When you’re done studying or working, there’s plenty to keep you busy in the ’Burgh. Use your Pitt ID to get free or discounted tickets to events all around the city, then bus to the venue fare free. If you want to stick closer to campus, check out the Pitt Panthers team calendars.
Arts & Culture
Museums: Experience centuries of culture and the natural world without leaving campus at the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural Sciences — Pitt students can visit for free. Explore Pittsburgh’s past at the Heinz History Center, named the best history museum in the nation by USA Today, then hop on a light rail to celebrate a pop art icon at the Andy Warhol Museum. And don’t miss rotating exhibits at the Frick Pittsburgh, the Mattress Factory and the Carnegie Science Center.
Performing arts: Whether you want to catch a touring Broadway production in the Cultural District or discover local artists in intimate venues, there’s a show for you here. Head to the Hill District to catch a Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company performance and see where a renowned playwright grew up at the August Wilson House (and visit the archive of his work in Pitt’s Hillman Library). Join music-lovers who flood the city streets for annual free festivals, including the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Millvale Music Festival and Northside Music Festival. Laugh it out each weekend at Arcade Comedy Theater and the Glitterbox.
Learn and grow: A single Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh card gets you access to research tools, business and nonprofit resources, e-books and audiobooks, and a cadre of helpful librarians at 20 neighborhood branches. At the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, you can take a breath of fresh air even on cold winter days.
Get creative: Feed your inner artist with free workshops and materials from Pitt’s Center for Creativity, and find more classes for makers of all ages at the Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media, Contemporary Craft and the Pittsburgh Glass Center.
Sports
The Pitt Panthers’ blue and gold is clearly one of the sharpest combos in all of college athletics. But the city’s pro sports scene is in many ways a gold mine of its own: Franchises boasting six Super Bowl wins, five World Series titles and five Stanley Cup triumphs make the Steel City one of North America’s most historically dominant sports locales.
You can catch Pitt’s 17 NCAA sports teams playing at various facilities around the city. (We recommend seeing the dominant women’s volleyball team pack the Fitzgerald Field House.) And cheer on the city’s professional teams — Steelers, Penguins, Pirates, Riverhounds and Riveters — in world-class stadiums.
But you don’t have to be a pro athlete to get in the game in the ’Burgh. From the Pittsburgh Marathon and Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix to a growing local bicycling scene and the Pittsburgh Sports League, recreational opportunities abound.
Outdoors
Face it, sometimes you need to touch grass; stepping away from screens and into a natural setting can lead to mental health benefits and increased attention span. Luckily, there’s easy access to wooded trails, bike paths and scenic rivers just outside the University’s Pittsburgh campus.
Hike: Just a five-minute walk from the Cathedral of Learning, Schenley Park is an oasis of scenic trails winding through stands of trees and along streams.
Pedal: Pittsburgh has more than 117 miles of marked bike routes. One of its most popular, the Eliza Furnace Trail, connects Schenley Park to downtown Pittsburgh. Riders on the flat, six-mile paved path are treated to views of the Monongahela River, Mount Washington and the Hot Metal Bridge. Don’t have a bike? POGOH at Pitt makes hopping on two wheels easy. Students, faculty and staff enjoy unlimited 30-minute bike rentals from the citywide bike share program.
Paddle: With three rivers surrounding the city, it’s easy to explore by water. The Venture Outdoors downtown dock, within walking distance of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, serves as a hub for kayak and paddleboard rentals.
Family-friendly Fun
Did you know that Pittsburgh is home to the No. 2 children’s museum in the nation? The Steel City offers plenty of activities for kids — and parents — to enjoy.
Take your wild child to see free-flying birds at the National Aviary and then head to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium for more animal experiences. After looking at fossils at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, pay a visit to Dippy, a two-story Diplodocus statue who changes clothes with the seasons.
Kennywood and Sandcastle Water Park offer thrills for the whole family. And, one pass gets you access to 16 public pools in the city.
Youth sports leagues from Allegheny County and the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh mean year-round teambuilding, fitness and fun.
Shop small businesses like Dragonfly Castle Toys, Playthings Etc. and Stories Like Me for toys, games and books. The Pittsburgh Toy Lending Libraryoperates an indoor play space as well as its collection of toys kids can borrow for home use.
Find more guides, events and articles from Kidsburgh, a publication focused on connecting parents with expert information and local resources.
The World is Next Door
By bike: Hop on the Great Allegheny Passage and take in 150 miles of scenic vistas on the way to Cumberland, Maryland.
By car: Outdoor adventures abound, from biking around Lake Erie to ziplining over the New River Gorge, many only an hour or two from the city. There are seven state parks in the region, including Ohiopyle, which is located near two iconic Frank Lloyd Wright houses, Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob. If you’re more of a city hopper, head north to Cleveland, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
By train: The Amtrak station in downtown Pittsburgh runs several trains each day with connections to Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
By plane: The PRT Airport Flyer Bus makes it easy to get to Pittsburgh International Airport from Pitt’s campus. From the newly renovated PIT, you can take nonstop flights to more than 50 domestic locations and international destinations like London, Cancún and Reykjavik, Iceland.