You'll never be bored in Pittsburgh. Whether visiting for the first time, have been a resident for years, or are returning after time away, you'll love the variety of Pittsburgh tourist attractions and sightseeing opportunities available to you. Read on for more information on 20 of the best Pittsburgh attractions for visitors of all ages.
1. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a must-see for nature enthusiasts, families seeking things to do in Pittsburgh, and friends looking for Instagram-worthy photo-ops. A learning landscape from start to finish, you can take a self-guided tour and explore the gardens on your own of their extensive collections of flora and artwork, or embark on a one-hour tour to get an explanation of the history of the astounding plant assortments. This option is perfect for exploring the gardens with a small group.
The Shop at Phipps is a great stop after you explore the grounds. You can find glass flowers, custom jewelry, and eco-friendly toys inspired by the Conservatory. By this point, you're probably feeling hungry, so stop by Café Phipps for salads, sandwiches, or other eats. The eatery has vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options.
For more information on all the exhibits, events, and other attractions, visit the Phipps Conservatory website. You'll want to buy your tickets online to secure your preferred date and time to explore this amazing destination.
2. The Duquesne Incline
Have your camera ready for fantastic photo ops of Steel City’s picturesque skyline and surrounding vistas with a delight-filled ride on the historic Duquesne Incline. Climb aboard the beautifully restored wooden cable car that has transported travelers to and from the top of Mount Washington for almost 150 years.
Be sure to stop in the museum at the incline’s top station to learn about this iconic mode of transportation. You can even see the original machinery with its wooden gear teeth and today’s machinery that propels the cable car along nearly 800 feet of rail line.
FYI: The Incline is a “cash only” operation, so be sure to have the exact amount of cash in hand because there are no ATMs on-site (although they do accept Port Authority of Allegheny County bus passes and tickets). You’ll want to stop in their gift shop to find fun and interesting mementos of your time on the incline.
3. Acrisure Stadium Tours
Immerse yourself in the world of Pittsburgh football with a behind-the-scenes tour of Acrisure Stadium, home of the Steelers and the Pitt Panthers. Considered one of the best football stadiums in the nation, they offer a variety of tour options with each providing an up-close view of stadium facilities.
You’ll get to see the Steelers locker room, the playing field, and the FedEx Great Hall showcasing some of the greatest moments of Steeler’s history on the Highlights and Ultimate tours. For a truly epic experience, book a Game Day tour where you’ll have pre-game access to the field and sidelines for amazing photo ops, along with other exclusive guided tours before game time.
Of course, you can also visit the stadium for a Steelers or Panthers game, concert, or private event, as well the annual Kickoff and Rib Festival where you can enjoy ribs from a variety of vendors, beverages, festival foods, games, and tour the FedEx Great Hall.
For more information on the tours and events, check out the Acrisure Stadium website.
4. 'Burgh Bits & Bites Food Tour
Enjoy a taste of Pittsburgh’s hottest culinary scenes with a 'Burgh Bits & Bites food tour, rated the city’s best! Each tour offers generous “bites” of the latest ethnic foods and traditional fare, accompanied by a delectable “side dish” of local history.
Tours are offered for the following locations, each accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, or create your own custom tour, ideal for groups and business events.
- Strip District
- Brookline,
- Lawrenceville,
- South Side
- Saxonburg
- Harmony
Whether you prefer your food paired with colorful and funky, artsy and historic, quaint and charming, or a simply delicious adventure, your taste buds will be thanking you. Book your guided food tour directly online at 'Burgh Bits & Bites.
5. Carnegie Museum of Natural History
If you're intrigued or simply filled with wonder by nature and the natural world that surrounds us, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History is one Pittsburgh destination you won't want to miss. With tens of millions of objects and specimens from throughout the world and down through the ages, nature’s finest is on full display and sure to delight all ages and interests.
Below is a sample of the fascinating and breathtaking galleries and exhibits you’ll find at this iconic natural history museum, known as one of the nation’s best.
- Dinosaurs in Their Time
- From Egypt to Pittsburgh
- Hall of Botany
- Discovery Basecamp
- Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians
- Hall of African Wildlife
- Wertz Gallery of Gems and Jewelry
- Bird Hall and Bug Hall
- Art of the Diorama
With so much to see and experience, be sure to purchase your timed ticket(s) to guarantee entrance for your preferred date and time. Don’t worry; once in with your confirmed ticket you can stay as long as you like!
6. Carnegie Science Center
With four floors filled with interactive exhibits, there is so much to see and experience at the Carnegie Science Center. From the earth’s waters to the stars and pretty much everything in between, this science museum is designed to captivate your mind and imagination.
The museum’s roster of live demonstrations and special exhibits guarantees you’ll find something new and exciting to explore, along with the many fun and engaging permanent exhibits and attractions including:
- Mars: The Next Giant Leap
- USS Requin (SS 481) (self-guided tour of actual submarine!)
