The best things to do in Pittsburgh—the city has shed its old reputation as a grim, postindustrial city and emerged as a destination for culinary delight, the arts, and natural beauty—cover nearly 3,800 acres of parkland and a restaurant scene that is truly booming. While most visitors will stay downtown, which is home to entertainment venues Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts and the Benedum Theater as well as nightlife at Con Alma and The Warren, the riverfront here is slowly developing with bike trails, walking paths, and other amenities.
There are a few things to know about a Pittsburgh getaway, namely that this is a city of neighborhoods: There are urban getaways in the form of Point State Park, where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers converge to form the Ohio. The city’s other 89 neighborhoods have something to offer every visitor, too, and there’s a wonderland of outdoor adventures just outside of town. Here are our picks of the best things to do in Pittsburgh across every interest, from sports meccas to museums and the arts.
Getting to and around Pittsburgh
Fly into Pittsburgh International Airport, which is moving toward completion of a $1.5 billion-plus modernization project. From here, it’s a 30 to 40-minute drive to downtown Pittsburgh, or the Port Authority of Allegheny County also offers rapid bus service to downtown and Oakland (home to the University of Pittsburgh) for $2.75 via its 28X Airport Flyer. On your way in, don’t miss the panoramic view of the city and its three rivers when emerging from the Fort Pitt Tunnel; but be prepared—the quick merge of four lanes of traffic can be tricky.
Downtown is relatively compact, and nearby neighborhoods like the Strip District, Lawrenceville, the North Shore, and the South Side are easy to get to using a POGOH bike share, which offers standard and electric-assist bicycles. Renting or hailing a car is handy if you’re planning on visiting other neighborhoods.
What to do in Pittsburgh
The Steel City is rich with museums, which include the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh: Carnegie Museum of Natural History, which among its extraordinary exhibits, includes one of the best dinosaur fossil collections in the United States; the adjacent Carnegie Museum of Art has a collection from antique to contemporary; Pittsburgh’s great pop art icon Andy Warhol is celebrated in The Andy Warhol Museum, which also features rotating exhibits and events such as the art-and-music blending Sound Series; and there is wonder for all at the Carnegie Science Center. The immersive, experiential Mattress Factory, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Phipps Conservatory, and The Frick Pittsburgh are among the city’s other outstanding cultural institutions.
This is a destination for sports fans, with three major league teams—the Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins—representing the city in black and gold. Catch a game if one of the teams is in town; Pirates PNC Park is one of the most scenic stadiums in the MLB. Pittsburgh’s professional soccer team, Riverhounds SC, plays its USL Championship league and exhibition matches at Highmark Stadium on the Monongahela River.
