4.5 stars. The 460-acre Pittsburgh Botanic Garden was founded in 1988, but many decades of time and…read moremillions of dollars were needed to clean up the site, which sits on a former coal mine. In recent years, more plants have been planted, and more buildings have been constructed. The garden now has a welcome center and gift shop, an event center, an administration building, a picnic area, a homestead with a chicken coop and an apple orchard, a log house, a pavilion, a gazebo, an apiary (for beehives), a pond, a bird's nest, and, of course, many gardens, meadows, and woodlands. So far, I have visited this garden four times over several years--three times to walk along the paths and view the plants and once to see the Dazzling Nights Christmas lights. The paths are easy to follow and take me about one hour to walk. The native plants look pretty, but I wish that more flowering plants were included. During my most recent visit, the gardens had 15 Scraposaurs, which are dinosaur and prehistoric sculptures that were made from repurposed metal. Even my husband enjoyed the natural scenery and the artwork.

One of our local favorites! From the gardens to the cafe and the special events throughout the…read moreyear. Staff is always friendly at the door when you walk in and at the cafe. I sometimes go to the cafe to work - although not really set up for this (make sure your computer is charged). I love browsing the gift shop. There is always something there to gift or that I want (but don't need) for myself. I usually end up leaving with a new book for my daughter. Great spot for some holiday shopping for your nature loving friends and family or a gift exchange. Good in the cafe is usually fresh and tastes great. I've enjoyed their salads, kids menu options and baked goods. The gardens are a wonderful place to plan a picnic or just walk around and take in all the hard work that goes into maintaining the grounds. They have a few areas geared towards kids and a lovely pond to sit and relax by. We especially love to admire the local art exhibits that routinely change.

New owners (2020) have taken this place and really have made it a destination!! The location is…read morepremium, the venue is warm, inviting, and beautifully decorated! New menu, new selections, kudos to the new management!!! Great for class reunions, baby/wedding showers, weddings, anniversary, and graduation parties. Wonderful attention to detail!! Comfortably hosts 250-300 people... Adjacent Pub has good food, drink specials, weekly fun entertainment, weekly specials, and a fun FB page to keep up with all of the events scheduled!

My husband and I got married at the Cornerstone on November 3rd. Leading up to our wedding day,…read morethere were hiccups, but normal ones in my opinion. Don't get me wrong. We enjoyed our day with family and friends. But there were too many issues that couldn't be ignored. I feel we were let down by both Ashley and Michelle at the Cornerstone. The "Groom's Drink" was supposed to be Crown Royal and Diet Coke. I had my drink, a peach sangria, available for everyone. However Crown wasn't being served to guests, even though we paid for the "upgrade" to have Crown Royal available for the groom's drink. Guests were turned down at the bar. In fact, my husband observed only one bottle of Crown being available at the bar all night long. I have the actual writing of the list and it says next to it "for everyone". That apparently wasn't the case, and several of our guests were disappointed by this. Instead of a traditional wedding cake being served, I wanted cupcakes. We specifically asked for four different kinds--chocolate Oreo, vanilla, peanut butter, and red velvet. Only chocolate Oreo and vanilla were displayed and offered at the wedding. The cupcakes were not served to the guests or replenished at any point. We were supposed to have a two-tier cake to cut, but that was nowhere to be found, nor was a knife available. We were promised both. The beer choices that we chose were Bud Light, Yuengling, and Red's Apple. What we got were Miller Lite, Yuengling, and Reds. And they ran out of it all. We did a buffet style dinner. Many people told me they had a choice of meat, but the portions were small. In fact, at the head table, we were never served our beef tips. It got to the point where the menu was changed from a vegetable medley to just corn on the cob, or from cut potatoes to mashed potatoes. Multiple guests did not get everything BECAUSE THEY RAN OUT OF FOOD! That to me is impossible to imagine because guests were not taking as many items as they wanted. It was being served to them. We were told that they cooked for 200 people. We ended up having 180. The excuse? Too many guests were loading up on the carbs?? Are you kidding me? How can that be when it was being served to them in the line?! We had to even order out for pizza afterwards in the bar because their bar kitchen closed. We told them far enough in advance to be prepared. We filled that bar that night gave them hundreds of dollars of business after the event too, and yet they couldn't deliver. My mom made an agreement with Michelle, the owner, that she was to take my husband and I to the hotel after the event because my mom did not want me in an Uber or Lyft in my dress. At the end of the night, Ashley, the bar manager, said Michelle left and that she was going to call me and Uber/Lyft. I didn't want that and said no I'll just ride with family, not knowing until the next day the agreement with my mom and Michelle. Well we went back the next day to collect the rest of our things and to address these concerns. When all of these things were addressed the next day with Ashley, it was excuse after excuse and blame was placed on other things. Instead of apologizing, we were met with arguments. It almost came off that it was our fault the food ran out. My mom asked multiple times for the owner Michelle to call her and to this day it has not happened. I'm just incredibly disappointed with the Cornerstone. I can speak for my husband and my family that we were promised SO MUCH and that simply wasn't the case on the day of the wedding. I feel we spent a lot of money on our wedding and DID NOT get our money worth. In fact, we're not entirely sure where our money went. With food running out, alcohol out, what exactly did our money get spent on? How could they be so underprepared for this event? Unfortunately for the Cornerstone at The Pub at the Tonidale, we, along with 180+ people, will not be recommending them.

