Andrea Polli's masterpiece in the heart of the Cultural District is an absolute gem of immersive…read moreart! A place I would often take visitors to our great city and a spot I still swing by whenever I'm home. The canal aka Garrison Place was originally a dank and dark alley (Garrison Alley) that transformed with the Cultural District coming into fruition. The LED art installation wasn't unveiled until 2018 but is still considered a vital and iconic piece of Pittsburgh art & history. The idea of the artwork is to mimic swimming under water. The lights change colors depending on weather. The animated waves also shift & change around the weather. If you're visiting Pittsburgh, be sure to check it out (after the sun goes down) in the 900 block of Liberty.

I am very happy to see that the mess was cleaned up and the alleyway was free from debris, broken…read moreglass, and no dumpsters. The artwork is still incredible. Thanks to whoever cleaned it up ... Cheers!

I moved to Pittsburgh after the full herd of dinosaurs had already been sold/relocated so I when I…read morefirst saw this beauty, I didn't know that he was a part of a collection that went throughout the whole city! This dinosaur is part of a fundraiser/collaborative art project that had various organizations design dinosaurs and then have them auctioned off. You can check the location of other dinos at this this website: https://dinomitedays.org/ This colorful dino is covered in alphabet blocks, a symbol that letters are the building blocks of language and learning. It is fun to try and spot the various letters and see all of the different and creative designs. Worth a closer look to check out all the fun details when you are in the area or visiting the Carnegie museums across the street.

The City of Pittsburgh has several dinosaur sculptures in downtown, Oakland, and other…read moreneighborhoods. Alphabetosaurus sits proudly on Forbes Ave, right across the street from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Carl Goldman (art teacher at Phillips) along with K-5 students and teachers painted and designed the letters of the alphabet proudly displayed on this eye-catching dino. Alphabetosaurus is a part of the Oakland landscape and you'd be hard-pressed to say anything negative about it. Just another piece of beautiful art the city can be proud of.

One of the best things about living in Bloomfield was being able to take a quick walk to The…read moreOctopus Garden in Friendship. Professor Hughes from CMU started the garden back in 2009. The idea was (and is) bringing community together through art and gardening. Octavia (the octopus) is loved by kids and adults alike. There's a little free library onsite too. This is a fantastic community urban garden growing veg to share with neighbors. It's also off the beaten path and mainly known to neighborhood folks. If you're visiting my hometown of Pittsburgh and wanna see quirky things, check out this garden.

Got to visit the octopus Garden as part of the Friendship house tour! What a incredibly cool…read moreplace. We got to walk through see the different Garden beds & chat with some of the people who care for the gardens & admire the sculptures and art work.

You don't have to shell out any Dough to visit the Doughboy, because of course it's free…read more This is a popular little roundabout with an ice sculpture in the middle of it... actually it's a "nice sculpture" but google dictate hates me. Having said that, an ice sculpture would probably survive here for several months a year in icy Pitt. So it's pretty awesome, and one which is located in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighbourhood. As you can see Barbie came here, and like her, it adds a nice little bit of culture and artistic flavour to the neighbourhood.

Very nice to see. Nothing like it anywhere else…read more Great to be right in the heart of The City . Best to go on a tour with others.

An incredibly quirky gem that is a must visit! There are…read morethings to discover at every turn in this yard turned art gallery. So much color, so much whimsey! You could spend just a few minutes or easily spend an hour exploring all the nooks and crannies.. There is no parking lot, but there is plenty of street parking in the area. Just play attention to the signs, because there are areas that are permit only or have restrictions on time.

Awesome display of color and emotion in this mural we saw while we were in Pittsburgh. We love…read moremural and public art. And something we love doing is traveling and seeing murals in other cities. This is a great looking mural that displays a good message. Definitely one to check out and visit,

Why have I never reviewed this amazing piece of work? We visited it several times and often while…read moreGustavo Zermeno (ID Labs) was in town painting it (July 2022). We got to briefly chat with him and he was so down-to-earth. He and his friend came in from Cali to do the job and it was done in just a couple of weeks. His talent is immense and the homage he paid to his friend, Mac is felt in every inch of the mural. I took a bunch of pics but I'm sharing only one as it was the best shot I got. When you see this mural, you don't feel like this kid is gone. Maybe just off on an adventure never to be seen again. Or maybe he's hiding behind the counter at Frick Park Market. Gone too soon but cherished by his hometown, always. If you're in Pittsburgh, head over to neighboring Etna to soak in this piece of history.

A nice tribute to local rap star, Mac Miller. It's fitting that it is painted on the side of…read moreID Labs where he originally recorded. The mural is beautifully executed, and it's fun to find it.

It's been many years since I visited Phipps but it has never failed to wow me. I think it's safe…read moreto plan to spend at least two hours and perhaps twice that depending on how crowded it is and how much time you want to spend seeing the beautiful displays. We visited at the start of the fall display which was transitioning from the Alice in Wonderland theme display and, as usual, everything was just amazing to see. We visited on a weekday morning and we're happy that it was not crowded and we could take our time. Beware the cafe which offers very friendly service for very expensive refreshments. We spent $15 for three 12-ounce cans of tea. If you have a refillable water bottle, bring that and throw some ice in it. Even when it's cool outside, it's still hot in the greenhouses so you'll probably want something cold to drink.

Absolutely loved visiting Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens! I was doing a cross-country…read moreroad trip and stopped here while passing through Pittsburgh, and I'm so glad I did. I love visiting botanical gardens, so I was excited to check this one off my list! They were doing an Alice in Wonderland collaboration while I was there, which made the visit even more fun. The conservatory was absolutely beautiful, with so many different flowers, plants, and unique rooms to explore. The Alice in Wonderland displays they did were super cute and really well done! My only wish is that they had incorporated the Alice in Wonderland theme throughout more of the conservatory because I would have loved to see even more of it. But overall, it was such a beautiful and relaxing place to explore. Definitely recommend stopping here if you're in Pittsburgh! l And you definitely have to hit the gift shop

Possibly the most famous mural in all of Pittsburgh is the "Bride on Penn Avenue." This mural is an…read moreoptical illusion; a recreation and continuation of the house next door painted onto the back of the adjacent building. Walking up the steps of the painted house is a young bride. Unfortunately, the real line of identical houses has since been torn down, but the last one is still intact to keep the illusion of the mural visible. There are many rumors surrounding the bride's story, such as "she's getting one last look at the life she is about to leave behind," "she is running home and hiding from her own wedding," or even "she is a ghost who died on her wedding night." The artist, however, said that her story is "whatever you think it is."

Dippy was born (erected) in 1999 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the original dinosaur fossil…read more(Diplodocus Carnegii-named after Andrew Carnegie). Dippy is a tribute to the first major discovery by the Carnegie Museum. He sits at over 20' tall in front of the Natural History Museum in Oakland. Dippy is nothing short of a fiberglass icon in my fair city. Known for wearing seasonal scarves (winter months, Pride, football & hockey gear, etc.) this local celeb is loved by adults & kids alike. Dippy & the Carnegie are must-visit Pittsburgh institutions for locals and tourists alike. Happy Pride!

What's not to love about everyone's favorite Pittsburgh dinosaur! Affectionally known as Dippy,…read morethis is a large sculpture outside the Carnegie Museum complex in Oakland. I love that he is almost always wearing a scarf and it changes seasonally. I've seen Dippy with a Steelers scarf, a Valentine's Heart scarf and a St. Patrick's Day Scarf. My kids love guessing what kind of scarf Dippy might have when we drive through Oakland.