Awesome experience! We went last night and Savanna made our visit perfect and captured all the…read morelittle things helping make memories special

This was the moment I realized I overstayed my welcome in Pittsburgh, an indisputably great city…read more However, even indisputably great cities can have disappointing attractions. My first clue was that I discovered this museum was not specific to Pittsburgh. In fact, it's part of a privately owned museum chain, one of over sixty identical museums across over 25 countries. I came here because I had a free morning trying to avoid the wintry weather. I decided to make stops on the North Shore along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. Clearly, not every stop is a landmark. This museum appears to be targeted to either young families with hyperactive kids and Instagram-addicted tourists. Falling somewhat into the latter category, I found the admission rather steep at $25 for what looked to be a relatively small scale space. I paid that same amount for both Carnegie Museums (Art and Natural History). This museum consisted of a series of interactive exhibits that create optical illusions. There were several spinning wheels, tilted spaces, distorted rooms, and mirrored illusions. My walkthrough lasted around fifteen minutes. Kids were anxious to go through the exhibits at breakneck speed, and my attention span was rarely stimulated by the exhibits. In visiting this museum, at least I won't be curious about the sixty other Museums of Illusions. RELATED - Exploring Pittsburgh? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/h0qh7n2Ol5

Art in Bloom 2026 was another AMAZING exhibit. I truly do not understand why more people are not…read moretalking about this! This exhibit blends art + nature in the most beautiful way, challenging local floral designers to reimagine pieces from the gallery through stunning arrangements. It's colorful, creative, and exactly the kind of spring energy us Pittsburghers all need during the transition between grey winter and spring!

Great museum! The Art In Bloom flower show is a hit! The artwork they have displayed in there is…read morevery nice looking and the place is very clean.

We visited the museum as the Flood Museum was, ironically, closed due to water damage. The change…read morein itinerary ended up being a good thing as the Center was surprisingly informative, interactive as we toured the Center as a particular immigrant, and the staff were super helpful! Barb guided us through the flood exhibit on the third floor & recommended other places in town to visit & eat at. We also hope to bring our grandkids back to visit the children's area.

This is well worth visiting if you're in the Johnstown area, or even coming out from Pittsburgh if…read moreyou're looking for a good children's experience. It embraces the town's heritage while keeping it fun for the kids. Sadly, most of the negative reviews on here are out of date and don't really apply anymore. We became members and took our kid here every day for the last three days and he never tired of it! He loved all the interactive experiences and toys, but especially going up through the coal mine and slide. He loved the kitchen area and the DJ booth. The other kids there seemed to all be really enjoying themselves there, too. We have been to about a dozen kids' discovery centers in two different countries in the past two years and this is one of the better ones, if not the best. The employees do an excellent job keeping the place clean and tidy, and are friendly, too. Previous old reviews seemed to complain that several things were broken or worn out, but that wasn't the case now.

I visited the Ligonier branch of SAMA on free museum day. It was my first visit and I will be sure…read moreto go back! Dedicated to regional artists, the museum has about 4 exhibitions per year. Check the website to see what is currently being shown at each location. There's always a display of paperweights to view and there's local art for sale in the hallway gallery. I've been wanting to get here for a long time. I'm sorry I waited so long!

This is a wonderful little museum located just three miles west of Ligonier. I do want to emphasize…read morethe word "little" since the museum itself is housed in the former Darlington Station, used by the Ligonier Valley Railroad. But though it be small, it be mighty and chock full of exhibits and information. The mission of the museum is to preserve the history of the Ligonier Valley Railroad, which ran from 1877 to 1952, carrying millions of people and tons (literally) of freight. In the name of preserving that history, the museum has collected over 3,000 items, from lanterns to dinnerware to maps to photos...and so on. The volunteers are wonderful and knowledgeable, so I definitely recommend letting them talk you through the highlights of the collection and the railroad's operations. Their storytelling abilities truly brought the history behind this museum to life when I visited; and their insight into the railroad's influence and impact helped me appreciate the area that much more as I walked through Ligonier itself. Definitely take the time to visit this little gem during your next trip through Ligonier. Before you leave, take the time to explore the caboose housed on the property as well!

