This is the quintessential Brownsville historical attraction. If you are looking for a prize of…read morelocal history you cannot find anywhere else then look no further

I have heard of Nemacolin Castle, but had thought it was near the resort by the same name. It…read morewasn't until I entered the address into the GPS that I learned it is located in Brownsville. Husband and I decided to visit when the Christmas tour was offered. We got a history lesson on the man who founded a trading post and built the castle. The Bowman family was quite influential in the area. It is impressive to be made aware of the history behind the family and the home. The home is managed by the historical society and volunteers. It would be great if they would get some additional funding for restoring the home. Right now, they rely on donations and admission fees to maintain the upkeep. There are areas of sagging floors and peeling wallpaper. It is fortunate that most of the furniture items were actually owned and used by the family. The piano is beautiful and one of the first to come to the area. The home was decorated for the Christmas holiday. Admission is $15 for adults and tickets may be purchased online or at the door. On busy times, I would recommend reservations. Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. We were in a tour of about 18-24 people which was too large of a group. The some of the rooms were small and we were crammed in to hear the guide. Still, it was a nice way to spend a rainy Saturday before Christmas. I want to return when they have a haunted tour next fall.

This is a wonderful little museum located just three miles west of Ligonier. I do want to emphasize…read morethe word "little" since the museum itself is housed in the former Darlington Station, used by the Ligonier Valley Railroad. But though it be small, it be mighty and chock full of exhibits and information. The mission of the museum is to preserve the history of the Ligonier Valley Railroad, which ran from 1877 to 1952, carrying millions of people and tons (literally) of freight. In the name of preserving that history, the museum has collected over 3,000 items, from lanterns to dinnerware to maps to photos...and so on. The volunteers are wonderful and knowledgeable, so I definitely recommend letting them talk you through the highlights of the collection and the railroad's operations. Their storytelling abilities truly brought the history behind this museum to life when I visited; and their insight into the railroad's influence and impact helped me appreciate the area that much more as I walked through Ligonier itself. Definitely take the time to visit this little gem during your next trip through Ligonier. Before you leave, take the time to explore the caboose housed on the property as well!

This historic gem has so much to offer. There's a number of knowledgable people that help staff and…read morerun the railroad museum. Be sure to check it out and also hit it up on the Free Museum Days, they have a cute set up that day. There's also a Fall event I can't recall, but it's loads of fun and enjoyable for little to old!

We stumbled on this terrific small museum during a return trip from Virginia to Pittsburgh. They…read morehad amazing propaganda posters of women in the military. They had many unique ww2 uniforms from Germany, Canada, us, japan. Ive attached some pics to entice others to stop by at this hidden gem. The docent was knowledgable and friendly. They had a donation based cafe. We ordered take out and they slipped in some extra pie for us. Thank you! We ve added the living history event in June to our calendar.

Attended a 1 hr Behind the Scenes of Dinosaur Bones tour advertised to members. $50 per person 10…read morepeople per group. Limited number of tickets. Well worth money spent. Our tour was led by the head pf the department. The breadth of her knowledge of the museum, her predecessors, and collection was impressive. Did you know that England has a copy of our T Rex in their Natural History museum? Dippy's extra bones need a new resting place. Currently they have been resting on this shelf since 1800's. The wood is injuring the bottom of the fossil. (I think dinosaur lovers would donate the $30k to get Dippy's bones a new resting place.) Researchers come to study the collection. Fork lifts are used to transfer the bones from one surface to the next. A local college student found an undiscovered amphibian while searching for fern fossils on FedEx property by Pittsburgh International Airport. It was named after FedEx and the student: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/100315-new-fossil-amphibian-fedex Great experience! Would definitely attend again. I wonder what is Behind the Scenes of the art museum ...

