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.

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."

Lewis Hines Pictures America…read more First time in Visitor Center due to recent ticketing changes. Very nice addition. The photography was even better than expected. There's just something special about black and white photos, especially vintage. Glad I went.

My daughter is a local member of her library and a perk gets you into this museum on Tuesdays…read more This is a lovely museum and easy to get to. We could not take pictures inside but I was able to capture the exterior. This is great place to visit and learn about the Clayton family that was instrumental in business in Pittsburgh. The tour is terrific and our guide did a good job with all the details. They have a solid gift shop and the grounds are pretty. They also have a greenhouse on site.

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.

Excellent experience minus some floors being closed for renovation. It's like this with most large…read moremuseums in my experience but always leaves me wondering what I missed! Learned a lot here about Mr. Warhola and enjoyed it overall. I didn't include all my pictures as to not spoil it. PS there is a 3 minute screen testing you can do which is essentially a 3 minute video you do and then it's emailed to you. I thought it was cool.

Really cool musuem. $25. Right next to PNC park. Good quick stop before going to a ballgame…read more Start on the 7th floor and then work your way down. There is a short film on the main floor that might be worth watching at the beginning or at the end. Warhol was an interesting artist. Some modern Campbell soup. None of his bigger main pieces are here but some of his similar work are