10 of Our Favorite Things to Do in Pittsburgh – A Local View

Explore Local Museums

You may know Pittsburgh as the Steel City thanks to its (mostly former) history of making a good percentage of the world’s steel. But Pittsburgh has had numerous historical impacts you may not be aware of, such as being the Gateway to the West in the early days of the USA, the launching point for the Lewis & Clark expedition, home to many modern inventions like the Polio vaccine, and so much more.

As such, it should not be a surprise that one of the best things to do in Pittsburgh is to visit a local history museum, and we have many!

For a holistic look at all things Pittsburgh, do not overlook a stop at the Heinz History Center in the Strip District, just outside of downtown proper. This massive museum will have you busy all day learning about our local history (including exhibits to Mr. Rogers, Heinz products, and so much more than just historical events!), and if you want more, a stop at the Fort Pitt Museum at Point State Park also focuses on the early settlement days in the region as well.

But beyond history, there are a number of other world-class museums in Pittsburgh you may want to consider when visiting too, like the Andy Warhol Museum (the largest dedicated to a single artist in North America), the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History (both museums can be enjoyed on the same ticket), and many more.

Hit an Off-Beat Museum, Too

Pittsburgh’s museum scene is much larger than just history museums, though, and we have some rather offbeat museums that visitors may want to consider as well!

Did you know that Pittsburgh is home to Bicycle Heaven, which brands itself as the world’s largest bike store/museum? Or the Bayernhof Museum, which is one part German-inspired mansion tour home to a massive collection of self-playing music machines (reservations required)? Or a modest Big Mac Museum at an area location, as the famous burger was thought to be invented in the area? Or perhaps even Randyland, one of the most colorful art installations in the state. We even have the Center for PostNatural History, which features exhibits on all things genetically modified by man!

Be sure to try out something a bit more out there when visiting Pittsburgh, because we sure do have a lot of great, unusual museums!

Bike the River Trails

One unique geographical element of Pittsburgh is that the city is home to three rivers, where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers combine to form the start of the Ohio River at the confluence of downtown Pittsburgh. (Which, going back to the historical element of the city, made it a rather strategic military outpost in the colonial days.)

When the city began to grow as an industrial city, most of the riverfront was used for industry, with many train lines running along the shores to haul glass, iron, steel, and other products out of the city.

These days, most of the train lines are gone, and a great deal of the land has been reclaimed into riverfront rail trails like the North Shore trail (running in front of Acrisure Stadium, PNC Park, and with some seriously epic city views- it is great for walking, too) as well as the Great Allegheny Passage (running along the southern side of the city, continuing on for ~150 miles before connecting to the C&O Canal Towpath that makes its way all the way to Washington DC– a stunning multi-day ride), and other segments that cross nearly all sections of the riverfront within the city limits.

So if you have a nice day while visiting and want to get some exercise, rent a bike and go for a ride on our river trails for the incredible city views!

• Want to get out on the rivers instead? Take a tour on the Gateway Clipper to see the city from the water or perhaps go kayaking with a rental from Kayak Pittsburgh– their seasonal boat dock is located on the water next to the convention center!

Sports Games (and Sports Tours)

Another nickname for Pittsburgh is The City of Champions, as our local sports teams have won a great number of championships over the years. So it should be no surprise that we have some form of sports going on most weeks of the year, be it Pittsburgh Steelers football, Pirates baseball (playing at PNC Park- arguably the most beautiful ballpark in the country), Penguins hockey, our local soccer teams, the Riverhounds (men’s) and Riveters (women’s), college sports, and so much more.

We even have some sports museums, like the Roberto Clemente Museum, too!

• Looking for a little different sports experience? We are quite partial to the behind-the-scenes tours of PNC Park if you’re into baseball. Book a day where you can enter the clubhouse if your schedule works out!

Don’t Miss the Brewery Scene

We are the first to recognize that craft beer has had a resurgence just about everywhere these days, but Pittsburgh itself is truly a craft beer city. In southwest Pennsylvania, we’ve personally been to about 100 breweries in Pittsburgh over the years (~80 or so open at the time of publication), and you don’t have to travel very far to find some of the country’s best beer.

For IPA drinkers, we recommend Dancing Gnome in Sharpsburg, Coven Brewing and Lolev in Lawrenceville, and Abstract Realm at Hazelwood Brewhouse to name a few. If you like fruited sours, Abjuration Brewing in McKees Rocks and at Hazelwood Brewhouse is a real treat. For European brews, Golden Age Brewing in Homestead knocks them out of the park (and is a great stop on the way back to the city if going to Kennywood), and their Czech beer hall, The Bohemian, serves up classic pours in the North Side, and Late Addition Brewing nearby makes some delicious styles as well. We even have a ginger beer brewery, Jackworth Ginger Beer in Larimer, too!

For those who want breweries that specialize in a bit of everything while still having exceptional quality, Grist House has locations all over the city (their closest being in Millvale), Brew Gentlemen in Braddock is a popular spot with pop-ups all over the city in the summer months (such as at Shore Thing on the river trail seasonally), and Four Points Brewing in the North Side just a few blocks away from Late Addition.

Suffice it to say, you have your work cut out for you if you want to explore Pittsburgh’s beer scene!