- Buhl Planetarium & Observatory
- Rangos Giant Cinema (showing popular, science-related, and holiday movies)
- Highmark SportsWorks®
- Robot Hall of Fame
- SpacePlace
- BodyWorks
- H2Oh! (interactive waterways exhibit)
- NETL Energy Zone (National Energy Technology Laboratory electricity exhibit)
- Miniature Railroad & Village®
- Little Learner Clubhouse
- Bricksburgh (perfect for little ones and those who love building blocks!)
- Fab Lab Public Workshops
You’ll want to check out their calendar of special events packed full of fun and interesting activities and topics specifically geared to children, teens, and adults only.
Before visiting the science center, be sure to purchase your tickets online. Please note that while your General Admission ticket will give you access to most of the museum, there are a few areas where an additional fee is required.
7. Andy Warhol Museum
Embrace your artistic side with a visit to the Andy Warhol Museum. Housing the largest collection of Warhol art, films, and archives in the world, including his iconic “Campbell’s Soup Cans,” the museum is among the fun things to see in Pittsburgh.
The museum’s seven floors are filled with interactive experiences and displays. Stop in the 4th floor to view a large selection of his film and videos, including screen tests he took of the famous and non-famous. Then, make your own screen test using their digital screen test machine. You can even create your own Warhol-inspired artistic masterpiece at the museum’s hands-on art studio, The Factory. Welcoming all ages, the studio is open on select days of the week
You can purchase your tickets online or at the door. Check out their public programs and performances webpage and events calendar for the latest news on all the exciting things happening at this one-of-a-kind art museum that is as unique as the artist who inspired its creation!
8. Cathedral of Learning Tour
Soaring 535 feet into the Pittsburgh skyline, the 42-story Cathedral of Learning on the University of Pittsburgh campus is one of the city’s treasured landmarks. Housing the renowned Nationality and Heritage Rooms, the Gothic Revival-inspired skyscraper honors the many communities of people who have been instrumental in making Pittsburgh the great city it is today.
The following are just a sample of the ethnicities and heritages you can see on a guided tour of the cathedral’s 31 National and Heritage rooms.
- African Heritage Room
- Chinese Room
- Early American Room
- French Room
- German Room
- Indian Room
- Israel Heritage Room
- Greek Room
- Italian Room
- Korean Heritage Room
- Syria-Lebanon Room
- Polish Room
- Czechoslovak Room
- Ukrainian Room
Each room is beautiful and reflects the rich ethnic history of this captivating city. The university offers both 30- and 90-minute tours, including an evening tour. Book your in-person guided tour of this iconic building. It’s almost like taking a trip around the world!
9. Bike the Burgh Tour
Experience Pittsburgh’s well-known and not-so-well gems in an entirely new way with a 6- to 9-mile Bike the Burgh Tour. Their three-hour tours will have you pedaling along low-traffic streets, designated bike lanes, and bike trails along the rivers. Best yet, it’s all along flat terrain, which means no strenuous hills to climb!
All tours are led by an experienced bike/tour guide and perfect for families, individuals, and groups of friends. You can bring your own bike, but no worries if you’re packing light. You can rent an eight-speed bike, helmet, and even a bike trailer for real little ones who aren’t big enough to pedal on their own. They offer a variety of tours, including
- the highly popular Beauty of the Burgh Tour
- the “insider” Pittsburgh's Hidden Treasures Tour
- the super scenic Bridges in the Burgh Tour
- the sports lover’s Bike to the Ballgame Tour that ends at PNC Park or Acrisure Stadium to enjoy a baseball or football game and a cold beer!
Speaking of beer… They also offer a four-hour, adults-only Bikes & Brews Tour where you’ll visit four of the area’s great craft breweries and be treated to some great brews, fantastic food truck fare, and fun souvenirs.
Choose your favorite, then book your Bike the Burgh Tour for a scenic bike ride through Pittsburgh!
10. Walk the Burgh Tour
Don your walking shoes (or sneakers) for a fun, interesting, and engaging tour of “the Burgh” with a Walk the Burgh Tour(s). For close to a decade their intrepid guides have taken scores of visitors by and into the city’s landmarks, iconic buildings, storied neighborhoods, and adventure-filled stairways, including tours where you’ll find some of the city’s tastiest libations and eeriest venues.
Their selection of tours offered year-round includes:
- Best of the Burgh Tour, exploring the downtown’s most well-known and hidden gems
- Whiskey Tasting Tour, a delicious taste of the Burgh’s whiskey-filled past and present
- Black & Ghost Tour, an eerie downtown history lesson with a spooky twist
- Art N’AT Tour, a journey off the downtown’s beaten path to find hidden treasures of art
- Hollywood East Tour, visiting original film locations shot in and around the Burgh
- Discover Oakland Tour, an epicenter of museums, mansions, universities, and history
Hardier “soles” can experience a truly insider tour of the city with a Simply Steps: A City Steps Tour of Troy Hill & Spring Garden that takes you up and down a few of the city’s 800 or so stairways linking neighborhoods and cultures and offered May-Nov.
