I would describe Pittsburgh, PA as a city with Midwest hospitality…with a little grit.
Pittsburgh is a blue collar city that’s a great place to visit for diverse interests and culture including art, history, sports, great food and so much more.
I’m sharing more about the hidden gems and best places to visit during your time in Pittsburgh.
…My family had a blast on an 8 day RV adventure to the Mid-Atlantic. We decided to make Pittsburgh the first stop on our itinerary because it’s a reasonable drive from Cincinnati.
We also wanted an excuse to come back after falling in love with the city a few years ago.
My grandfather joined our family on a 3-week vacation out West when I was a teenager, and it was a full-circle experience to have my dad join our family on this multi-generational vacation.
…My family fell in love with Pittsburgh during our visit. I loved the bridges and architecture but there were also lots of kid friendly things to do in Pittsburgh too.
…During our visit to Pittsburgh with Visit Pittsburgh we got to take in the incredible views by land and by water on the Gateway Clipper Pirate Cruise.
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During our trip with Visit Pittsburgh, we got to enjoy several restaurants in the area. Our first evening, we visited Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh. I was familiar with Hofbräuhaus because we have the first location that came to the United States close to where I live in Newport, Kentucky near Cincinnati. I knew I could expect great food, beer, and a fun atmosphere.
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During our trip with Visit Pittsburgh, we visited the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is home to more than 400 species with thousands of animals.
The layout of the zoo reminded me of the Cincinnati Zoo in a lot of ways. You go up an escalator for both zoo entrances and you walk along paths that are along the hillsides.
The zoo has a great variety of animals that are in beautiful natural looking settings.
We even heard the lions roar during our visit.
The playground near the Kid’s Kingdom area was a section that my kids could have played at for hours but we had a limited time to visit that day and we were there to see animals.
The playground is really large and is a great way for kids to burn off some energy.
There are several exhibit s that give you the opportunity to take in another view of sea life.
It was really cool to get close enough to see the rows of teeth in this shark’s mouth.
The stingray area at The PPG Aquarium was one of my favorites. Visitors can touch the stingrays with this “hands on” exhibit tank.
There are tunnels that kids can climb into to get a closer look at the stingrays.
The leopard spotted print on the stingrays was so beautiful. I had never seen one like that before.
The PPG Aquarium also has a 2 story tank filled with lots of coral and sea life.
During our visit to the zoo, we also got a special “behind the scenes” opportunity to see the Bengal tigers who were resting before going back out to the exhibit.
We learned that Bengal tigers LOVE scents! The zookeeper sprayed Calvin Kline “Obsession” on the floor before we came back. This tiger wanted to rest a bit before going back out to the exhibit.
We really enjoyed our visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. There was so much to see and do there. Our visit was just for a few hours but you could easily explore there all day.
Current Zoo Admission Rates
Adults $14
Seniors (60+ years of age) $13
Children (ages 2-13) $12
Children under 24 months FREE
Parking FREE
Check out their website to plan your visit.
Disclosure: Visit Pittsburgh provided my accommodation, meals and admissions for my participation in their media trip. All opinions are my own.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is located at 7340 Butler St Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15206.
On the last day of our hosted trip to Pittsburgh, we stopped by the Heinz History Center and Sports Museum.
My husband and boys LOVE sports! There is always a sport to watch or play all year round. I knew that they were really going to enjoy this museum.
The Museum is located in the Strip District which is close to a public market and not far from Priminti Brothers. It was also an easy commute from the Hampton Inn where we stayed because it was directly across the street from our hotel.
The museum has over 70 interactive exhibits which gave lots of opportunities for my kids to enjoy hands on learning.
The Sports Museum has a great variety of sports that are highlighted with memorabilia. There is something for everyone to enjoy.
During a visit you get two museums, The History Center is Pennsylvania’s largest history museum and is also an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
There is over 250 years of Pittsburgh history along with history from the French and Indian War.
Kids will love the interactive exhibit near the cafe that lets you exit down a slide. It took me a while to finally get them out of that exhibit when it was time to go.
This museum has something to see for all ages and interests!
All rates include admission to the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, the Detre Library & Archives, and all exhibitions at the History Center.
Disclosure: Visit Pittsburgh provided my accommodation, meals and admissions for my participation in their media trip. All opinions are my own.
The Heinz Sports Museum is located at 1212 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
My family recently went to Pittsburgh on a hosted trip with Visit Pittsburgh to see what Pittsburgh has the offer for kids. Our first stop during our visit was the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.
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