Things To Do in Pittsburgh With Kids

Pittsburgh holds the title of America’s “most livable city” by Places Rated Almanac, Forbes, and The Economist and that’s — in-part— due to the number of things to do in Pittsburgh with kids. Pittsburgh has it all – great food, amazing history, tax-limited shopping and culture galore! Pittsburgh is just an all-around great place to go with family.

Here our not-to-miss places if visiting with your kids.

Best Attractions in Pittsburgh for Kids

Carnegie Museum of Natural History is a great place to visit with your family. Kids love dinosaurs, and what could be more fun than digging for dinosaur bones? Our 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!

The Pittsburgh Children’s Museum is another wonderful place for kids (obviously). Pittsburgh boasts the best children’s museum! There is the most wonderful Mr. Rogers exhibit, which lets kids play in his living room and in the Land of Make Believe. Even adults will find this place magical.

Appealing to both kids and adults, the Andy Warhol Museum is a must-visit in Pittsburgh. 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. Our favorite (and a favorite for the kids as well) is the is the cloud room filled with silver helium balloons. Fun!

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

Outdoor Activities in Pittsburgh for Kids

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!

Bike Pittsburgh is awesome and will keep your family moving. 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.

For a special night, you may want to consider dinner and a movie at The Waterfront. This is one of Pittsburgh’s coolest 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, sparkling sidewalks and hanging candies and popcorn dangling from the ceiling.

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) and 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.

If you happen to be in the Pittsburgh area in the summer, Idlewild & Soakzone 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.

During the holiday season, especially, 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.

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