I stopped by the Carnegie Museum of Art because I was looking for something fun to do inside. The…read moreCarnegie International is on display throughout the museum. Super cool, this is the 59th year and is the longest running exhibit in North America. This year titled "If the word we". As I was standing in the lobby reading about the exhibit, a small group started to assemble and a docent arrived for a free art walk of some classical pieces on display. In all my years of going to the museum, this was my first docent led tour and it was really interesting. It lasted about an hour and was very interactive with the guests. I really enjoyed.

For the museum lovers in the crowd, this is a decent museum. I do remember thinking like a snooty…read moreelite a few times that those accustomed to museums abroad in Europe would think this was weaksauce -- in terms of the art presented and the amount of art (or lack thereof). That said, you DO get entry into not just the museum but also the History museum while there, so your day can be rather full if you want to check out more than just art (e.g., dinosaur bones and other fossils). And perhaps most interestingly -- for those who haven't been to Europe, currently there museum has these huge stone structures that you would find in, say, Rome or elsewhere. I can only imagine how they transported these! But for someone who hasn't gotten to see the immensity of something like an old historic church embellished with stone sculptures that put our basic designs to shame, this is an experience worth having... Get there while they have them if they are part of a temporary exhibit! Bottom line: Decent. Good for the kids, too.

Another one of the Troy Hill Art Houses, Mrs. Christopher's was a home formerly owned by said-named…read morewoman until she died. After that, her kids sold the home and the buyer commissioned an artist to make their vision come alive. Currently on the ground floor is a diorama of Christmas Day 1960 -- although if you are form the '80s and '90s, it may feel reminiscent to you as well... ashtray and cigarettes on the table, cookies for Santa, Monopoly on the floor, TV in the background... Upstairs there is a room designed like a small hunting lodge -- yet created to both mock and put down idea of hunting while reminding us of species gone extinct with repeated images surrounding the room via wallpaper. In the attic is a wall of canned goods -- from produce to a snake to a jar filled with beads. On the other side is floor to ceiling boxes -- like an old Sucrets tin or a fancy jewelry box or an old chocolates box purchased for Valentine's Day long ago. Inside are various knickknacks like little figurines or painted leaves stating "mercury poisoning" or acorns. You are encouraged to open as many as you wish. Bottom line: This house is creative in the feelings it evokes, from reminiscing the old holidays, to starting to ponder the ethics of our hobbies, to wondering about how to preserve anything in a jar or other makeshift time capsule and come back to rediscover it with the joy of a kid. At least that was my experience.

This is the fourth, and newest of the Troy Hill Art Houses. If you are not familiar with the Troy…read moreHill Art Houses, they are all individual houses up on Troy Hill that have been turned into art exhibits. There is no admission fee to tour the houses, and you can reserve a time slot on the website. The newest is called "Mrs Christopher's House," and was named after the former owner of the house. The art inside the house was curated by artist Mark Dion, and just opened for public exhibition on October 26th, 2024. Although video and photography is now prohibited on the inside of the houses (It used to be allowed), I snapped a few photos from the outside, and found some online that I re-posted. Inside there are several rooms, and the theming is different in each room. I won't go into too much detail about the rooms, so I don't spoil the surprise, but they are well worth checking out, especially if you like art, and are of the curious sort, and like seeing interesting things . . . Cheers!