The Gathering Spot is a quaint little venue for all sorts of events. We had my Mother In Laws 90th…read moreBirthday Party there on Sat.Sep 7 2014. I placed all the planning and instructions over the phone from North Carolina to Butler PA ..Guess what I put my faith in Mary Ellen and it turned out beautifully! It was decorated in a Butterfly theme. The tables and chairs and tablecloths were beautiful. It is air conditioned and quite roomy. The food was terrific. We had some appetizers, Ice Tea, Coffee, and A Gorgeous Cake ( 4 layer ) and a Ice Cream Sundae bar. Everyone, including my Mother in Law was thrilled with the place. If I was going to have a party or a shower or just a fun get together I would go back for sure...Great Place, Friendly people and a Perfect Party!

Beautiful venue! We had my Daughters baby shower at The Gathering Spot and I highly recommend this…read moreplace if your looking for a upcoming event! Mary Ellen was so helpful and easy to work with....she took care of everything before, during and after. Thank you Mary Ellen and John for your hospitality!

I came here for a company sponsored holiday event and had so much fun! I've never heard of Three…read moreRivers Karting and was definitely skeptical as we navigated through an industrial complex along the river. They had a full park in florida and we had to park along the side of the building. The check-in process was easy, as we filled out the waivers in advance. The food from the on site restaurant was your typical bar style food, but hot and fresh. The bar had a wide selection of beer, cocktails, canned drinks, and slushies available. They have ace throwing, an arcade, and of course the go kart course. We took full advantage and played a little of everything. Our group had a great time!

Went with colleagues for a team building event. It was a nice venue with a comfortable conference…read moreroom for work activities and the electric go-karts were fun, especially the timed laps which gave us bragging rights for the day. Very easy to drive and a nice compact well designed indoor track with plenty of time given for multiple laps. Great staff that were very attentive and helpful. I would definitely go again.

Smaller and less modern than the nearby Mayernik Center, the Cabin is part of Avonworth Community…read morePark's collection of meeting rooms and event centers. The Cabin has audio visual capabilities and ample parking. There are picnic tables and a fountain just behind the building. It can hold up to 56 seated guests. The inside features a fireplace, and modernized windows that make the space quite cheerful. The Park itself is a collaboration of Ben Avon, Ben Avon Heights, Emsworth, Kilbuck Township and Ohio Township communities. You do not need to be a resident of these communities to rent the Cabin.

From the owner: The Cabin is a unique venue featuring, full audio visual capabilities, convenient parking, and…read moreprivacy. Behind the cabin, guests can enjoy picnic tables, a fountain, and beautiful landscaping. The facility is perfect for bridal showers, baby showers, and corporate events. The Cabin has a maximum capacity of 56 seated guests.

I can't enough about how truly beautiful this venue is! If you are looking for an intimate setting…read morefor a special occasion, this place is it! Angie, the coordinator is easy to work with, friendly and gets the job done. She works with you to create the most elegant space m. I can't recommend this place more!