This section of Pittsburgh has a lot to offer. You would have to take an Uber or Lyft from…read moredowntown. This is a World class combined art and history museum. Your admission ticket includes both the art and natural history museums. Admission is half price after 3pm, but the museum closes at 5:00. A few minutes away from the museum you have the Heinz Chapel, Nationality Rooms, and the outfield wall of Forbes Field.

A hidden gem full of hidden gems!! The Westmoreland Museum…read moreof American Art is nestled perfectly in Greensburg with stunning views inside and out. We stumbled upon their Putt-A-Palooza: Art Inspired Mini Golf Exhibit and... of course... had to give it a try, but the golf only helped to showcase the stunning layout and amazing Pittsburgh exhibits. The mini golf had 9 holes that were all inspired by a piece of art on the premise. With point systems similar to Putt Shack and even a battle hole where all four players tee off at once to put it in the hole first. But... then you could receive bonus points by finding the matching art piece in the museum and answering trivia. With the gold exhibit only open til the end of summer, go now!! I can't wait to see what new exhibits and fun events that they host in this space. With discounts for members, we may have to consider joining.

Art in Bloom 2026 was another AMAZING exhibit. I truly do not understand why more people are not…read moretalking about this! This exhibit blends art + nature in the most beautiful way, challenging local floral designers to reimagine pieces from the gallery through stunning arrangements. It's colorful, creative, and exactly the kind of spring energy us Pittsburghers all need during the transition between grey winter and spring!

Beautiful venue. I…read morewas here for a formal Pitt event, and was very impressed with the beautiful facilities, which do honor to the memories of Soldiers and Sailors who have served the United States. The auditorium is expansive and really beautiful, and the exhibits honoring different groups of soldiers and sailors who fought in different conflicts is impressive. It was originally built to honor Union soldiers from the US Civil War, and expanded over the years - well worth a visit to learn about these events and know your History!

This is one of those Pittsburgh attractions that everyone knows exists but many people have never…read morebeen inside. It is part museum, part event venue and works well for both. There is a parking lot under the lawn of the museum that is very reasonably priced, but there is also street parking in the area along with other surface lots. The museum portion of the space is interesting, but you get a lot more out of it if you are able to take a tour. There is just some information that can't be conveyed well with just looking at the objects. It is an absolutely beautiful space and while the exhibits might not take a large amount of time to go through, you'll enjoy the time you spend there. The auditorium is well maintained and the seats fairly comfortable, especially for an older venue. It is the type of place where you can't really have a bad seat. Overall, a great place to spend some time and absolutely worth a visit.

The Andy Warhol Museum is a great place to spend a couple hours before a Pittsburgh Pirates game…read more There are a bunch of levels in this museum, and it's pretty easy to navigate. A ton of art work throughout Andy Warhol's life. The iconic paintings of Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Campbell's Soup, and Coca-Cola are all here. I had a fun time in the video booth where you can record your own distorted video just how Andy Warhol used to record his guests. The museum is $25 for adults, $13 for seniors, $13 for students with ID, and $13 for kids 3-18 years old. Located right by PNC Park the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

I didn't know much about Andy Warhol but the 7 floors of information and art gave me a good…read moreunderstanding of his artistic progression and range and life both in (from) Pittsburgh to NY and elsewhere. He was not just an interesting eccentric that pushed culture forward but someone who found a way to make money off his art in advertising while also having a style of his own and forays into film. While this is the Warhol museum, there are pieces by others on the ground floor, including collaborators. Bottom line: Worth a view if you are a museums person and like modern art.