The museum is housed in a beautifully restored 1896 depot. The former owner of the Ligonier Valley…read moreRR was the famous Mellon family. Outside an assortment of rail artifacts and in the future, perhaps a motorcar. Although the collection of artifacts is small, the tour guide fills out the time with much history and LGV RR stories.

I've been wanting to visit this place since I was a kid. I finally got there. They are doing a lot…read moreof work on the building so unfortunately, a lot of the building was covered with scaffolding which was unfortunate and they were offering refunds, but this was only time to get there so I went. I did the guided house tour which was great. The lady who did the tour was very knowledgeable. I appreciate that they give you ear pieces so you can hear and don't need to feel like you need to be so close to the guide to hear. Unfortunately, there was a medical emergency (ambulances and all) so we could not get to the 3rd floor, but they did let us see the staff quarters instead which I do not believe was part of our tour initially. They had a really nice gift shop as well. They also had a café but I did not look into there so I do not know exactly what was being offered. I would love to visit again once the scaffolding and tarps are gone. Regardless, this place is very peaceful and just beautiful inside and out.

It's hard for me to convey why visiting this landmark was so significant for me. I was a lad of 12…read morewhen I saw pictures of this house in a coffee table book about Frank Lloyd Wright in a mall bookstore. I remember because I was so drawn to the aesthetic of the building. It initiated my attraction to open living spaces, mid-century modern design, and organic architecture. All these decades later, I made it, and the sight of the house actually made me tingle. I said tingle, not tinkle. That happened in the surprisingly spacious restroom at the visitor center before the tour. Built in 1935 for Pittsburgh department store magnate Edgar J. Kaufmann and his family as a vacation home, the unprecedented cantilevered construction is a 4 bed / 4 bath that would've been pooh-poohed by the more obnoxious wannabe buyers on "House Hunters". The main house is 9,200 square feet of which 4,400 are outdoor terraces. Outdoors is where Edgar's worldly wife Liliane threw parties for their friends. However, the key draw of the multilevel terraces was the sound and sights of the Bear Run stream underneath. Except for the Kaufmann's impressive art collection, there is nothing ornate about the two-tone house of light ochre and Cherokee red. The innovative design elements speak for themselves like the glass-enclosed staircase down to the stream. Given my longstanding desire to come here, I went for the $89 In-Depth Guided Tour which ran well over ninety minutes and gave us full access to the house interior and the surrounding grounds including the guesthouse and the gardener's cottage (now used as staff offices). Our guide Larry did a fine job sharing the history behind all the architectural details of Wright's idiosyncratic design and uncompromising commitment to organic compatibility. Be aware that the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy started a major $7 million preservation project in 2023 and it's not due to be complete until next year (fingers crossed). The advanced age of the structure had caused leaks, cracks, and corrosion, so repairs are still underway. However, some of the house was still covered with scaffolding with terrace access a bit limited. It didn't bug me though because we're talking about checking off a major bucket list item for me. RELATED - Exploring Pittsburgh? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/qN_tq21lnL

I was really impressed by the museum of natural history and the art museum. The natural history…read moremuseum had cool fossils, beautify rocks/minerals, and breathtaking dioramas that really put you in the habitat of the creature they are portraying. The museum was relatively empty when I went except for multiple field trips of elementary school students. Admission for one adult to the museums was only $25 for the whole day, which felt like a steal. There were plenty of opportunities for children to enjoy the exhibits as well. The museum was clean, inviting, easy to navigate and had staff all over to help give directions.

