmonious integration between art and nature.
I have been to this house many times and during all the seasons. Fall is a great time to visit this house. One never gets tired of visiting this place.
Ohiopyle – Considered by some as one of the 7 natural wonders of Pennsylvania, Ohiopyle State Park is 70 miles south of Pittsburgh (and about 4 miles from Fallingwater – see above) and encompasses approximately 20,500 acres of rugged natural beauty and serves as the gateway to the Laurel Highlands.
Passing through the heart of the park, are the rushing waters of the Youghiogheny [yawki-gay-nee] River which provides some of the best whitewater boating in the eastern United States, as well as spectacular scenery. There are many trails that wind through this area with the Ferncliff Trail offering excellent view of the Ohiopyle falls that stretches the width of the Youghiogheny river.
You can combine Fallingwater and Ohiopyle visits.
Moraine State Park – 40 miles north of Pittsburgh, this park makes a great day trip. One can hike, bike, horseback ride, and picnic here. The picnic area provides a spectacular views of the lake and its surrounding.
Blueberry Farm – Bowser’s Blueberries is a family owned “U-pick” blueberry farm located 36 miles north of Pittsburgh. You can spend a couple of hours picking ripe blueberries during the summer and they let you enjoy their great taste while you are picking! In 2024, the pricing was $2.90/pound. Buckets are provided for picking and bags are provided for taking your blueberries home.
