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.

This year's spring flower exhibit is one of their most fun yet! Due to the cost of visiting, it…read moremakes most sense to buy the annual membership since after one visit you've already paid 33% of it. They'll even apply your ticket to an annual membership at the end of your visit. Just talk to the ticketing booth. This is an iconic Pittsburgh institution and what it lacks in size relative to other botanical gardens in the world, it makes up for it in beauty. Take the greenhouses, the structures are hundreds of years old and are beautifully and painstakingly restored. The current Panama exhibit is fantastic showcasing tropical flora and fauna. This is also a great place to bring kids. The butterfly exhibit is on hold for renovations, but when it's back on your have to bring your kiddos here to see it. Also, their annual train display is always a showstopper. So many noteworthy things to say but that's all for now.

This was the only stop I made in Pittsburg while I was driving through as plants and greenhouses…read moreare something I love! I am so happy with the decision to stop here. It was beautiful inside and even the exterior was photo-worthy. There are multiple rooms to visit (including an outdoor area) and I would have to say that the orchid room was my favorite. The gift shop almost serves as a plant shop where you can buy pots and new plants. I wish there was a little more merchandise to choose from in the gift shop, but I found a little magnet to commemorate my visit. Thanks, Phipps!

For the museum lovers in the crowd, this is a decent museum. I do remember thinking like a snooty…read moreelite a few times that those accustomed to museums abroad in Europe would think this was weaksauce -- in terms of the art presented and the amount of art (or lack thereof). That said, you DO get entry into not just the museum but also the History museum while there, so your day can be rather full if you want to check out more than just art (e.g., dinosaur bones and other fossils). And perhaps most interestingly -- for those who haven't been to Europe, currently there museum has these huge stone structures that you would find in, say, Rome or elsewhere. I can only imagine how they transported these! But for someone who hasn't gotten to see the immensity of something like an old historic church embellished with stone sculptures that put our basic designs to shame, this is an experience worth having... Get there while they have them if they are part of a temporary exhibit! Bottom line: Decent. Good for the kids, too.

I stopped by the Carnegie Museum of Art because I was looking for something fun to do inside. The…read moreCarnegie International is on display throughout the museum. Super cool, this is the 59th year and is the longest running exhibit in North America. This year titled "If the word we". As I was standing in the lobby reading about the exhibit, a small group started to assemble and a docent arrived for a free art walk of some classical pieces on display. In all my years of going to the museum, this was my first docent led tour and it was really interesting. It lasted about an hour and was very interactive with the guests. I really enjoyed.

We went to the 5th annual chalk fest on Isabella St near Allegheny Landing…read more It was absolutely fantastic. We have gone for several years and loved it every time. The level of artistry and connection to Pittsburgh and pop culture increases yearly. Adults and kids alike absolutely love it. There were nods to famous athletes this year like baseball great Bill Mazerovski. Andy Warhol, our most well known artist, was featured in two creative works. The giant duck reappeared in person and in art this year with a creative piece by the water. We also saw Jeff Goldbloom and Noah Wylie whose mother was from Pittsburgh. There were also other animal and pop culture icons used in the other pieces. I also liked that kids could draw on the sidewalk and come up with their own artistic creations. They were also out enjoying the water steps nearby. That's when you know summer is near. When you come to Allegheny Landing, you see so many great city and water views. We took some amazing pics.

Lovely park nestled along the Allegheny River next to the Ballpark. There's a sloping green, some…read morepublic art sculptures, and some benches. The trail was restored this past year by Riverlife. They planted native plants and created a rain garden. The park was once the site of the annual WYEP concert, which has since moved to a larger space at Schenley Plaza. The dock is a stop for the River Taxi. You will often find photographers using the park for photo shoots, especially for engagements and model porfolios. I also find a lot of Pokemon players here, it's quite a hotspot for that.

There are lots of house tours in the region, but this is consistently one of the best. There are…read moregreat houses in Observatory Hill which are hidden treasures. There's lots of history here, especially with the neighborhood's connection to the former City of Allegheny. The neighborhood stretches out along beautiful Riverview Park, so that makes the tours a bit of a trek, but well worth the trouble.

