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.

"Garrison Canal" is a piece of artwork that was designed by artist Andrea Polli and installed in…read morethe Garrison Place alley between Liberty Avenue and Exchange Way. The artwork consists of thousands of lights that were recycled from the "Energy Flow" art on the Rachel Carson Bridge. According to the website for the artwork, Polli describes the artwork as waves of big-data lights under which visitors "swim." The lights change color in response to the weather. Recently late in the evening, my husband and I walked under this artwork. The shimmering lights looked very beautiful. Unfortunately, a man stopped and really stared at us, and even my husband felt worried that we would be robbed. We were not harmed at all (phew!), but I recommend that people walk with a buddy and keep a safe distance from others.

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.

4.5 stars. The Alphabetosaurus dinosaur is a sculpture that is located across the street from the…read moreCarnegie Museum of Natural History. Years ago, the Grable Foundation donated a DinoMite Days dinosaur for the teachers and students at Phillips Elementary School to decorate. The teachers and students created colorful alphabet letters and applied them to the dinosaur. This decorating was intended to support children's learning of language. This dinosaur is free for everyone to see, touch, and photograph. If you happen to be in the Oakland neighborhood for other activities, then I recommend that you quickly stop by to see Alphabetosaurus. Tip: Another dinosaur sculpture, Dippy, a Diplodocus, is located a short walk across the street, and his decorations change throughout the seasons.

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.

I moved nearby recently and had no idea this was here. What a lovely surprise!…read more It's not the biggest park but you can tell that a lot of love created it and sustains it. Activities looked fun for any age--a little free library, chalk and chalkboard, glittery octopus statue. I have not looked into the plant stuff yet but can already say I enjoy the park.

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.

Absolutely incredible…read more I don't go to botanical gardens much so I don't really have qualifications to compare or rate any particular place but Phipps blew me away. I like plants. I have some. I thought seeing a bunch of plants might be fun but I wasn't expecting it to be such a wonderful experience! The place is quite large considering most of it is inside. It is organized for a few different environments and a little something for everyone depending on what your floral preferences might be. It took us about an hour and a half to go through the whole thing. Got a lot of pictures. Saw a lot of interesting and cool plants as well as beautiful flowers. Highly recommend this as a stop on any and every Pittsburgh trip.

Pgh Candle & Phipps partnered for an evening at Botany Hall…read more We selected our scented oils and were able to create our own soy candles. The vessel was a lovely shade of green and had some weight. Simple instructions for those of us who were not-crafty. While our candles were solidifying, we were able to go see the Spring show. Lovely evening. Definitely would do again.

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.