September in Pittsburgh often brings about the first signs of fall. The temperatures start to decrease below 80, fall festivals and seasonal attractions open up, school is back in session, and more.
While the looming season change may first be noticeable in this month, there are still plenty of wonderful things to do during the month, and in this one we wanted to share a few of our favorites!
So if you are looking for things to do in Pittsburgh in September, check out the following options.
We're going to be honest, the season of fall in Pittsburgh is too short. Not in the fact that the days go by fast, but rather that the ideal fall weather departs almost as quickly as it arrives.
So while this post is tailored to things to do in Pittsburgh in the months that fall between late September and late December, when we think of fall we think of the changing weather. In this instance cooling off, colorful leaves, and everything else that comes before the Pittsburgh winter freeze.
Today we want to share seven of our favorite activities to do in fall in Pittsburgh. To learn more about each spot, click the links below!
Fall is a special time in western Pennsylvania. Our normally green part of the state starts to explode with vibrant colors just about everywhere you look between early-to-mid October and the start of November.
We'll be upfront in saying that nearly any Pittsburgh park could make for great fall color viewing during this time of the year. But when we get out to chase pretty leaves, we have to admit, we like to go to places that are large and give us a chance to truly explore in the beauty of nature.
Part of this is because color change may be gradual over the various tree types found in any given park- peak color is truly a relative term. But the other part is that when colors are at their peak, we simply want as much as we can get. So the parks we wanted to feature in this fall foliage guide are just that- big parks that tend to be color explosions in the fall!
Pittsburgh is truly fortunate to have a number of things to do in the city. But outside of the city there is a whole world of different opportunities ranging from discovering nature to learning about the region's rich history.
If you're looking to get out and explore on a longer day trip, check one of these attractions- all within an hour of the city limits!
On your way back, take the long way home to check out a few great spots in nearby towns.
If you're reading this, the odds are good that the weather outside is not so great. We get it. The weather in Pittsburgh is, well, often not the best.
But you're in luck! There are several great indoor activities in Pittsburgh that are perfect to enjoy on a rainy day.
So whether you're in the mood to hit a new museum, take in a movie, play pinball, or more, we've got some ideas for you!
Discover the Burgh is, at its heart, a Pittsburgh blog.
As such, we do not feature destinations and attractions outside of the metro area- so more-or-less anything beyond what we would call a Pittsburgh day trip (about 60-90 minutes each way). You can see more of this on our interactive Pittsburgh map at the end of every post here as well.
While we do explore elsewhere in Pennsylvania, the country, and world quite a bit on frequent trips each year, we have decided to publish all non-southwestern Pennsylvania content on our sister travel blog, Living the Dream.
On this site, we've covered journeys from as a close to home as Cleveland, the Finger Lakes in New York, or the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky all the way to international destinations like Thailand, Mount Everest in Nepal, and Easter Island to name a few.
But to share Pittsburgh weekend trips ideas that you can take within a few hours of driving, this guide was born!
As soon as it becomes fall in Pittsburgh, a certain ambiance comes about (and no, we're not talking about pumpkin spiced everything). This ambiance grows throughout the month of October before culminating in a holiday that is a favorite of many- Halloween.
You do not have to go far to get into the Halloween spirit in Pittsburgh, and today we wanted to share a few of the best attractions to check out during the annual festivities!
If you're struggling with a new idea for date night in Pittsburgh, you're not alone. It is often quite easy to get settled into a routine of hitting your favorite places over and over again (in fact, getting out of that cycle is why we started Discover the Burgh in the first place).
So while it would be quite easy for us to share some tried-and-true Pittsburgh date ideas like checking out Phipps Conservatory, exploring the Warhol Museum, or the conventional dinner and a movie combo, we wanted to think outside of the box with this one with ideas that will also really impress your partner.
But not only did we want to put together a list of ideas that will win you points with your date, we also wanted to provide a spectrum of ideas for all budgets, all seasons, and varying interests. Suffice it to say, you'll have a lot of ways to impress a date in this one!
When it comes to parks in Pittsburgh, hiking trails, and other green spaces, we certainly have a lot to choose from.
In fact, it seems like you can pick any direction, drive a few minutes, and find yourself surrounded by beautiful nature. So if hiking near Pittsburgh (or even in the city limits) is on your radar, you are really in luck here!
In this guide, we wanted to share some of the best Pittsburgh parks, trails, and hiking options nearby for those who want to get out and enjoy the great outdoors!
When the Carnegie Science Center announced it was rebranding to be the Kamin Science Center thanks to a generous donation from the Kamins, word trickled down that many exhibits at the facility would begin to get a refresh over time.
We were quite excited for this one as we always love new and updated exhibits in our local museums.
One of the major overhauls was the announcement of a new exhibit, Science of Speed, taking over the annex building that held SportsWorks. After a significant changeover, this one opened to the public in August 2026, and I got a chance to check it out ahead of opening for a media preview.
Let's take a look at all the new features in this one!