27 Unusual Pittsburgh Museums You Must Check Out

The Nationality Rooms at the Cathedral of Learning

The Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning are perhaps the most unusual classrooms in the country.

These thirty or so odd rooms on the first few floors of the skyscraper are themed after institutions of learning from around the world and in different periods of time.

In one classroom you may find yourself in China, in the next Armenia, and onward to places like India, Russia, and Turkey to name a few. A paid ticket will get you a key that unlocks all the doors to explore on your own, plus an audio headset if you want to learn more about any specific rooms, and a few rooms on the third floor are open for free for all visitors.

The Nationality Rooms are located in the Cathedral of Learning in Oakland. Tours are unavailable when classes are in session as the rooms are active class rooms.

Moonshot Museum

We love that Pittsburgh has a space museum, and the Moonshot Museum at Astrobotic's North Side facility does an impressive job at highlighting past and upcoming missions to the moon!

So make a quick stop at this modest museum to learn all about what Astrobotic is doing to help get us back to the moon (and beyond). If you're lucky, you may be able to see the team assembling their lunar rover, too!

Moonshot Museum is located at 1016 N Lincoln Avenue in the North Side.

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall is one of the most conventional museums featured on this list, but we rank it among the unusual as it is a museum that is hiding in plain sight.

You see, most people think of this gorgeous building in Oakland as one part memorial and one part concert hall. While this building is in fact those things, the corridors that surround the auditorium house a museum dedicated to those who served in the past wars of the United States of America.

With exhibits from as early as the Civil War to as recent as the war in Iraq, and everything in between, the museum does a fantastic job highlighting the stories of the soldiers and sailors who helped secure our freedoms.

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall is located at 4141 Fifth Avenue in Oakland.

The USS Requin at the Science Center

Every science museum needs a historic submarine, right? Right.

The USS Requin is a Tench-class sub that was commissioned during the height of World War II. This submarine did not get out before the end of the war, but it did manage to have a quarter-century-long career in the military before being decommissioned in the 1970s and refurbished and transported to Pittsburgh in 1990.

While the sub is actively associated with the Carnegie Science Center, and admission is included with a ticket to the museum, those who want to tour this piece of history can do so with a separate $7 ticket. How many other places can you say you can tour a submarine for a few dollars?

Would-be explorers take note– this attraction on the side of the North Shore river trail is not for the claustrophobic!

The USS Requin is located at the Science Center at 1 Allegheny Avenue in the North Side.

Bicycle Heaven

Did you know Pittsburgh is home to the largest bicycle store / museum in the country, if not the world? Bicycle Heaven in the North Side is home to thousands of rare and collectible bicycles in its two-story warehouse and showroom.

With bikes such as Pee-Wee Herman's bike from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, a tree growing around not just one but two bicycles, a 1960s style sprocket room, and so much more, this free museum in the North Side provides hours of entertainment for all visitors- bike enthusiasts or not.

Bicycle Heaven is located at 1800 Columbus Avenue in the North Side. Donations are recommended.

Johnny Angel's Ginchy Stuff

Johnny Angel is a local legend in Pittsburgh as his 50-year music career has a lot of highlights- continuing on to this day.

To share some of his favorite memorabilia and sell music products, including a selection of his massive record collection, Johnny Angel's Ginchy Stuff was born.

But to us, one of the best things about visiting this museum is talking to the local legend himself as he is often found around the store and museum on any given day.

Johnny Angel's is located at 1800 Columbus Avenue in the North Side- just next door to Bicycle Heaven. The museum has been known to close unexpectedly for shows.

Randyland

We like to call Randyland Pittsburgh's most colorful spot- if not the state's or even the country's.

This is the brainchild of Randy Gilson, a local artist who bought two houses in the North Side on credit card in the early 1990s.

He wanted to bring more color to the neighborhood, began to paint the houses in wonderful colors, arranged knick-knacks and other “trash” (his words) into artistic pieces, and created a place that is wacky, wonderful, and has to be seen to be believed.