We were looking for a fun experience for my husband's big sis, and boy did we find it at Bayernhof!…read moreI couldn't recommend this museum more highly. Lisa, our tour guide, was just perfect - entertaining, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and fun. Our 2-hour experience was a joy - it passed so quickly! You call ahead to arrange a tour, and Lisa returned my call maybe a day or 2 later. We arranged it for a Tuesday morning at 10am (the other option was something like 2pm). The 19,000 square foot Bavarian-inspired home is atop a large hill outside Sharpsburg overlooking the Allegheny - and with a lovely view of downtown. You come thru the gate and park near the door. Inside, Lisa talks a bit about the foyer - chock full of collectibles - and takes you to the main room with that fabulous view, a comfy room with a bar just off the kitchen. You settle in to wait for everyone to arrive. The lecture there takes about 30mins, & you learn about the wealthy, quirky eccentric, Charlie "Chuck" Brown, who built this quirky home in 1982. He was a total prankster who had very little sense about how to build a really stable home. After his death, the board would save the home for all to enjoy. The real treat is hearing from some of the 165 music machines spread thruout the house - some Chuck collected, some purchased by the board set up by Chuck's lawyer, Dave, who - with Chuck's faithful secretary - took on the Herculean task after Chuck's death of fulfilling his dream of turning the home into a museum. The mysteries of the home reveal themselves as you go - and Lisa relishes in showing them off - from the hidden doors, wet bars (in almost every room! Chuck loved to entertain though he was socially awkward!), observatory, below ground cellar, cave, and pool room with a waterfall. It's great. Lisa shares tons of stories, knowledge, anecdotes, and more. Our favorite of the fabulous musical machines: the cylinder player on the landing that has a tiny dancing black bird figure inside; the singing birds with real feathers (!!) in the bird cage upstairs; the uber-art deco Decap machine downstairs with the purple velvet pool table; and the fringe lamp victrola in the upstairs guest room. As you're walking thru the house, you can't believe all there is to see and learn. We were fascinated! Just go! You won't regret it.

This is the best kept secret in Pittsburgh. I have now toured it three times, and it never fails to…read moredelight. Tours are small and cozy, so you feel like you're taking a tour of the house as a friend. The guides are engaging and knowledgable. Don't miss it!

This is one of those "best kept secrets in plain sight" kind of places. So many people visit the…read morepoint without ever realizing there is an great little museum right there! The Fort Pitt Museum is a part of the Heinz History Center network. (if you are a member there you can get in here for free. They are also currently offering free admission for kids 17 and under as part of a grant. The museum tells the story of Pittsburg's role in the French and Indian War and American Revolution. A visit any time of year is great, but if you are there in the spring or summer, they often have costumed interpreters and live demonstrations. The first floor features one of the main attractions - a large diorama which gives you a glimpse of what Pittsburgh looked like in the 18th century. You can also learn about fur trading, munitions, recreated soldier barracks. They also have videos about both wars. The one small challenge is parking. The museum does not have its own lot and because of the nature of where it is located, there isn't a lot or garage right next to it. That being said, there are a lot of lots and street parking in the area. You will just need to walk to the museum. This won't take too long to visit - the maximum is probably about two hours - but it is worth a visit to learn about the region's history.

If you love history and want to see where things all started here. This is the museum for you…read more It's especially great on the 4th of July. They have special events going on that day. They shoot from the canon, people are dressed in costumes and tell stories from the period. Kids have interactive things they can try with toy guns talking to the soldiers. The museum itself is nice too. They have all kinds of artifacts that you can see. You can see a map and recreations of what things looked like back then. You can see how people lived, what they wore and the struggles they went through to fight for freedom and establish this area. There's a lot of talk about George Washington and how he worked with local Seneca chief guide, Guyasata. You get a general overview in school about Washington and the war but they give you more finite details and how it pertained to this area's growth. If you love history definitely check it out.

Growing up, I assumed that all cities had gigantic museums full of dinosaurs ... I learned…read morethatbisndefinitely not the case. It's easy to spend at least a half day wandering about the Museum of Natural History and we were fortunate to visit Thursday night right after 3pm when admission was only $13 per adult; we had fine hours to wander about and it was so well worth it. There is literally something here for everyone to enjoy: amazing art, gems, minerals, natural/geologic specimens, insects, birds ... It's an amazing Pittsburgh asset.

Attended a 1 hr Behind the Scenes of Dinosaur Bones tour advertised to members. $50 per person 10…read morepeople per group. Limited number of tickets. Well worth money spent. Our tour was led by the head pf the department. The breadth of her knowledge of the museum, her predecessors, and collection was impressive. Did you know that England has a copy of our T Rex in their Natural History museum? Dippy's extra bones need a new resting place. Currently they have been resting on this shelf since 1800's. The wood is injuring the bottom of the fossil. (I think dinosaur lovers would donate the $30k to get Dippy's bones a new resting place.) Researchers come to study the collection. Fork lifts are used to transfer the bones from one surface to the next. A local college student found an undiscovered amphibian while searching for fern fossils on FedEx property by Pittsburgh International Airport. It was named after FedEx and the student: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/100315-new-fossil-amphibian-fedex Great experience! Would definitely attend again. I wonder what is Behind the Scenes of the art museum ...