Each tour typically takes about two hours and most welcome all ages. With so many fantastic options, it may be hard to choose! Check out all their tours and book your favorite, including their nighttime Holiday Lights tour, for a super fun and interesting time with your friends or family.
11. Gateway Clipper Riverboat Cruise
Sail along Pittsburgh’s famed three rivers with a sightseeing cruise aboard one of the Gateway Clipper Fleet‘s riverboats. The cruises take you on all three rivers: the Allegheny, the Ohio, and the Monongahela, as entertaining and informative guides share fun facts and captivating stories of each river’s history and landmarks you pass along the way. They operate a full-service bar and a snack bar on board.
Enhance your sailing experience with a luncheon, dinner, or 21+ specialty dining cruise. They also offer Halloween Fun and Haunted cruises on select dates in the fall, as well as a variety of seasonal themed cruises throughout the year.
Make the cruising experience extra special for the little ones with their kids themed cruises featuring some of their favorite princesses, comic book, and blockbuster movie heroes for a meet and greet and DJ dance party. Be sure to check their website to see when all these and all the extra-special cruises are being offered and availability.
Check the booking availability and secure your spot for a three rivers cruise!
12. Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar
No trip to Pittsburgh would be complete without a pilgrimage to Primanti Bros.’ original, Strip District location. Named one of “America’s Classic Restaurants” by none other than James Beard, this classic has been serving up its “classic” Pitts-burger® sandwich since 1933.
Be sure to arrive hungry because this massive sandwich starts off with two thick slices of Italian bread piled high with your choice of grilled meat, a big slice of melted Provolone, a mound of hand cut french fries, sweet yet tangy cole slaw, and topped with two slices of fresh tomato. It is a true Pittsburgh experience all its own.
Afterwards, you might want to start planning a Primanti Bros. roadtrip. They have expanded from their humble beginnings so you can find this famed restaurant at more than 40 locations, each one featuring that classic taste of Pittsburgh.
13. Passport to Pittsburgh Tours
Don’t have a lot of time but want to see as much of Pittsburgh as you can?! Enjoy a whirlwind tour of Pittsburgh’s landmarks, attractions, and neighborhoods on the Pittsburgh 101 Tour offered by Passport to Pittsburgh. This “crash course” of the city’s environs is just one of the many delightful tours they offer both in the city and the surrounding areas, along with numerous special interest tours.
Whichever tour you choose, whether it’s one of their many food-centric tours (Pass The Pierogies Tour, for example), seasonal, or specialty tours (Brews and Pews tour of churches and microbreweries), you are guaranteed to have learned and experienced something new and leave with something to remember with a smile, i.e., their “Tourism Trifecta.”
Explore their Pittsburgh tours to find something perfect for your visit! These tours sell out quickly, so plan to book your spot before arriving in the Steel CIty!
14. Bicycle Heaven
Stop by Bicycle Heaven to see the world's largest bicycle museum and bike shop. Housing 6,000 antique, rare, collectible, and new and used bikes, this little slice of (bicycle) heaven is worth the trip just to see their special exhibit featuring the Schwinn DX Cruiser featured in the 1985 film classic, “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” that starred Pee-wee Herman, along with bikes seen in movies “A Beautiful Mind,” “Super 8,” “Fathers & Daughters,” to name but a few.
Their expansive collection of bicycles includes a 19th-century “Boneshaker,” hundreds of bikes that date back to the early 1900s, and 17 of the 30 or so of the first fiberglass bikes ever made and known as the Bowden Spacelander. Add to that, their collection extends to a wide variety of bike memorabilia and bike-related, pop star merchandise.
You can even trade, rent, or purchase a new or used bike for yourself, get your bike tuned up, or find that really hard-to-find part your bike is missing. Bicycle Heaven is open daily, and owners Craig and Mindy offer free admission!
15. All Day Hop On, Hop Off Tour Pass
Hop aboard a bright red, double-decker bus and enjoy a day of Pittsburgh sightseeing with a “hop on, hop off” tour offered by The Pittsburgh Tour Company. The tour makes 21 stops and along the way, you’ll be entertained by friendly and funny guides who’ll share engaging stories about the city’s history, landmarks, art, and iconic buildings.
Hop off and indulge your cultural side at the Andy Warhol Museum, the Heinz History Center, or the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Take in a game at Heinz Field or PNC Park, grab a bite to eat in the bustling Strip District, or scope out spectacular views from the scenic overlook on Mount Washington. Explore on your own, then hop on a later tour bus.