Randyland is located at 1501 Arch Street in the North Side and has flexible hours based on Randy's schedule (open “most” days and closed during bad winter weather).

The Roberto Clemente Museum

The Roberto Clemente Museum is located in a rather unassuming firehouse in Lawrenceville and is home to one of the largest collections of items from the Pirates legend.

With pieces including one of Clemente's gold glove awards, autographed memorabilia, and even rare photographs, the museum is a testament to a player who is often credited as being one of the best Pirates of all time.

The Roberto Clemente Museum is located at 3339 Penn Avenue in Lawrenceville. Tours are available by appointment only and children are not allowed.

The Bayernhof

On its own, the Bayernhof would stand up as an amazing museum purely for the architecture as it is a miniature castle with ornate designs, secret passages, and so much more. But this isn't what makes the museum special.

The real treat of the Bayernhof is that it is home to an impressive collection of self-playing music machines- most of which still work!  

From some of the world's first music machines, to those used to give silent pictures sound, and even more unusual items like dueling violins and a self-playing banjo machine, the Bayernhof is home to an astounding collection that the docents are happy to play for you on every single tour.

The Bayernhof Museum is located at 225 St. Charles Place in O'Hara Township just a few minutes east of the city off of Route 28. Tours are available by appointment only.

The Photo Antiquities Museum

The Photo Antiquities Museum is not not your traditional photography museum. While this one is home to many impressive photographs (including rare photos of Pittsburgh you'll not find anywhere else), the museum puts a focus on the history of photography itself!

The Photo Antiquities Museum walks you through the different eras of photography, with examples of how images were made (with images from the period to go along with it). By the end of the tour you'll have a great appreciation for how far we've come in such a short period of time. The Pittsburgh photos and temporary exhibitions are just an added perk!

The Photo Antiquities Museum is located at 531 East Ohio Street in the North Side. Tours are available by appointment.

The Pittsburgh Tattoo Art Museum

Did you know Pittsburgh is home to a museum all about tattooing? The Pittsburgh Tattoo Art Museum can be found on Walnut Street in Shadyside and features roughly six cases of artifacts surrounding traditional American tattooing with profiles of artists from the early 1900s, showcases of their respective styles, and early tattooing equipment as well!

While a visit to this one can be rather quick, those interested this style of art will do well to spend some time looking over the collection and, if you're lucky, talk to the tattoo artists who curated the museum on-site if they are free as well!

The Pittsburgh Tattoo Art Museum is located at 5413 A Walnut Street in Shadyside. $5 donations are requested for visitors.

Trundle Manor

For those who have a more, well, unusual sense of humor, the house-turned-museum Trundle Manor in Swissvale may be your cup of tea.

This home is the private collection of Mr. Arm and Velda von Minx- two artists with a style that's a goth-steampunk hybrid, and even those two unique styles is not doing them justice.

The decor ranges from a death ray mounted on the ceiling of their kitchen, to taxidermy hybrid animals, miniature carvings of famous figures (including a person mooning the queen of England), a tumor in a jar that sings, a zombie killer car in the driveway, and so much more.

Yes, this one is weird, and the couple is one of the nicest you'll ever meet.

Trundle Manor is located at 7724 Juniata Street in Swissvale. Tours are available by appointment only and require a cash or liquor donation. This tour is best suited for teenagers and above with a certain sense of humor and artistic appreciation. You know who you are.

The Living Dead Museum

One of the most famous movies to be filmed in the Pittsburgh region is Night of the Living Dead, filmed roughly 30 minutes north in Evans City. To honor the legacy of the movie, the zombie inspired Living Dead Museum opened up to celebrate the movie and genre.

This museum and store focuses on all things zombies and pays homage to The Night of the Living Dead and its sequel, Dawn of the Dead, with memorabilia, photographs, and zombie items everywhere. Check them out in October for their annual Night of the Living Dead festival as well!

The Living Dead Museum is located in the Monroeville Mall east of the city. It was formerly located in Evans City but relocated in late 2020.

