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 was all messed up this morning. Dumpsters blocking the alley, garbage strewn…read moreeverywhere, broken glass, and even some person going to the bathroom behind a dumpster ... GROSS!!! Do better Pittsburgh!!!!

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,

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.

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."

The Frick is a local treasure. They have a nice permanent collection and always have great rotating…read moreexhibits. For that reason, we decided to become members. I also found out that they also have great regular programs and special events too. Members receive a discount, which is great. The topics sound really interesting. I'm looking forward to attending one. We have seen so many great rotating exhibits over the years. I really love it when they have excellent art exhibits. The Vermeer exhibit a year or so ago was great. I read up about it before going and found out what a genius he really was with light. The latest exhibit French Moderns was a really good. I loved seeing all the classic artists you would expect in an exhibit like that. However, I found some other artists I had never heard of and was happy to learn about them. They were absolutely excellent. I also loved the Lewis Hine photography exhibit too. He did such a wonderful job capturing the real lives of immigrants and other hard working people from the last century. This perspective is desperately needed right now, as immigrants are often not painted in a positive light. This exhibit shone a light on how they really are and how hard they worked then and continue to work now. The 400 years of William Shakespeare exhibit was wonderful. It was so cool to see the original scripts. So interesting and different than other exhibits they have had! Another exhibit that was one of the best we have seen was the Katherine Hepburn exhibit. I loved learning all about her life, her loves, and all the fabulous clothes she wore throughout her amazing life. The car and carriage museum is also a real find. It is so great to see the evolution of vehicles from the carriage to the car. It is so cool to see all different types of vehicles created over time especially those from the local area. There was also a cool hood ornament exhibit a few years ago that was really cool especially since cars don't have them anymore. The greenhouse is always neat to see too. They have beautiful plants in and outside the greenhouse. I love seeing them grow and evolve over time. Then you go see the Clayton which is also a unique local gem. It's especially interesting to see this knowing how important the Fricks were to the local area professionally and personally. It's really great to see decorated at Christmas. It's a must visit when you come to Pittsburgh. They also offer reciprocity to other great museums all over the country.

Liked the increased onsite parking. The exhibit was housed in the museum but check in was at the…read moregift shop. The French Moderns exhibit was well attended.

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.

4.5 stars. Songbird Artistry is a local, family-owned business that sells merchandise that is made…read moreby over 50 local artisans as well as art classes. The merchandise includes jewelry (e.g., necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and pins), apparel (e.g., gloves, hats, t-shirts, onesies, and bibs), bath products (e.g., soaps, beard balm, aftershave, and shower steamers), foods (e.g., olive oil, vinegar, seasonings, and dog and cat treats), stationery (e.g., stickers, greeting cards, and magnets), and home decor (e.g., candles, coasters, prints, and knick-knacks). I bought one pierogi magnet for five dollars. This magnet sticks well to my refrigerator in my kitchen, and it looks cute.

I've had my eye on this shop for some time now and was very glad to see them represented at the…read moreMingo Creek covered bridge festival. Their jewelry is locally hand made and goes anywhere from traditional to whimsical motifs including Harry Potter, Disney, Hamilton the musical, mosaics, and even dried flowers! Their booth only carries a limited selection of what's in the store where they have partnered with local food vendors such as Olive and Marlowe, as well as other Pittsburgh vendors to sell you almost anything. You can find stickers, clothing, caps, coasters, keychains, soap, candles and so much more! I was able to chat with Jenny who is one of the owners of the business who told me that they offer various craft classes in the store as well as unique themed parties such as Harry Potter for kids. If attending a class is not your bag because of the pandemic then on occasion you can purchase a craft kit in store and arrange for a Zoom class on a particular day to make your craft. They are very flexible when is comes to meeting people exactly where they are. You can find most anything on their website. Have something in particular in mind? Just contact them and they will accommodate your every need. During my visit I picked up two pairs of earrings with surgical steel backs. Jenny gave me some rubber stoppers with my purchases to insure they won't get lost. I purchased a pretty teardrop stud earring set and the Hamilton inspired earrings. I'm all set to enjoy one of my favorite Broadway musicals-"Hamilton." I also learned they do "Wicked the musical" jewelry if you are fond of that show. It's a great place to buy local made arts and crafts showcasing Pittsburgh. Although they are based in Lawrenceville across from Children's hospital, you may run into this business at various events with the last one I saw them at was VegFest. They were also at Picklesburg. Jenny told me that If I ever make to the shop itself the cheapest parking is at Children's Hospital across the street for $3.00. Not a bad deal if you are looking for parking in the area. Will be looking forward to visiting their store this fall to check out their other offerings.

Phipps is a must-visit spot if you ever come to Pittsburgh. This is our second visit and we really…read moreenjoy the current Alice-in-Wonderland theme. Definitely a perfect place for spending time with family and friends. Parking can be challenging if you go during holiday or weekend. We bought the tickets in advance online, but you can also purchase it at the entrance. Recommend bringing a water bottle since there are various water refilling station in the conservatory.

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.

The Andy Warhol Museum is a great place to spend a couple hours before a Pittsburgh Pirates game…read more There are a bunch of levels in this museum, and it's pretty easy to navigate. A ton of art work throughout Andy Warhol's life. The iconic paintings of Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Campbell's Soup, and Coca-Cola are all here. I had a fun time in the video booth where you can record your own distorted video just how Andy Warhol used to record his guests. The museum is $25 for adults, $13 for seniors, $13 for students with ID, and $13 for kids 3-18 years old. Located right by PNC Park the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

I didn't know much about Andy Warhol but the 7 floors of information and art gave me a good…read moreunderstanding of his artistic progression and range and life both in (from) Pittsburgh to NY and elsewhere. He was not just an interesting eccentric that pushed culture forward but someone who found a way to make money off his art in advertising while also having a style of his own and forays into film. While this is the Warhol museum, there are pieces by others on the ground floor, including collaborators. Bottom line: Worth a view if you are a museums person and like modern art.