Bradford House was built by the lawyer David Bradford in 1788 and today is a National Historic…read moreLandmark and museum. David, his wife, his many children, and his servants lived in this stone house until 1794, when they fled to avoid David's arrest for his role in the Whiskey Rebellion. Depending on the month, Bradford House offers drop-in and scheduled tours. The drop-in tours are for individuals and small groups and have no admission fee, although donations are appreciated. Group tours should be arranged in advance and do have an admission fee. I read on their website that for groups they offer dining-room parties that serve teas and 18th-century-style foods--sounds fun! My husband and I were walk-ins for a tour. Two docents who were dressed in period clothing walked us through the house: the foyer, parlor, and dining room on the first floor; the beautiful mahogany stairwell and the simpler servants' stairwell; and the sewing room, children's room, master bedroom, and servants' quarters on the top floor. In addition, a docent walked us to the backyard that contained an herb garden, well, and log kitchen cabin (which has occasional hearth-cooking demonstrations). A small gift shop offered merchandise such as books and t-shirts. The docents throughly explained the history of the house, its architecture and renovation, the furniture (which is from the time period but was not owned by the Bradfords), etcetera, and they kindly answered our questions. I did not time our tour, but we were there for probably about one hour. Educational and interesting!

Nice little house with tours given by docents. Captures the Whiskey Rebellion era from a house that…read morewas from that time. Docents were knowledgeable and friendly. Worth a stop and optional donation.

I have to say, as much as I love to see this museum have my direct ancestor's artifacts in their…read moredisplay cases, donated by the vast members of the Browning family. You'd think the "Curator" or "Volunteer" Karen or Carol, can't remember which derivative it is, I think it's Karen............. She pretty much seems to talk bad about Meshach, the Elder, hunter, Frontiersman. I've made two stops in there now, and she seems to just bash this man. she cuts his book down, and bad mouths it like she's the main contributor of the book or all knowing. I understand there are some things that may hyperinflated in the book, but I genuinely believe this frontiersman (my ancestral grandfather) killed and recycled what he shot and put it to good use, and he did kill 100's of fair game in the Wilderness. I almost wonder if this lady is a liberal and she wonders where her meat comes from in the supermarket. Oakland do better. This woman is a wealth of knowledge BUT she seems to have a distain for the Browning line for some reason. She made a comment to me once, stating that she thought it was nuts that Meshach browning would live off the land and he would "put out" his wife and make her live the rugged life like he did ha-ha, uh, you're talking about a period between late 1700's and early 1800's. They did what they had do to survive, and I'd say he did well for what he adapted to and took care of his wife and children. Meshach Browning was the son of British Subaltern (British redcoat junior officer), he was on the same "mission" with his father William Browning and they both were British soldiers under Braddock and George Washington, they were massacred in "Braddock's Defeat", specifically, William and Joshua were part of the skirmish and were corralled to cover fire while the wounded comrades were evacuated with General Braddock and George Washington. Karen says they deserted, half true, they completed, the best they could in their mission while in the middle of being massacred and they all fled and never accomplished the main mission in reaching Fort Duquesne. The soldiers, after the massacre cover and aligned and never completed their hike to fort Duquesne. specifically, William and Joshua Browning went their own way and started their own life after the massacre, they both did what they needed to accomplish and served admirably under George Washington, they bother stayed back to defend the wounded as they were being shot at and attacked by the French and Indians. This woman says they deserted (Joshua and William Browning) no they did not.

The Garrett County Historical Society appears to be involved with at least 3 different museums in…read moredowntown Oakland, MD. First was the B&O Railroad museum inside of the old Train Station. An interesting look at how the railroad connected and caused a boom of the small towns of western Maryland. Lots of artifacts and information related to the long-ago razed Deer Park Hotel and other attractions. Next up is the Transportation Museum. A well-varied collection of cars, boats, and memorabilia from the start of Oakland and Garrett County, each with its own story. The weirdest thing there was a gas-powered surfboard that was last registered in 2013. Finally we have the Garrett County museum. Gives a long solid look at the lives of the citizens of Garrett County since it was founded. Each era and population segment has its own room. Lots of information about Drep Creek Lake and the Deer Park Hotel, too. The military room also has a wall dedicated to the county's namesake, a Vietnam era tank landing ship. All of these museums are free, but they do ask for a small donation. Drop a Fin in the bucket. It's worth it to keep local history alive and relevant.