• Look out for a lot of great local food trucks popping up at area breweries, too. The Japanese milk bread sandwich truck, Gari Shoyu, and Oaxacan food pop-up, Lula La Chula, are two of our favorites!

Local Whiskey (and Rum) Rocks, Too

Did you know that Pittsburgh was home to a popular whiskey style in the colonial days? Monongahela Rye was one of the original whiskeys made in the United States, well before Kentucky’s distilling scene blew up, and was, for a while at least, lost to history until many local distilleries found the recipes, started growing the grains locally, and revived the style.

This kick-started a massive distillery scene in the area, with many producers found throughout. But to us, one of the best is none other than Liberty Pole Spirits, a whiskey distillery in Washington, PA, located about 40 minutes south of the city off of I-79. Not only do they make world-class whiskeys, but their on-site food and beverage program is also a real treat. Book a tour to see their rickhouse, and don’t forget to try a sample of their peated bourbon whiskey- our favorite!

But if you’re looking for something a bit closer, Pittsburgh is also home to one of the most awarded rum distilleries in the country, Maggie’s Farm Rum, which has impressive blends, single barrel picks, Queen’s share premium releases, an incredible Falernum, and so much more. Be sure to swing by their bar in the Strip District to sample some of their products, and don’t forget to try a painkiller- it’s one of the best we’ve ever had.

• If you’re spending any amount of time in the Strip District while visiting and want to sample more local producers (or if you can’t make the drive out to Liberty Pole), stop by Pennsylvania Libations, as they carry many regional producers and even give out samples to those 21+!

World Class Dining Scene

Much like how the term craft beer is starting to be overplayed, the term farm-to-table is also a buzzword you can hear anywhere. But, while we could make the argument that Pittsburgh does have an excellent farm-to-table scene (go a few miles out of the city in any direction and you can find some incredible farmland), the simple truth is that Pittsburgh’s food scene is just disproportionately good for its size, and a lot of the ingredients are sourced locally.

Although we could talk about famous Pittsburgh foods and local institutions all day long, if you want to take a dive into the best of Pittsburgh’s food scene right now, don’t overlook any of the top 10 restaurants in Pittsburgh. Popular spots like the vegan Eastern European restaurant, Apteka, in Bloomfield (get the pierogi); Scandinavian-inspired, Fet Fisk, also in Bloomfield (get the chicken plus an array of fish options), and so much more should not be missed while visiting alongside local treasures like Pamela’s Diner and other tourist favorites.

Check out all of the Pittsburgh restaurants we’ve reviewed so far at the previous link!

Pittsburgh is a Green City – Visit a Park

One thing visitors to Pittsburgh are shocked about is how green the city is. Gone are the days when Pittsburgh was an industrial hub, and the region at large is full of many beautiful parks, including within the city limits themselves!

So if you have a bit of time while the weather is beautiful, take a walk around our beautiful green spaces like Point State Park, Frick Park (home to Mac Miller’s blue slide park), or Schenley Park to name a few! It really is to forget you are in the heart of a major city when checking out these exceptional spaces, and even these are only a selection of some of the best nearby as Allegheny County is home to other impressive spots like North Park and South Park, Deer Lakes Park, and many more, too!

Check the Events Calendar

As you may have guessed by now, there is always something going on in Pittsburgh, and there are way more events than anyone could do on any given day.

When visiting, be sure to check out our local events calendar to see if any unique one-off, monthly, or annual events are taking place! Some of the latter that we absolutely love are the Three Rivers Arts Festival in June, Beers of the Burgh in June, the Vintage Grand Prix in late July / early August, Picklesburgh in July, Barrel and Flow Fest in August, the Festival of Combustion in October, Light Up Night in November, and so, so many more.

So if you can time your visit around a popular annual event, you’ll get even more fun when visiting Pittsburgh!

• For a full list of popular annual festivals in Pittsburgh, click the previous link.

Have More Time? Don’t Forget a Day Trip

Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that there is even more to do in southwest PA outside the city limits, and if you have enough time, a day trip to a nearby borough or county should not be overlooked.

For those who like nature, a trip to the Laurel Highlands to incredible state parks like Laurel Hill State Park (excellent for fall colors) and Ohiopyle State Park is a must, and the latter is near one of the most famous Frank Lloyd Wright houses in the world- Fallingwater (get a reservation)! Or consider McConnells Mill State Park north of the city, which is home to an old mill and covered bridge, while Moraine State Park’s beautiful Lake Arthur is also a short drive away- take a ride on the Preston’s Pearl boat tour during their operating season!

If history is more your thing, make the short drive out of the city to Carrie Furnace in Rankin to get a tour of a preserved blast furnace and learn about Pittsburgh’s steelmaking days, or go check out our local theme park, Kennywood, just a few miles away, too!

Grab a Copy of The Pittsburgh Guidebook

Looking for even more recommendations for things to do in Pittsburgh? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered over on our sister blog, Discover the Burgh, but if you are looking for even more recommendations and want to support our sites, pick up a copy of our book, The Pittsburgh Guidebook: 175 Things to Do in Pittsburgh, which features many of the above recommendations plus more that will keep you busy for weeks on end!

Our book is available in print on services like Amazon, in local book stores, and even in a digital PDF download on our book’s website (at the above link), too!

Do you have a favorite thing to do when you visit Pittsburgh? Comment below to share, and read more on our sister blog, Discover the Burgh!