They even offer haunted tours on Friday and Saturday nights in the fall if you want to explore Pittsburgh’s spooky side. It’s easy to plan your Pittsburgh trip when you book your all-day tour pass for a hop-on, hop-off adventure or opt for a shorter sightseeing trip only with their Just The Tour pass for a once-around, 2.25-hour tour of Pittsburgh’s cultural, historic, architectural, and shopping gems.
16. Pittsburgh Signature Guided Brewery Tour
Calling all craft beer lovers! Enjoy VIP access to some of the best and biggest breweries in Pittsburgh on The Pittsburgh Signature Brew Tour offered by City Brew Tours. You’ll visit three of the city’s stellar craft breweries, each with its own unique ambiance and beer styles on your 3.5-hour tour.
Each tour is led by a guide who knows the Steel City and knows beer. Along with a behind-the-scenes tour of each brewery, up to 12 samples of fine craft beer, and a delicious local snack, you’ll get to expand your beer knowledge from the history of this storied beverage from ancient times to today’s modern brewing methods. Contact City Brew Tours to arrange your exclusive beer tour today.
After the tour, extend the “hoppiness” by subscribing to City Brew Tours’ monthly beer box. Each box is packed with eight craft beer samples from select breweries in a particular city from throughout the U.S. When the winter holidays roll around, surprise your beer loving buddies with a “12 Days of Christmas” or “8 Days of Hanukkah” beer box.
17. Pittsburgh Outdoor Escape Game
Explore Pittsburgh in a whole new and exciting way with Questo’s Discover Pittsburgh outdoor escape game. With intriguing clues and puzzles to solve, you’ll find some of the Steel City’s hidden gems as you make your way from the Strip District’s unique food markets, restaurants, and shops to the Heinz History Center where you’ll learn about the city’s amazing past and its impact on U.S. history.
Next stop: the fun interactive activities and exhibits at the Andy Warhol Museum housing the world’s largest collection of the amazing artwork of Pittsburgh’s favorite son, Andy Warhol. The game ends on the North Shore with its spectacular views of the city’s skyline and storied bridges.
To play, download the Questo game on your mobile device and follow the city-specific instructions. There’s no need to worry about time expiring because unlike typical escape room challenges there’s no time limit to complete this escape game and one of the most fun things to do in Pittsburgh!
18. Pittsburgh Scavenger Hunt
Bar crawling just got better with this twist on tradition! The Let’s Roam “Party Through Pittsburgh” Bar Crawl Scavenger Hunt will provide plenty of laughs and entertainment and fun evening out. The two-hour-long, eight-stop scavenger hunt is designed for maximum adventure, whether with a bunch of friends or groups looking for fun Pittsburgh activities with individualized roles and challenges for everyone.
The game begins when you start searching for clues as you walk to various bars on Carson Street. Discover clues found on statues, plaques, and other hidden sites as you traipse from bar to bar guided by the scavenger hunt’s interactive questions and photo challenges. Along the way, you might even learn some things about Pittsburgh you never know before!
Purchase single scavenger hunt tickets or an unlimited annual pass covering you and your entire posse for scavenger hunts at a wide variety of locations.
19. Pittsburgh Parks
Take a break from the city’s hustle and bustle and escape to the great outdoors at one of the city’s awesome parks without ever leaving the Burgh. First, get your Primanti Bros. sandwich to go (or food from one of the city’s other fantastic eateries!), spread out a blanket, and then sit back and enjoy a delicious al fresco lunch or early dinner surrounded by the sights and sounds of Mother Nature.
These are a few of our favorite parks in Pittsburgh:
- Schenley Park
- Point State Park
- Point of View Park
- Frick Park
- West End Overlook Park
- Arsenal Park
- Highland Park
- Grandview Park
20. Local Pittsburgh Landmarks
There’s so much to see and do in Pittsburgh that we couldn’t limit the count to just 20, so below are some other of our favorite spots you might want to check out next time you’re in the Burgh!
- Water Steps and Canal Square in in the North Shore Riverfront Park
- Market Square
- Fort Pitt Block House
- The Tribute to Children, Fred Rogers Memorial
- August Wilson Center for African American History
- Church of the Epiphany
- Inventionland
- Carnegie Museum of Art
We've highlighted some amazing things to do near Pittsburgh and in the city’s environs, but the greater Pennsylvania has so much more to offer. In-state and out-of-state travelers looking for unique overnight accommodations or day trip advice will find just what they're looking for on the VISIT PA website. From dining and wineries to events and outdoor adventures, visitpa can help you plan a Pennsylvania trip packed with excitement and help you plan the best experience in Pennsylvania.
Stay in the loop with upcoming events and the best bucket list destinations in Pennsylvania. Subscribe to our newsletter today and start planning your next trip to PA!