Parks and the outdoors in Pittsburgh

Parks and the outdoors in Pittsburgh

1. SeeDowntown

   200 Block of Fort Pitt Blvd

   Facing the Monongahela River, this area was once a major commercial hub due to its proximity to the now long-defunct Monongahela Wharf. Along the 200 block of Fort Pitt Blvd is a surviving fragment of the commercial architecture of the late 19th century which defined this neighborhood. Cast-iron ornamental elements and Queen Anne-style structures reflect the architectural tastes of the time.

2. SeeNorth Side

   Allegheny Commons

   Pittsburgh's oldest park, the commons is a historic and very lovely park with lush green lawns, sculptures, and a small lake among its many shady trees.

   6AM-11PM daily·Free

3. SeeDowntown

   Allegheny County Courthouse

   A gorgeous stone building built in 1884 that serves as the seat of the Allegheny County government. You can walk into the lovely courtyard with its fountain, overshadowed by the building's prominent tower. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and widely regarded as one of the most beautiful courthouses in the nation.

4. SeeNorth Side

   Andy Warhol Museum

   This seven-floor museum is like no other art museum, to say the least. The collection covers Warhol's entire life, and as you walk through the galleries you'll hear the sounds of Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, opera singers, classic Hollywood movies and many other influences on Warhol's career as you view celebrity portraits, films, room installations, album covers, and many other works from one of America's greatest pop artists.

   Tue-Thu Sat Sun 10AM-5PM, Fri 10AM-10PM, closed Mon and major holidays·$20 adults, $10 students/children; half-price Friday evenings

5. SeeDowntown

   BNY Mellon Center

   A sleek 55-story building which holds the title of the city's second tallest building. It is situated directly across from the U.S. Steel Tower, separated by only a street and a small park, standing as if to challenge the older and larger lion that is the Steel Tower. One of its unique features is the building's eight-sided design.

6. SeeNorth Side

   Carnegie Science Center

   A great place to learn about science, this huge (five floors) museum has exhibits aimed toward both children and adults dealing with many aspects of science and technology. Some of the highlight exhibits include a model railroad village, an aquarium, a robot exhibit, and numerous theaters and stages for science demonstrations, as well as a large-screen theater. Another attraction is a World War II submarine, the USS Requin, moored in the Ohio River just aside of the Science Center itself.

   Sun-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat 10AM-7PM·$18.95 adults, $11.95 children; theater shows extra

7. SeeOakland

   Chatham University Arboretum

   Estate of the Mellon family, landscaped in part by the Olmsted Brothers (who landscaped Boston Common and New York's Central Park) with many different flowering trees - now part of the grounds of Chatham University.

   Free

8. SeeDowntown

   David L. Lawrence Convention Center

   The convention center is quite a sight, with its sweeping design facing the Allegheny River. Be sure to walk up to the entrance on 10th Street near Penn Avenue - a walkway starts there that runs underneath the building towards the shore of the Allegheny River. The walkway is flanked on both sides by illuminated waterfalls.

9. SeeOakland

   Frick Park

   A wonderful wooded park (and Pittsburgh's largest) with a network of trails ideal for walking the dog or bicycling. There are several entrances to the park, the main ones being at Reynolds St and Homewood Ave (across the street from the Frick Art & Historical Center) at the north end of the park, Beechwood Blvd just south of Forbes Ave and at Nicholson St on the west side of the park, and at Forbes and Braddock Avenues on the east side of the park. From any of the entrances you'll head down shady, wooded slopes to a small valley which runs south to the Nine Mile Run Watershed, where a small stream flows into the Monongahela River. The, off of Beechwood Blvd just south of Forbes Avenue, hosts nature programs for children and has a small pond and a woodland area for wildlife viewing. There is also a pair of excellent playgrounds in the park, one at Beechwood Blvd and Nicholson St and the other at Forbes and Braddock Avenues, along with softball fields and tennis courts.

10. DoSouth Side

    Gateway Clipper Fleet

    Offers a variety of sightseeing, dining, and entertainment cruises on the three rivers of Pittsburgh using old-fashioned paddle wheel boats. There are also dinner and dance night cruises, where you can eat galumkies (Polish stuffed cabbage) and polka away the evening on the river.

    One-hour sightseeing cruise $20 adult, $10 children (click on link to see schedules and prices for other cruises)

11. Do

    Golden Triangle Bike Rental

    There are additional seasonal locations at the South Side Works mall and next to PNC Park on the North Shore.