My best friend was married there 1 week ago today and I have been contemplating reviewing or…read moreletting it go. The venue was beautiful inside and out the food was INCREDIBLE and honestly a dream. My friend new what she wanted and asked for it planning and planned a BEAUTIFUL wedding. She hired a personal wedding planner to help make her dreams come to life and it was beautiful. HOWEVER, let me just say my bride showed incredible compassion and grace day of because if this had been MY day I would be getting my money back. The staff of the barn was disorganized and SO rude. They made comments about the bride and her family as well as the groom and her family TO GUESTS at the wedding. They were also exhibiting the same behavior to an entire wedding group the day BEFORE the wedding. I know some of the other vendors who were staffed at my brides wedding personally and they even said that the coordinator is rude and hard to work with and that's it their least favorite venue to work with. The unprofessionalism of this woman ALONE would lead me to NEVER recommend this venue to another person or family who is looking to host one of the most sacred and special ceremonies of their lives. Like I said my bride had a wonderful time because she didn't let it ruin her day but I would NEVER wish that experience on some one else. Your wedding day should be all about you and you shouldn't have to worry about a grown woman exhibiting such immature and UNPROFESSIONAL behavior.

Don't let the name throw you (I thought it sounded like the name of a really bad dive bar)…read more.. This is a lovely venue for events such as weddings, showers, dinner/holiday parties and similar events. Located on Banksville Road it's easy to get there by car, bus, trolley, etc. They have an area called Backstage at The Boiler Room which is home to live music performances. The lobby is lovely and elegant. Heated four seasons porch, courtyard with fire pits, fountains and more. Food is standard fare for banquet hall facility. Though standard fare everything is served cooked to perfection. Meats are juicy and tender, pasta not over cooked, sauces flavorful and not dried out.

I didn't even know this venue existed until I was invited to a ballroom dance at the space, which…read morewas held yesterday evening. After being there, I just have to let people know what they are missing out on! First of all, there is ample parking, a rarity in Pittsburgh. Second, location. Just outside the Fort Pitt tunnels and slightly down Banksville Road, it is minutes away from the city, seconds from two hotels, and within 45 minutes to an hour of the airport. (Note: If you are going for the first time, be aware that it is not on Banksville Road proper, but on an extension behind the Days Inn.) Now for the space itself. The parking lot is slightly rugged, but I think the overall ambiance makes up for that, especially since they offer valet parking. There is a sweet little gazebo on the lower outer level, which looks as if it could be a great photo spot. The upstairs features a ballroom with a raised platform, a multi-use room with a beautiful marble bar (and efficient bartenders), and a stunning covered porch area. There are screens throughout which can be used for slideshows or, as we used them, to keep updated on the Oscars throughout the evening. I did not get to look at the downstairs area, but given the quality of the rest of the venue, I'm certain it would not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed my evening at this venue and will keep it mind for future event needs!

Attended a couples baby shower at this quaint venue. This venue is located inside an historic…read morechurch built in the 1800's. Very peaceful and enjoyable location. Perfect for small gatherings. I've included the details of what services this venue offers in my pictures. I love historic sights and this was a pleasant surprise. Made for a perfect celebration.

We hosted our daughter's first birthday party here, and I truly can't say enough good things about…read moreDanny and his business. He was amazing to work with helped with setup and even provided his own party supplies like easels and backdrops. The food was wonderful, and they went above and beyond by packing to-go boxes for our guests. Everything was so easy, welcoming, and stress free. Incredible hospitality all around.

Had a private wake here this week. Space is clean and the table scapes were really nice! The chair…read morecovers were a nice touch. They've clearly tried to make some updates inside, some of which are nice but others fell flat - especially the LED rope lights inside. Food was OK, my main issue is that the hot food was not at all hot. Fruit was excellent! Pasta bar was my favorite of the hot foods. Chicken romano was really dry and bland. We brought our own desserts. Staff was great about clearing plates.

Great experience, Beautiful venue!…read more Our wedding turned out so perfect thanks to this amazing venue! The owners and vendors made the experience easy on us. There is plenty of space for tons of people! We had 120 people but this place can seat far more than that!

I attended my cousins wedding at this venue. OMG the beauty of the rolling hills, fields, sunshine…read moreis a dose of nature that cannot be duplicated anywhere!!! Just being here was a relaxing vibe that makes the guests feel happy. The interior of the barn is spacious and the many open areas allow for people to move about freely and mingle. Guests were inside as well as outside and kids had plenty of room to run off excess energy outdoors. The food was amazing and the bar well organized and well run with no gridlock of guests waiting in line for drinks. I would highly recommend this venue for weddings and other gatherings.