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10 Pittsburgh Gifts to Share a Taste of the City

Are you looking for a gift for a Pittsburgher? It is no secret that we all love this city, so why not pick up a Pittsburgh inspired gift that is sure to wow them!

In this guide we are sharing 10 gift themes that focus on all things Pittsburgh. Within each theme we have featured multiple different ideas to hit all interests, gift types, and budgets. So go beyond a restaurant gift card and impress your favorite Pittsburgher with one of the below!

Note: This article contains gift ideas for all budgets. Recommendations are as low as a $10 Pittsburgh novelty or book, a $20 shirt, and can be as expensive as a $100+ ski pass or $200 Steelers ticket. We wanted to give a range of ideas in this one and as such prices run the full spectrum.  

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Hundred Acres Manor – A Horrifyingly Good Time in Pittsburgh

When it comes to getting scared senseless at a haunted house during Halloween in Pittsburgh, it is safe to say that Angie and I are not rushing to volunteer.

To put it bluntly, we don't really care for horrors, frights, or bumps in the night even when we know what is about to happen. The best horror scenarios to us are left to the movies- ones that are contained to a DVD, shrink wrapped in a case, and on the back of a store shelf far, far away.

But when Hundred Acres Manor came knocking and asked if we wanted to visit their haunted attractions just south of Pittsburgh for a review, we were in. Well, I was at least, and Angie came along kicking and screaming all while threatening to fake a heart attack to get out of it.

As it turns out, the reason we don't really care for haunted attractions is not because we don't like being scared (I may be speaking for myself on this one), but rather no one has done a good enough job to date to make us excited to visit a haunted house in the first place.

That is, until now.

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A Walk Between Covered Bridges at Mingo Creek

Mingo Creek County Park is a 2,600 acre park located in Finleyville, PA, about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh.

With a beautiful paved walking trail along the creek, covered bridges, an observatory, and picnic pavilions abound, it should be no surprise that this park is often considered to be a favorite among residents of Washington County!

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Ohiopyle State Park – Hiking Cucumber Falls to Cascade Falls

Ohiopyle is a 19,000 acre state park located in southwestern Pennsylvania, about an hour and a half south of Pittsburgh.

It is often considered to be one of the star attractions of the region as the park offers numerous hiking trails, historical landmarks, and so much more- making it impossible to see it all in any single visit.

During a recent trip we tried the hike from Cucumber Falls to the Cascade Falls and quickly found out why it is one of the best trails to experience in the park (and the perfect hike for a day trip from the city)!

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Pittsburgh Children’s Museum 21+ Night – Being a Kid Again

One museum we've always wanted to visit in Pittsburgh, but had few to no opportunities to check out, is the Children's Museum. As adults without kids (or kids we can adopt as defacto parents for an afternoon), we always felt uneasy with the idea of going to this one on our own.

Our problems were solved when one of the museum's quarterly 21+ night events came about, and we put on our detective hats and went to work as the Murder Mystery theme ensured that all of us became a kid again- for one night at least.

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Maxo Vanka Murals at St. Nicholas in Millvale are a Must See

St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Millvale was built in the early 1900s as a place of worship for the large Croatian population in the region. In 1921 the church was devastated by a fire, and was rebuilt in 1922.

In the years that followed the congregation worshiped in a church that was relatively devoid of imagery, and in the late 1930s the church commissioned acclaimed Croatian artist Maxo Vanka to adorn the walls with his work. He was given significant creative control in his art, and the resulting murals are nothing short of a masterpiece that is often referred to as his “gift to America.”

Since then, the murals been appreciated by countless parishioners and visitors, and in the early 2000s a comprehensive restoration effort began in order to ensure they survive for generations to come.

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Lawrenceville Neighborhood Guide – Attractions and Dining

If there is any neighborhood in Pittsburgh that would be the perfect case study for a revival, Lawrenceville would be it. In just under 10 years the neighborhood went from being one you likely never stepped foot in (let alone drove through), to becoming a hipster mecca, to being so trendy it is beyond hipster, and is now one of the most popular neighborhoods in all of Pittsburgh for visitors with all interests.

As Lawrenceville has grown to be a shopping, eating, and drinking hot spot, our neighborhood guide was created to cover our very favorite spots in each category!

As with all of our neighborhood guides, this is not a complete list of everything in Lawrenceville. It is simple a guide to places we personally visit when exploring the neighborhood. If your favorite is not included, it is likely that we have not checked it out yet. If this is the case, please comment at the end of this post and we'll happily check it out on our next visit!

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Flight 93 National Memorial – A Somber Memorial to 9/11

Sometimes as travel writers there are just a few spots we visit that are impossible to put into words. Destinations so sobering about the low points in human history that I simply cannot do justice in any one article.

I've found myself in this particular spot in many places around the world- be it Dachau in Germany, the ground zero spots of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, and the 9/11 Memorial in New York City to name a few.

In these particular cases I've tried time and time again to write about them, but end up being at a loss for words. Rather than ignoring the topic altogether, I ultimately end up only sharing photos as a means to try and provide a visual understanding of the experience.

So it should be no surprise that my visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, is no different. Today, I wanted to share a few photos from the memorial to encourage everyone to visit.

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The Quest to Explore all 90 Pittsburgh Neighborhoods

Duquesne Incline and Pittsburgh's Skyline

Since founding Discover the Burgh, we've made it our mission to do everything Pittsburgh has to throw at us. From eating at all the great Pittsburgh restaurants, visiting all the museums, to exploring the many public spaces and hiking trails (to name a few), we've tried to live by the mindset of if it is there, we want to check it out.

Naturally, one of our goals along these lines was to visit all 90 Pittsburgh neighborhoods and find the highlights in each of them.

While we have visited all 90 neighborhoods multiple times throughout the years, we are still working our way to finding something unique in each of them as many are primarily residential. That being said, to date we have found unique highlights in 66 neighborhoods which is nothing to scoff at.

In this guide we wanted to share one recommendation for each neighborhood we've found something awesome in so far.

Are you ready to go exploring?

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