    Hours vary by season

12. SeeStrip District-Lawrenceville

    Highland Park

    One of the city's largest parks, Highland is home to 2 lakes, Lake Carnegie and Reservoir No. 1, both built for municipal water use and used for recreation. Also features gardens, overlooks, and a network of trails.

13. SeeSouth Side

    Mount Washington Overlooks

    Once you've ascended to the top of Mount Washington, either by driving or taking one of the two inclines (popular attractions in their own right; see above under Get around), you'll be treated to a splendid view of Downtown Pittsburgh and the surrounding area. Along Grandview Avenue, which parallels the edge of the hill, there are several overlooks offering you unobstructed views. As you walk from one end of Grandview Avenue to the other, the view will change. At the eastern end, at the top of the Monongahela Incline, you'll be directly across from the skyscrapers of Downtown. As you proceed to the western end, near the top of the Duquesne Incline, you'll have a better view of the point, the North Side, and up the river valleys of Pittsburgh.

14. SeeNorth Side

    North Shore Riverfront Park

    Situated along the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers, this park offers a chance to get close to the rivers and enjoy excellent, unobstructed views of downtown. A trail runs the length of the park, which stretches from the Carnegie Science Center to beyond downtown, and there are numerous lawns and public artworks, as well as boat tie-ups and facilities for canoes and kayakers. The, just west of PNC Park, is a large interactive fountain which children often play in during the summer.

15. DoNorth Side

    PNC Park

    The Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team, known locally as the "Buccos" or "Bucs", play their home games here. Their ballpark is widely considered one of the most beautiful in the major league, with a stunning view of downtown past the outfield. If you don't make it for a game, you can still take a tour of the stadium on non-game days during the season; check the website for a schedule.

    Games afternoon and evenings; call for schedule·Tickets $15-250 (bleachers to club seats), Ballpark tours $9 adults, $7 seniors/children

16. SeeDowntown

    PPG Place

    A unique set of buildings developed by Pittsburgh Plate Glass as their headquarters. All the buildings are faced entirely with a glittering, sun inhibiting plate glass and sport ornate, yet modern, glass pinnacles like candles on a birthday cake. One PPG Place (the tall one) is one of the most recognizable buildings in the skyline, with its neo-Gothic crenelations, and the city's third tallest. Among these buildings is an unusual park which, in the winter, is flooded with water and used for ice skating, like Rockefeller Center in Manhattan.

17. SeeOakland

    Phipps Conservatory

    A Victorian glass conservatory with gorgeous indoor and outdoor floral and botanical displays. Dating to 1893, expansion through the years has resulted in 14 indoor rooms and several outdoor gardens, each with unique garden designs and excellent assortments of plants. There's also quite a bit of colorful sculpture throughout, including multiple pieces by Dale Chihuly, that help to decorate the already lush indoor displays. Renovations have been undertaken to make Phipps one of the greenest buildings in the world.

    Sat-Thu 9:30AM-5PM, Fri 9:30AM-10PM·$15 adults, $14 seniors/students, $11 children, children under 2 free

18. DoOakland

    Pittsburgh Playhouse

    Home to The REP, a professional theatre company and three student companies of Point Park University's Conservatory of Performing Arts.

19. SeeDowntown

    Point State Park Fountain

    Powerful water stream aimed upwards. A Christmas tree is installed instead in December.

    Daily sunrise-11PM·Free

20. DrinkDowntown

    Redbeard's On Sixth

    A clean but unpretentious sports bar; its location just across the Clemente bridge from PNC Park makes it a popular choice for post-baseball game eating and drinking.

21. DoNorth Side

    Rivers Casino

    A casino with a lot of slot machines and table games, a sportsbook and a few restaurants and bars overlooking the river.

22. SeeNorth Side

    Riverview Park

    A large wooded and hilly park with an extensive network of trails, a swimming pool, a playground, and great views of Pittsburgh.

23. SeeOakland

    Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden

    A Bible-themed garden on the grounds of a temple hosting Western Pennsylvania's oldest Jewish congregation. It features over 100 Biblical plants and representations of Biblical landscapes, such as deserts, the River Jordan, and the Dead Sea. It's the largest garden of its kind in North America. Because Biblical flora grow in Mediterranean and desert climates, most of the plants are removed during the cold months and returned when it's warm; therefore, the garden is only open during the summer.

