5 Pittsburgh Museum Discounts You May Not Be Aware Of

We love our great Pittsburgh museums and try to visit them as often as possible.

But we'll be the first to admit that sometimes the admission costs can be fairly expensive. While this often drives us to purchase a membership for year-round access, often at the cost of just two or three visits to any museum in a year, we know this luxury is not available to everyone.

So, in this one, we thought we'd look at popular museums that typically charge admission and share more details on when you can potentially visit for free or for a significantly discounted ticket!

Note: Free or discounted opportunities at area museums can change rather quickly. As always, we recommend reconfirming the offer directly with each museum before visiting to ensure the opportunity is still available. Likewise, this article only focuses on traditionally ticketed attractions that offer free or discounted opportunities to visit. For some of our favorite free things to do in Pittsburgh, including some museums that are perpetually free, click the previous link.

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The Pennsylvania Trolley Musem Offers Good Family Fun

We often lament the fact that Pittsburgh no longer has trolleys. The closest we have these days is The T, and due to its limited operating area, is only really useful for a few neighborhoods in the city (and beyond).

For those nostalgic for days when trolley transportation was the norm, you are in luck- The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington shares the history of this transportation method with informative and interactive exhibits and a massive collection of trolley cars in their showroom.

But for those looking for even more, this one comes with a fun twist- you can even ride one of the historic trolley during your visit!

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Phipps Conservatory for the Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show

The Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show, aptly themed “Into the Mist” for 2024, brings these two beautiful plants (both favorites of ours) to the forefront of the Conservatory while highlighting how some of the flowers with special water features and lighting.

As always with our show features, we wanted to share a few of our favorite rooms from this show and hope you'll make it out to visit for yourselves!

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10 Reasons to Visit Pittsburgh in February – Outdoor/Indoors

On the surface it seems like February is the month where things quiet down in Pittsburgh. Winter is at its coldest, the month is short, and overall life moves at a slower pace than months in the more vibrant seasons of the year.

That being said, there are a number of things to enjoy in Pittsburgh throughout the month, and whether you want to get outdoors or stay warm inside we've got you covered in this one!

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Laurel Ridge Cross Country Ski Center is a Perfect Winter Day Out

If there is any state park in the Laurel Highlands that we have had trouble exploring properly over the years, it would be Laurel Ridge State Park.

The reason for this is simple- the state park is sprawling. Instead of covering one (often round) area with nested hiking trails, Laurel Ridge State Park follows along Laurel Mountain through four counties.

Short of through-hiking on the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, getting to enjoy Laurel Ridge State Park often comes in small segments.

In the winter, one of our new favorite sections of the park is the groomed cross country ski and snowshoeing trails maintained by the Laurel Ridge Cross Country Ski Center. Seeing the beautiful of the state park in winter? Sign us up for this one!

Although this one offers rentals in addition to the paid entry to the groomed trails, we picked up our own snowshoes and went out for a day of winter fun in the Laurel Highlands!

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The Museum of Illusions Takes a Deep Look at Optical Tricks

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!

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Fun Fore All Holiday Lights – Mini Golf With a Holiday Twist

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!

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10 Hidden Gems in Pittsburgh You May Not Have Visited

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!

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The Historical Society of Carnegie – Honus Wagner and More

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.

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