The Big Mac Museum

Did you know that the Big Mac was invented just outside of Pittsburgh in Ross Township? While this is a fascinating piece of trivia, a McDonald's franchise in nearby Irwin/North Huntingdon now lays claim to another piece of burger-themed nostalgia in the form of the Big Mac Museum.

This museum amounts to little more than a small exhibit highlighting the history of the Big Mac, unique McDonald novelties from over the years, and a large fiberglass Big Mac in the play area, but is still a rather odd museum exhibit worth highlighting in this oddities guide all the same!

The Big Mac Museum is located inside the McDonalds at 9061 US 30 in Irwin, PA- about 30 minutes southeast of Pittsburgh.

The Center for PostNatural History

What is Post Natural History, you may ask? Well, it is another way for saying genetic engineering, and this unusual history center in Garfield covers things that have been genetically altered by man.

This branch of science started out innocent enough, with the likes of hybridizing flowers or creating new seeds that are resistant to disease and drought. But then things got weird with the creation of fish that don't have rib cages, alcoholic lab rats, and even a genetically engineered goat that produces spider's silk!

Yes, post natural history has a weird purpose, and this small museum in Garfield does a great job helping you go down the rabbit hole in a field of science you may not have know existed.

The Center for PostNatural History is located at 4913 Penn Avenue in Garfield and is only open for limited hours on Sundays.

The Old Allegheny County Jail Museum

Did you know that the historic Allegheny County Courthouse used to have an old jail attached? The Bridge of Sighs walkway that connects the building's two wings used to lead prisoners from the courthouse directly to the cell block.

But while the jail no longer exists, remnants of the past remain with the Old Allegheny County Jail Museum put on by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. The museum features a section of the original cell blocks as well as artifacts from the jail's 100+ year history- including images from when it housed children to even a few escape attempts!

When visting be sure to talk to the docents who really bring the history of this place to life.

The Old Allegheny County Jail is located at 440 Ross Street in the Family Services Court downtown. The museum is open from 11:30am to 1pm on Mondays from February to October, excluding holidays.

The Western PA Model Railroad Museum

The only seasonal museum featured in this list is the Western PA Model Railroad Museum in Gibsonia.

Only opened in the holiday season (but not holiday themed!), this museum has a massive model train exhibit that traces the railroad journey from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland, as it was in the 1950s.

Visitors can easily spend a few hours experiencing many days on the railroad line thanks to the track lighting that changes a few times per hour, giving a unique look to every angle of the tracks.

The Western PA Model Railroad Museum is located at 5507 Lakeside Drive in Gibsonia. It is only open during the holiday season.

The Tour-Ed Mine & Museum

The Tour-Ed Mine and Museum in Tarentum is a pretty unique one as it is set in a former coal mine! Here you'll learn about the history of coal mining, advancements made in the industry from the 1800s to present, and a whole lot more.

But perhaps what is the coolest part of the entire tour is that most of the exhibits are found deep inside the mine itself!

The Tour-Ed Mine and Museum is located at 3004, 748 Bull Creek Road in Tarentum, PA and is cash only.

Saint Anthony's Chapel

Did you know that Pittsburgh is home to a chapel that has the most Catholic relics outside of the Vatican?

To see these you'll have to head up to Saint Anthony's Chapel in Troy Hill- a modestly sized chapel that packs in thousands upon thousands of relics as well as life-sized stations of the cross that truly help bring the story of Jesus' Crucifixion to life.

Do yourself a favor and visit for a guided tour as the docents give way more information than the relatively small guide books are able to provide.

Saint Anthony's Chapel is located at 1704 Harpster Street in Troy Hill.

The Kelso Museum of Near Eastern Archaeology

Sticking on the topic of religion for our next museum is the Kelso Museum of Near Eastern Archaeology at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

This is another two-room museum that's located in the basement of a hall in the seminary. This one focuses on excavations of holy sites in modern day Israel, Jordan, and Syria that were led by the seminary in the last 80 years (as well as a neat exhibit on the history of written language).  

Where else can you find that?