Hey, I liked the first "Jurassic Park" and was raised on Saturday morning episodes of "Land of the…read moreLost". However, I've got to admit I'm just not into giant dinosaurs. Truth be told, the key reason I came here was that the $25 admission gave me concurrent access to the Carnegie Museum of Art since the two museums share the same building. If dinos are your thing, the scale was indeed impressive. Just be mindful they didn't move and were ironically crowded together in one section (Photo 7). There are rooms dedicated to wildlife dioramas from eons past, including the fabled La Brea Tar Pits (Photo 9), as well as more current ones representing North America, the polar caps, and the African savanna. I thought the most arresting exhibits were the rooms dedicated to minerals, gems, and jewelry. The Hillman Hall focuses on natural forms and dramatic shapes (Photo 8), while the Wertz Gallery presents more of the finished, polished results (Photo 10). It felt like Tiffany's without the breakfast or Holly Golightly. It was quite a family-friendly hodgepodge of attractions. It seemed I deal for a junior high school field trip, probably somewhat less for out-of-town curmudgeons like me. RELATED - Exploring Pittsburgh? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/ygLhKUK9LU

Truth be told, I doubt I would've driven from Downtown Pittsburgh to the Laurel Highlands just to…read moresee this house even though it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright toward the end of his life. Like most dilettante tourists, I came here because it's a scenic ten-minute drive from Fallingwater, Wright's unequivocal masterwork (review: https://yelp.to/dm_1LqdsKL). Did I regret making the detour? Absolutely not, Kentuck Knob definitely has its own merits. Built in 1956 for local ice cream tycoon I.N. Hagan and his wife Bernadine, this angular Usonian home sits on a hill that provides the structure its name. The Hagans were friends of the Kaufmanns, the owners of Fallingwater, and they were so impressed, they hired Wright to design their main house. Similar to Fallingwater, this house was integrated with the surrounding nature. It was built to look like an extension of the hill rather than residing on top of it. Unfortunately, photography was forbidden inside the house as the family still keeps their personal effects here. There were no right angles in the design. The dining room table has a trapezoid shape that could be separated into two parts. The kitchen reflects an irregular hexagonal shape with a large, matching skylight. The bedrooms are similarly angular, and in true Wright fashion, the hallways are very narrow with little room to breathe much less walk. A short walk away from the house provides a spectacular panoramic view of the Youghiogheny River gorge (Video). There's a shuttle between the house and the visitors center, which houses a gift shop and a cafe. Alternatively, I took the brief hike down the hillside because there were public art pieces to peruse along the way, including a piece of the Berlin Wall (Photo 7). It's worth knowing that Wright visited the site only once and never saw the finished house. RELATED - Exploring Pittsburgh? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/qN_tq21lnL

Truly amazing and beautiful place. We scheduled the in-depth tour with Luann as our guide and I was…read moreenthralled for the entire 90 minutes. Though it was pouring the day of our tour, I never felt like Luann was rushing through, even as we stood outside with umbrellas to see some of the details. My husband had so many questions and she was armed with an answer for every one, even knowing the history of the unique furniture pieces inside. You could tell she had a genuine interest in the house and was happy to share what she knew. The weather kept us from taking the woodland path back to the visitor center but I am excited to go back and walk the grounds.

The Lincoln Highway is a more scenic, cheaper, and historic way to get through southern PA as…read morecompared to taking the PA Turnpike. At 42nd. and Broadway in New York City in the Lincoln Highway started and ended in San Francisco. I got on the Lincoln Highway west of Philadelphia (King of Prussia, PA) and back on 81 a little bit west of the museum. This stretch of the Lincoln Highway included Amish Country, Gettysburg (Civil War), and the Flight 93 Memorial (9-11).

If you love transportation history, you'll enjoy this gem of a museum! Focusing on the Lincoln…read moreHighway in Western PA, it highlights some of the iconic landmarks such as the Ship Hotel and the Coffee Pot. After visiting the exhibits you can relax and enjoy a cup of coffee and a slice of pie in the renovated Serro's Diner. Other amenities include an electric car charging station and a weekly SupperMarket on Wednesday evenings during the summer months. Picnic al fresco choosing from many food trucks and grooving to free music from local musicians.