We love doing house tours all over Pittsburgh and we have a special affection for the Observatory…read moreHill Tour because our daughter lives in the neighborhood. Homeowners open all or part of their homes for the afternoon to people interested in touring their homes by purchasing a ticket. Booklets of information are provided on all the open homes and neighborhood highlights. Typically the owners are present, along with several others stationed strategically throughout the home to provide information & also security for the homeowners. This year's tour was particularly easy because Molly's Trolleys provided transportation to all the streets on the tour complete with a guide that pointed out interesting tidbits on the neighborhoods. Typically we have to move the car a few times, park, and walk and the trolley was definitely easier. Most of the homes in this neighborhood were built anywhere from 1900-1930's in a variety of styles from those periods - Victorian, Tudor, craftsman, California bungalow, Gothic revival, Pittsburgh four square, etc. Many have been lovingly restored to their former glory or updated to more of today's style with walls removed to provide an open concept during the renovations and many of the homes are quite large and grand. Some homeowners even decide to show the raw almost ramshackle house they are in the process of renovating. Most homeowners proudly display their before and after photos of what they've accomplished and are anxious to share their personal stories. Once you get on Observatory Hill's mailing list, you receive a postcard and/or email notifying you of the next tour so you never have to miss out. It's a great way to get a true feel of what it's like to live in the neighborhood and discover which sections appeal to you the most.

I'm seeing all the Troy Art Houses (currently four but soon to be five). This was the second…read morereservation I made (free but you can tip your volunteer docents if you are able). This house had an essence of sterility, which felt like a 180-degree flip from the feel and warm quirk of La Hutte. The artist who envisioned this house was equally creative but sourced from his own interpretation of what the history of the Kunz family may have looked like -- plus a house that incorporates their white sterility if a lab on floor one, the dusty electronic secrets of a basement where hobbies bring to life illegal radio transmissions, to the second floor with a sense of destruction through fire, to the attic that feels like creating alters with pieces of history including the artist's sample of blood and his wife's lock of Bottom line: This house isn't as rich aesthetically but is rich in its story -- fictional or otherwise. Worth a quick see!

Another one of the three Troy Hill Art Houses (a fourth and final one is scheduled to open in…read more2024). Free admission, but online reservations are required. There are a variety of artistic themes happening in the different rooms and floors of this house, including the back yard. Lots of detail for you to observe. I think it is really cool, and worthwhile of your time to visit ... Cheers! Online reservations can be made here . . . https://www.troyhillarthouses.com/

We had an awesome experience at the Clemente Museum! The guided tour was excellent, and our guide…read morewas knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about sharing Roberto Clemente's incredible story and legacy. You could really feel the history throughout the museum. Highly recommend taking the tour -- it was a memorable experience from start to finish!

This place was awesome. It's not a massive space for a museum, but there is so much interesting…read morestuff inside the space. Even if you know very little about Clemente or not a big baseball fan, this museum really walks you through who he was, what his values were, and the impact he made. The employees inside are extremely helpful and knowledgeable too. We did the self-guided open house, and liked it. Also, a MASSIVE shoutout to Mr. Rieder, who ended up talking to me for about 40 minutes as I wandered into a spot I wasn't supposed to. Go here, it's well worth it.

You can't take pictures... which adds to the surprise, but if you like something super quirky like…read morea dilapidated house that an artist purchased for $9,000 to then completely "remodeled" into an odd art piece in and of itself -- with cool photography by the artists, floor-to-ceiling record (literally), ceiling fans used like table lamps, ear molds and canned produce in jars mimicking preserved body parts, and crawl spaces to different rooms and up to the attic where you finish the (by appointment only) tour with an odd video of the artist himself... this is your kind of place, too. Bottom line: Shhh -- keep this place a secret but also go, go, go!

Free Admission ... Highly recommended ... This is the…read moreoriginal (out of three (there will be a fourth in the near future)) of the Troy Hill Art Houses. Without giving spoilers, I will only say that the inside of this house is really cool, and totally worth your while to visit. Make your reservation online, arrive on time, and enjoy ... Cheers! P.S. Contrary to what the listing says on Yelp, this art museum is NOT closed, it is open on weekends by appointment. See web site for details . . . https://www.troyhillarthouses.com/