The Kelso Museum of Near Eastern Archaeology is located at 616 N Highland Avenue on the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary campus. 

Maxo Vanka Murals at St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church

We have one more unusual religious oriented museum for you, and for this one we head to St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church in Millvale. On the surface this church does not appear any different than others in the city, but when you visit for a tour you quickly realize it is anything but normal.

The reason for this is that nearly all of the murals adorning the walls of the church are painted by Croatian artist Maxo Vanka.

The name may not ring a bell now, but in the 1940s Vanka was an acclaimed artist from Europe who worked on the murals in the church as his “gift to America.” They contain a fair bit of social commentary from the day, of which most is still relevant for today.

In the last few years the murals have undergone significant restoration work and are now ready for viewing in all their glory- an absolute must for those who love European art.

St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church is located at 24 Maryland Avenue in Millvale.

Troy Hill Art Houses

What are the Troy Hill Art Houses, you may ask? Are they a house? Museums? How about both! These three houses can only be defined as an oddity that you have to see to believe (or even understand).

They are the creation of a local who commissioned unique artists to create stunning works of art on the inside of each respective property. Google a photo of the artist of La Hutte Royal, for example, and you can get an idea of what you'll be getting yourself into this when you visit.

Beyond this, we cannot tell you any more at the request of the owner as the best part about it is the surprise. So schedule a visit to these houses in Troy Hill (16+ only, each house requires separate reservations), do not read any more about them or the artists at all, show up at your appointed time, and enjoy what happens next.

You'll thank us later.

The Troy Hill Art Houses are located at 1812 Rialto Street in Troy Hill. It is only open for 16+. Advanced reservations required.

Gallery Closed

Gallery Closed is another Troy Hill museum that has an interesting concept. True to its name, the gallery is closed 24/7 but also open 24/7. How can that be? Well, you can only enjoy this one by looking in from the outside!

Yes, you read that correctly. Gallery Closed is found in the former upper incline station of Troy Hill, and is primarily two windows that visitors can peak through to check out art that changes on a regular basis (the first show after opening in late 2021 changed art every two weeks). From there, there is also a historic plaque on the building denoting the former incline station history as well as a faux historical plaque that expounds upon the history of the land of Troy Hill from when it rose out of the ocean millions of years ago all the way to today (and projections for the future).

So next time you're in Troy Hill, do yourself a favor and walk by this one- you really can enjoy this one in just a few minutes so you don't have an excuse not to!

Gallery Closed is located at 1733 Lowrie Street in Troy Hill

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is another transportation-focused gem in the area and can be found in Washington, PA.

The museum here explores the history of all things trolley transportation- from the early days when they were pulled by horses, switch over to electric vehicles on tracks, and later removal. But the real treat of this one is the museum's massive showroom featuring many historic cars, and the opportunity to ride on one of the cars that is still in working order, too!

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is located at 1 Electric Way in Washington, PA.

Buffalo Bill's House

If you've watched The Silence of the Lambs, you probably are aware that most of the movie was filmed in and around Pittsburgh. The iconic scenes from Buffalo Bill's house were filmed in Perryopolis, PA, and as of 2021 the home has been turned into an homage to the film with all things Bill and Silence memorabilia (including a replica well for photo ops).

But before you hop into your car to check this one out, it is worth noting that tours are limited. Tours typically take place one weekend a month spring through fall and the property is a private rental the rest of the year!

Buffalo Bill's House is located at 8 Circle Street in Perryopolis, PA. Limited tours are available with advanced reservation, typically one weekend a month from spring to fall. It is available as a private rental the rest of the year.

Go Explore a Few Unusual Pittsburgh Museums Today!

Overall, Pittsburgh is home to a pretty impressive collection of unusual museums, and more open up each and every year. Although this list is not a complete collection of the unique and unusual museums we have in the city, these are certainly some of our favorites.

As we visit more we'll be sure to update this guide to help encourage you to get out and Discover the Burgh!

Do you have a favorite unusual museum that is not featured in this guide? Comment below and let us know about it!