Visiting Pittsburgh for a few days. Tell me where to go and what to do

Cafe Society
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We live just north of Dayton, Ohio. We’re in our mid 50s. Have never been to Pittsburgh and decided on a whim to visit it next month. Our 25 year old daughter will be joining us. Her employer is closed on April 7, so the current plan is to drive to Pittsburgh the afternoon/evening of Thursday, April 6 and return on April 9 (Easter Sunday). Does that sound like an O.K. plan?

I perused a few SDMB threads on Pittsburgh. Seems that visiting the Carnegie Museum and Warhol Museum are “musts.” What else do you recommend?

And where should we stay? What hotel would you recommend?

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Isn’t there a funicular Southern of the Monongahela River? I think there are some nice views up there. I haven’t been but when I return I’d like to check that out.

Sandwiches at Primanti Brothers. It’s a Pittsburgh thing, and we liked them.

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A daytrip to Johnstown if you find the flood interesting?

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Take the incline up Mt Washington for good city views (on south side of the Monongahela River). Good places ro eat up there.

I second Primanti Brothers next to the Hill District along the Allegany River, get an open face sandwich with fries on top

5

If you come to Johnstown, be advised that our funicular is down for repairs. We do have a couple of interesting museums, though.

The Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh is a great day trip. So is the Heinz History Center, which is not far from the already-mentioned Primanti’s. If exotic plants are your thing, try the Phipps Conservatory. Or maybe a ride on one of the Gateway Clipper Fleet’s paddlewheels.

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Sixty-ish miles southeast of Pittsburgh, you have Fallingwater, the Frank Lloyd Wright house. I’m just mentioning it in passing because I was bored out of my mind. You can’t take pictures and if you’re taller than 5 feet 10, you’ll be walking bent over or bonking your head on the ceiling. YMMV.

Twenty miles southwest, off I-79 in Canonsburg, you have Sarris Candies. Take a couple thousand bucks and buy as much chocolate as you can; you won’t be disappointed, just have a sad tummy.

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And if you get a chance, the Oakmont Bakery is a MUST. Their paczkis are to die for.

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The National Aviary is cool. Phipps Conservatory is fun too.
I can’t recommend the Warhol museum or Primanti’s, I think that they’re overrated “Pittsburgh Musts”.

My favorite restaurant, Meat and Potatoes, is located downtown.

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Downtown is beautiful; I stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn downtown a few years ago, and it was lovely. Regardless of where you stay, when you first drive to town, approach the city via I-376 from the west, going through the Fort Pitt tunnel. The city view when you emerge from the tunnel is unforgettable. In a good way.

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I second the view when entering the city on 376 West.

So many nice hotels in Pittsburgh. There are several Downtown, as well as a few more on the North Shore/North Side, a quick walk across the Allegheny. The Warhol Museum is over there, as are PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates), Heinz Field (Steelers), Mexican War Streets, Randyland, the Aviary, and lots of restaurants and bars. I love North Shore Tavern (try the “Steak on a Stone”).

It’s an incredibly walkable city. Look into https://trustarts.org/ if you’re interested in musicals, etc. - our theaters are gorgeous, and the whole Cultural District is full of cool bars and restaurants, including Meat & Potatoes, mentioned above. I love Condado Tacos, Proper Brick Oven & Tap Room, and Nicky’s Thai for dinner, and check out Waffles, InCaffinated for breakfast.

The Strip District (easy walking distance from Downtown) is full of markets with meats, cheeses, veggies, flowers, fish, coffee and tea, etc. The South Side (not easy walking distance) has lots of bars and restaurants, lots of young people and night life. Station Square can be cool, the Grand Concourse is beautiful, and it’s close to the Incline somebody mentioned above, which is absolutely worth it and will take you up to Mt. Washington, which is a must for the view. Market Square is right downtown and is fun, with merchants or performing artists, etc., depending on the weekend, surrounded by restaurants/bars, and featuring beautiful PPG Place (PPG Place - Wikipedia) and one of a few Primanti Brothers locations (there’s one in the Strip, too). I don’t think that’s necessarily a must-see, but it’s a decent restaurant, and the sandwiches are uniquely “Pittsburgh.” If you really like fries, lots of places here put them on salads, too.

I’m absolutely babbling now. Love Pittsburgh! Feel free to ask for more details about anything.

Oh, I forgot to mention Oakland, where the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, plus the Carnegie Museums (and lots of other stuff) are. Heinz Memorial Chapel (https://www.heinzchapel.pitt.edu/) is beautiful. The Cathedral of Learning (Cathedral of Learning | Campus Tour) is wonderful, but I’m not sure if they still offer tours.

Lawrenceville is recently trendy, not walking distance from Downtown, but The Church Brew Works is a cool place (https://churchbrew.com/), and my favorite card shop (Wildcard) and a few great breweries are there.

Have fun planning!

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If you like museums, the Ft. Pitt museum was interesting.

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I found the funicular. It’s called the Monongahela Incline. Has anyone been on it?

Edit — there’s another one, the Duquesne Incline.

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Yes, its the one I mentioned upthread that takes you up Mt. Washington. I see that you referred to it as a funcular, while technically correct I lived in Pittsburgh for two years and never heard it referred to as that. And yes, its one of the top draws in the city, a must do activity if you want to say you went to Pittsburgh. There are great restuarants at the top of the incline with views overlooking the city.

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And then there’s the steepest street in the Continental US that is drivable by regular cars, Canton Avenue.

The address is 1625 Canton Avenue, Pittsburg PA.

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I see it now. Cool. Wish I’d done it the one time I was there.

The one time I was there was to go to a baseball game at PNC Park. It’s among the best baseball parks in the country. Second best, in my book, behind San Francisco’s Oracle Park. The views of the city from the upper deck seats are beautiful. And walking to/from the game across the Roberto Clemente bridge, closed to vehicular traffic around game time, is a nice experience. For baseball fans, it’s a must do.

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I was there last October, and one of them had been down for repairs for quite some time. That is the one closer to the restaurants on top of the hill. It would be best to check if they are open, and plan accordingly.

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Two of my must-sees in Pittsburgh. When I was a kid, we’d ride bikes from Squirrel Hill to Phipps during summer vacation and walk our bikes through (kids were free admission).

If you want to hit bars/clubs/small music venues, let me know and I can make suggestions.

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My Wife is from Pittsburgh. That bakery is freaking HUGE. It has everything.

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It opened back up today.

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What perfect timing!