2 days in Pittsburgh

Day by day

1. Day 1: Andy Warhol Museum and PNC Park

   Andy Warhol Museum, PNC Park, Carnegie Science Center and Carnegie Museums of Natural History and Art, then Duquesne Incline in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Andy Warhol Museum

      The floating, helium-filled Silver Clouds room is a favourite, and visitors can try screen printing in the basement studio.

   2. Late morning

      PNC Park

      Mid-game races between giant costumed pierogies are a local tradition.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Primanti Bros. sandwich

      The original Primanti Bros. on 18th Street in the Strip District, and its branches around the city and at the stadiums.

   4. Afternoon

      Carnegie Science Center

      On the Ohio River next to Acrisure Stadium, this hands-on science museum has a planetarium, a robotics hall, a big miniature railroad and village, and the USS Requin, a Second World War submarine moored outside that you can walk through.

   5. Late afternoon

      Carnegie Museums of Natural History and Art

      The natural history side is famous for its Jurassic dinosaur skeletons, including the original Diplodocus carnegii, and the Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems; the art museum has Impressionist paintings, contemporary galleries and the Hall of Architecture's huge plaster casts of European monuments.

   6. Evening

      Duquesne Incline

      Ride up just before sunset and stay until the city lights come on; look through the window into the old winding machinery at the top.

2. Day 2: Strip District and Senator John Heinz History Center

   Strip District, Senator John Heinz History Center, Grandview Avenue overlooks and Cathedral of Learning, then Gateway Clipper riverboats in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Strip District

      Pavement stalls sell black-and-gold Steelers and Pirates gear.

   2. Late morning

      Senator John Heinz History Center

      The Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum inside covers the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pierogies

      Church pierogi sales and festivals, Eastern European delis and bars, and the frozen aisle of every supermarket.

   4. Afternoon

      Grandview Avenue overlooks

      The Monongahela Incline, opened in 1870 and among the oldest in the United States, connects the eastern end to Station Square.

   5. Late afternoon

      Cathedral of Learning

      Its vaulted ground-floor Commons Room is open to visitors, and the Nationality Rooms are working classrooms decorated in the styles of the cultures that built Pittsburgh, from Scotland to China.

   6. Evening

      Gateway Clipper riverboats

      Choose an evening sightseeing cruise for the lit skyline, and combine it with the Monongahela Incline next to Station Square.

If it rains

• Swap in Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (Oakland): Visit during the winter holiday show or the spring flower show for the most impressive displays; on cold days the warm rooms are a welcome break.
• Swap in Mattress Factory (Central Northside): Visit the separate row-house galleries on Sampsonia Way as well as the main building; many visitors miss them.
• Swap in National Aviary (North Side): Ask about scheduled feedings and encounters on arrival; feeding the lorikeets is a highlight for kids.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 19–25 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.3 hours in December to 15 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Bus. Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses are the main public transport, with frequent routes from downtown to Oakland, Shadyside and Lawrenceville, plus dedicated busways.

More or fewer days

• One day in Pittsburgh
• 3 days in Pittsburgh

Questions travellers ask