The Museum of Illusions is an international museum chain that shares some of the world's best optical illusions for guests to experience in person.
Although we are not terribly fond of chain museums, we have to admit we were intrigued by this one because who doesn't love a good optical illusion?
While this one most certainly has its target market, particularly those new to optical illusions outright, there is a lot to see in this museum on the North Shore for all visitors!
It is hard to beat a good New Year's Eve party to say goodbye to the year that was and look forward to the next one.
As far as Pittsburgh New Year's Eve parties are concerned, there are many to choose from- way more than even we could feature in a single article. So, in this one, we wanted to share some New Year's Eve parties at various business types, party styles, and more!
So whether you are looking for a bar to toast the new year, a dinner experience to send 2023 off with a bang, ring in the New Year at a dance club, or to enjoy other activities that wind down for the holiday season on December 31st, we've got some ideas for you.
As with most of our guides, this is not a complete list of New Year's Eve parties. This is just a selection covering different styles that we wanted to highlight!
Note: Most New Year's Eve parties put on by local businesses require tickets being purchased in advance as capacity is limited.
You may know about the family-friendly entertainment complex, Fun Fore All, in Cranberry.
This staple north of the city is home to a large assortment of fun activities be it mini golf, arcade games, bumper cars, rides for kids, and so much more.
But did you know that Fun Fore All gets into the holiday spirit by decorating the mini golf course with holiday lights? This one certainly makes for a different kind of winter experience if you can visit on a night with good weather!
We were invited by Fun Fore All to check out the Holiday Lights mini golf and have to admit we had a lot of fun here!
When we think about the term hidden gems, several possible definitions come to mind.
Some are visibly hidden- you may walk right past it and not know it is there due to lack of obvious signage. Some are hidden because they are simply outside of a popular business district that you may have to go out of your way to enjoy. And, of course, some places can be classified as hidden gems because we love them and think they deserve more popularity and support.
To come up with a list of the best Pittsburgh hidden gems, we really could tap into all of these concepts and then some.
So, for this one, we will lean into the term “hidden” as best we can. Some of these are blink-and-you-‘ll-miss it, others have a secret hidden inside, and some you may have to go off-the-beaten-path in a popular area to find.
Some come along and find new places in Pittsburgh you may not know about!
Prior to 2023, Tinseltown was known as The Tipsy Elf and was located in Hough's in Greenfield. Starting this year, the popup was renamed and can be found at Mixtape in Garfield.
Tinseltown is a ticketed pop-up bar experience with mulled wine, cocktails, holiday games, and more.
As we are always on the lookout for the best Christmas popup bars in Pittsburgh, you know we had to check this one out. As it so happens, we were invited to this event by the folks at Hidden Pittsburgh for a media night and couldn't pass up on the opportunity.
As ticketed pop-up bars are a different kind of bar experience, we thought we'd share a bit about what the pop-up was like and then dive into the ticketing aspect of it more to share what you get for the entry fee.
We love a good historical society and are fortunate that so many boroughs in the region have modest museums dedicated to their region's history.
Carnegie is no different, and the Historical Society of Carnegie features several gems, including a model of what the city was like in the early 1900s, exhibits to notable citizens, and a small wing dedicated to Honus Wagner- one of the Pittsburgh Pirates' most famous players who called Carnegie home!
Although a visit to this one will be brief, it is a must for anyone who enjoys the borough.
Christmas popup bars are a dime a dozen these days, and we almost always treat new concepts with a bit of suspicion.
But when we heard the international charity pop-up, Miracle Bar, was launching a second concept, we were interested. When we heard that it would be called Sippin' Santa and was going to be tiki themed, we were in.
Naturally, we went to this one as quickly as we could after it open for the season. With tiki classics, unique house creations with tropical themes, and profits going to charity, this certainly makes for a different kind of pop-up bar that we hope will return in future seasons!
Note: This review is from a visit to Sippin' Santa in a previous iteration. Cocktails and designs may change in future popups.
We love a good holiday market, and there are no shortage of great experiences to check out during the holiday season.
So in this one, we thought we'd share some of our favorite Christmas markets in Pittsburgh (and other holiday shopping events) you may want to check out!
We are quite fortunate enough to have several major ski resorts right in our backyard- Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, and Laurel Mountain.
These Laurel Highlands gems have been our go-to spot for winter skiing each year. But at the end of 2021, these properties were sold to Vail Resorts to become part of the larger global brand of ski resorts.
With the merger came access to Vail Resort's incredible Epic Pass, a season pass valid at most all Vail Resorts properties with little restriction.
We were fortunate enough to get our hands on this pass for a few seasons courtesy of Vail Resorts and wanted to share a bit more about our experience in this one!
Note: Epic Pass sales are typically only available prior to the start of the season. In 2023, Epic Pass sales will end on December 3rd. After that, only individual lift tickets will be available.
Being located in Zones 6 to 7a, Pittsburgh has an interesting climate.
The warm, often humid climate in the summer presents great growing conditions for numerous plants, but the cold winters with periodic deep freezes can be quite challenging for non-cold hardy plants to make it through.
So, while you may be used to growing common fruits like apples, berries, peaches, and more, there are actually a ton of fruits that could grow in Pittsburgh that you may not know about.
In this one, we thought we'd share some of the more unique fruits we've found that can thrive in our climate, plus give some tips we've found from our own trees for special considerations to keep in mind (when applicable).
Notes: We presently are growing (or plan on growing) most all of the fruits listed in this article. However, all of our plants are still young and not quite producing just yet. As such, first-hand maintenance information may be limited until our plants grow more. Likewise, only specific varieties of any given species may grow in our area (e.g. brown turkey figs and not mission figs). This will be a recurring theme, but always check growing zone ratings before purchasing any plants- especially if you want to plant them outside permanently.