10 Things to do with Kids in Pittsburgh

 

 

1. Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Kids love dinosaurs, and what could be more fun than digging for dinosaur bones? My kids’ favorite part of this museum is in the dinosaur room, with actual bones buried in rock. The kids can suit up and goggle up, grab a chisel and a brush and dig for bones!

 

 

2. Find the Dinosaurs! Ready for more dinosaurs? If you have little money and an afternoon to explore the city, a fun way to do it is going on hunt for the Dinomite Days Dinosaurs. Sprinkled around Pittsburgh are Dinosaur statues that were created by various artists and commissioned by various companies. Make sure and spot the Triceratops that looks like a Heinz Ketchup bottle, and the Mr. Rogers Dino, too.

 

3. Andy Warhol Museum. You absolutely cannot visit Pittsburgh and NOT visit the museum for Andy. Perhaps best for older kids, this museum displays some of the most interesting artwork done by the man who made pop culture, well, popular. My favorite (and a favorite for the kids as well,) is the is the cloud room filled with silver helium balloons. FUN!

 

4. Raccoon Creek State Park has it all. A beach (man made, of course), fishing, boat rentals, water bike rentals, gorgeous hiking trails, and a wildflower reserve. A great way to get your kids out and moving!

 

5. Bike Pittsburgh! Pittsburgh in recent years has become incredibly bike friendly (and one of the top 5 safest biking cities). There are plenty of trails and rentals, and if you check out bike-pgh.org for plenty of events, maps and more.

 

6. Dinner & a Movie at The Waterfront. This is one of Pittsburgh’s newest shopping/dining areas. At Pizzaria Uno, kids can make their own pizza, and then it is taken and cooked for them. Then, take in a movie at the Waterfront’s AMC theater. It looks like something out of Aladdin with HUGE gold pillars, sparkleing siudewalks and hanging candies and popcorn dangling from the ceiling.

 

7. Station Square. While it might not pop up on the radar for most Pittsburgh parents, Station Square holds a treasure of great activities to do with the kids. The Gateway Clipper fleet is a group of old-time steam boats that tour the city, and frequently have kid-related rides such as ice cream socials. Station Square also has the dancing fountains that kids love to play in (the fountains dance to music)~the Hard Rock cafe has a great patio over looking the fountains. The Just Ducky tours are land/water tours of the city. If you have older kids, you can take a tour of the city on segways! Finally, anyone visiting Pittsburgh should make sure to take a trip on one of the inclines, which happen to be right there at Station Square.

 

8. Carnegie Science Center is a blast with kids of any age. They have an actual submarine you can walk through, a Imax theater, a robot display, and so many fun activities, your day will fly by with not a whisper of the dreaded word… bored!

 

9. Idlewild. If you happen to be in the Pittsburgh area in the summer, and have a day to spend, Idlewild is the PERFECT kids’ park (and ranked #1 in the country!) The storybook forest is a wonderful way for little ones to see their favorite stories come to life. There’s an attached waterpark and a wave pool as well, so even older kids can enjoy it.

 

10. During the holiday season, Downtown Pittsburgh is a wonderland. The streets are lit up and everywhere you turn there are things to see. Start at Macy’s and take in the exquisite window displays, walk a few blocks down, and take in Market Square and PPG place. The gingerbread house contest displays are always a favorite, and after working up an appetite for the holidays, head on over to the ice rink in PPG place!

 

Got any more Pittsburgh tips? Leave them in the comments!