Pittsburgh and Countryside
Bask in scenery, sports and culture in the Northeast’s sleeper hit city
Pittsburgh and its surrounding areas may arguably be one of the Northeast’s best-kept secrets. The second-largest city in the Keystone State elicits rave reviews for its scenery, thanks to its three rivers, scores of bridges, a sleek skyline and hilly landscapes.
Although the city’s identity was forged in its robust steel industry, Pittsburgh today is notably green, with four huge regional parks within its city limits. There are also plenty of art and science museums, some of which are considered the best in the country. The city also has a large collegiate population, with educational institutions such as Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh fostering science and the humanities. Pittsburgh is also home to the 42-story Cathedral of Learning, the largest educational building in the hemisphere.
Family Fun
Pittsburgh is a great destination for traveling families, with lots of attractions to entice kids and grown-ups alike. Fans of comics and cartoons will adore the ToonSeum, a small museum with a regular rotation of comic arts and one of only three such museums in the United States. If you visit during the summer months, you might want to cool off at Sandcastle Waterpark on the banks of the Monongahela River. This huge park is located on what was once a railroad yard and features 15 waterslides, a wave pool, a lazy river and children’s areas for toddlers.
Dating back to 1898, the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium is one of only a few zoo-aquarium combos in the nation and is home to some 4,000-plus creatures. Like most zoos, it’s sectioned off into regional themes. Visit an African Savannah, an Asian Forest, a non-regional-specific Tropical Forest, and the kid’s zoo with a variety of native Pennsylvania animals and a petting zoo. The Aquarium is especially impressive, with aquatic life from all sorts of water bodies. Those who are fond of winged animals may want to tack on a visit to the National Aviary, the country’s largest enclosed bird environment. The aviary’s feathered population includes a number of threatened and endangered species.
The Carnegie Museums
Pittsburgh boasts some of the nation’s finest museums, and most notable are the four operated by the Carnegie Institute.
Located in the city’s Oakland neighborhood, the Carnegie Museum of Art is celebrated for its collection of contemporary art and film works, with additional departments dedicated to photography and decorative arts.
On the same campus, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History is among the country’s largest natural history museums, housing a wide range of exhibitions on wildlife, anthropology and minerals. The Dinosaurs in Their Time exhibit is particularly popular, renowned for its impressive posed fossils and imposing dinosaur skeletons.
The Carnegie’s two other museums, the Andy Warhol Museum and the Carnegie Science Center, are located on the city’s North Shore. The Andy Warhol Museum is dedicated entirely to the iconic pop artist, who hailed from Pittsburgh; it’s the largest museum in the country focused on one artist. Here, you’ll find dozens of sculptures and hundreds of paintings spread out over seven floors.
Next to Heinz Field, the Carnegie Science Center attracts more visitors than any of the other museums in town and features an Omnimax theater, a WWII submarine, an enormous robotics exhibition and a modern planetarium.
Sports City
Sports are a big deal here, and there are three major league teams in the city: the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL), the Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL). All share common colors of black and gold, in honor of the city’s flag. Pittsburgh is the only city in the country where sports teams share the same colors.
Golf is also very popular in Pittsburgh, and the region’s Foxburg Country Club, established in 1887, is the oldest continuously operated course in the country. World-famous golfer Arnold Palmer got his start in the area, and many of the region’s courses frequently host major golf tournaments.
Along with catching Steelers games at the Heinz Field or watching the Pirates play at PNC Park, sports fans may want to head out to the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the Senator John Heinz History Center. This mini-museum is full of sports-related memorabilia, including rare baseball cards, old Olympic medals, and even the baseball glove of Satchel Paige, a legendary African-American pitcher who endured segregation.
After exploring the city, Pittsburgh’s scenic countryside awaits. Visit fantastic towns like new Stanton, Charleroi and Portersville for adventure and relaxation.
For More Information
Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau
800-359-0758
www.visitpittsburgh.com
Pennsylvania Tourism
800-847-4872
www.visitpa.com