You honestly don't have to be a big space nerd to appreciate the Allegheny Observatory at the top…read moreof Riverview Park. It's this beautiful, historic building that looks like a castle hidden in the trees, but the coolest part is that you can actually go inside for their free night tours. You get to walk through the old building and look at the stars through these massive, antique telescopes that still work perfectly. It's completely free, but you definitely have to call weeks in advance to lock down a spot because it's a small group and fills up fast. It's just one of those unique, low-key Pittsburgh experiences that a lot of people don't even realize is sitting right on the North Side.

We came to the observatory for an event with the University of Pittsburgh and it was so fun! This…read morewas the first time I've ever been inside and WOW. Whqt history was made within those walls. We got to see the two telescopes and to learn a little bit about them and the building. We got to also conduct a few experiments and to learn some fun science facts The staff was super accommodating and really were great with the kids. My favorite part was learning that there was a real crypt in the basement! I thought it was just something they were saying for the event, like a spooky activity! But no a real crypt in the basement! That part to me was fascinating! I look forward to coming to an even here again!

This place was awesome. It's not a massive space for a museum, but there is so much interesting…read morestuff inside the space. Even if you know very little about Clemente or not a big baseball fan, this museum really walks you through who he was, what his values were, and the impact he made. The employees inside are extremely helpful and knowledgeable too. We did the self-guided open house, and liked it. Also, a MASSIVE shoutout to Mr. Rieder, who ended up talking to me for about 40 minutes as I wandered into a spot I wasn't supposed to. Go here, it's well worth it.

What a beautiful space and such a uniquely Pittsburgh museum!…read moreThe museum is housed in an old firehall that has gorgeous details and spaces. Tours are by appointment or by specific times, so make sure to book an appointment and don't just try to show up and walk in. If you prefer exploring at your own pace, look for when they are hosting open house events. They also often host private events. There is a free parking lot right next door. Plenty of interesting memorabilia both related to Clemente and the history of baseball in general. It is nicely arranged and the spaces are well lit and easy to navigate. They also have a wine cellar and wine tasting! That was a pleasant surprise. There are certain days where they offer 21+ tours where a glass of wine is included with your admission. If you are looking for a unique Pittsburgh museum, this is a fun place to check out. You will find things to enjoy even if you aren't a huge baseball fan.

There are lots of house tours in the region, but this is consistently one of the best. There are…read moregreat houses in Observatory Hill which are hidden treasures. There's lots of history here, especially with the neighborhood's connection to the former City of Allegheny. The neighborhood stretches out along beautiful Riverview Park, so that makes the tours a bit of a trek, but well worth the trouble.

We love doing house tours all over Pittsburgh and we have a special affection for the Observatory…read moreHill Tour because our daughter lives in the neighborhood. Homeowners open all or part of their homes for the afternoon to people interested in touring their homes by purchasing a ticket. Booklets of information are provided on all the open homes and neighborhood highlights. Typically the owners are present, along with several others stationed strategically throughout the home to provide information & also security for the homeowners. This year's tour was particularly easy because Molly's Trolleys provided transportation to all the streets on the tour complete with a guide that pointed out interesting tidbits on the neighborhoods. Typically we have to move the car a few times, park, and walk and the trolley was definitely easier. Most of the homes in this neighborhood were built anywhere from 1900-1930's in a variety of styles from those periods - Victorian, Tudor, craftsman, California bungalow, Gothic revival, Pittsburgh four square, etc. Many have been lovingly restored to their former glory or updated to more of today's style with walls removed to provide an open concept during the renovations and many of the homes are quite large and grand. Some homeowners even decide to show the raw almost ramshackle house they are in the process of renovating. Most homeowners proudly display their before and after photos of what they've accomplished and are anxious to share their personal stories. Once you get on Observatory Hill's mailing list, you receive a postcard and/or email notifying you of the next tour so you never have to miss out. It's a great way to get a true feel of what it's like to live in the neighborhood and discover which sections appeal to you the most.