24. SeeOakland

    Schenley Park

    A 456-acre park that is a haven for exercisers, sunbathers, and anyone who appreciates beautiful green space. On Sunday and Wednesday nights during the summer, a free movie is shown on Flagstaff Hill in the park, next to the Carnegie Mellon campus. There is a network of trails running through the park, a couple of which run to, a small lake just south of Phipps Conservatory. A trail runs to the lake from the park visitor center across the street from the conservatory. There's also several playgrounds, a skating rink, a 400-meter track, a swimming pool, several playing fields, 13 tennis courts, an 18-hole disc golf course, and the public, 18-hole Bob O'Connor Golf Course.

25. SeeSouth Side

    South Side Riverfront Park

    Picnic area, public boat launch, canoe launch, and a riverfront trail. The riverfront trail runs from the Duquesne Incline along the Monongahela River to about Homestead to the east. Along the trail are informative signs about Pittsburgh history and industrial artifacts from Pittsburgh's industrial heyday on display.

26. SeeSouth Side

    Station Square

    Now a popular office and shopping complex, Station Square used to be a railroad station. The station, fully renovated, is still there. Now housing the Gandy Dancer Saloon and the Grand Concourse restaurant, it is a beautiful example of the grand train stations of the past with a huge, beautiful colored glass skylight, feaux marble columns and fine wooden appointments. You may still see a train passing on the tracks between the station and the river, but they are freight trains, not passenger trains. In the courtyard space facing the river and downtown, you will find several artifacts of the steel industry past on display: huge ladles and furnaces and other equipment. From April through November, the courtyard's large fountain is turned on with the jets of water choreographed to music.

27. EatOakland

    The Porch

    American bistro serving locally sourced food. Also has a walk-up window.

28. SeeNorth Side

    Washington's Landing

    Herr's Island

    A small island in the Allegheny River just off the North Shore, Washington's Landing is a small, mixed-use community with lovely views of the river and Downtown. A trail runs along the island, and the island is also home to a large marina as well a rowing club. You can get there by driving up Ohio Street to 31st Street and getting off just before the bridge, but another option is to walk or bike up the North Shore Riverfront Trail past Downtown, which allows you to experience a very scenic stretch of river, then enter the island via a pedestrian-only bridge at the southern end of the island.

29. SeeOakland Not mapped

    Forbes Field

    Though it no longer stands, you can visit what remains of the former home of the Pittsburgh Pirates (1909–1970). Inside Pitt's brutalist-styled, open to the public, you can see the old home plate in a glass case embedded in the floor near its original location. Of note, and hanging nearby on the ground floor of Posvar Hall, is one of two surviving Langley Aerodromes, Aerodrome No. 6, which in 1896 became one of the first heavier-than-air powered craft capable of sustained flight. Outside and just south of the building, you can see what remains of the left field wall and the stadium's flagpole, a replica of one of the stadium's gates and ticket windows, as well as a marker where Bill Mazeroski hit the 1960 World Series winning walk-off home run against the Yankees. Every year in October, Pirates faithful will come out to the wall to listen to a recording of the game.

30. DoOakland Not mapped

    Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix

    Held in July, is a vintage car festival that includes parades, a vintage car show along Walnut Street in Shadyside and a road race through Schenley Park.

31. DoSouth Side Not mapped

    South Side Step Trek

    Every October in the South Side is a tour of the South Side Slopes. The event takes place on a Saturday. Participants are given a map and can walk guided trails of the South Side Slopes. Water stations are setup along the way. This is an excellent way to see the South Side Slopes.

32. DoDowntown Not mapped

    Three Rivers Arts Festival

    Provides eleven days of art through the month of June for the people with a mix of art, live music, food, and festival fun. The most popular parts of the Three Rivers Arts Festival are the program of free outdoor concerts, and the vibrant artist market where artists from all over the country display and sell their wares. The festival is located around Point State Park and the Gateway Center. On weekends, street closures will expand the area, creating a plaza to accommodate the larger events.

33. DoDowntown Not mapped

    Three Rivers Regatta

    August event around Point State Park and just across the river on the North Shore, this massive event plays host to a lot of music, food, stunt shows, boating events, and family activities.

34. SeeDowntown

    Point State Park

    601 Commonwealth Place

    Daily Sunrise-11PM·Free

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Pittsburgh (CC BY-SA 4.0).