The Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show, aptly themed “Origin Stores” for 2023, brings these two beautiful plants (both favorites of ours) to the forefront of the Conservatory while highlighting how some of the flowers were discovered (orchids) and the history (bonsai) at every turn.
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!
We always wondered what would go into the old movie theater space in South Side Works, and we have to admit an entertainment complex was not the first thing on our radar.
But when Columbus-based Pins Mechanical Co. announced they were opening a two-floor, 30,000-square-foot bar and gaming facility, complete with duckpin bowling, pinball, vintage arcade games, and more, we were intrigued.
We were fortunate enough to check this one out shortly after opening for a media event, and have to admit this one packs a punch (and then some)!
There is no shortage of great haunted houses in Pittsburgh.
But, in a way, many haunts follow a fairly standard blueprint. That is to say, you enter a themed area, walk through a linear path, and get scared at each and every turn.
For those who are looking for something just a bit different (or simply a solid haunt south of the city), Castle Blood, located in a 100-year-old funeral home in Monessen, entertains by being as much of a game as it is a place to be scared silly. To put it bluntly, you'll have to keep your wits about you to survive this one!
If you are a fan of stand-up comedy, odds are good you've taken in a show at Arcade Comedy Theater in downtown Pittsburgh. This one features an array of performances ranging from live standup to themed shows run improv style and more.
We were invited to check out one of these shows, aptly named Bracket Night, and got to throw down with other guests in an interactive, tournament-style battle focused on a single topic. As we visited for a pre-Halloween show, the theme was a timely one, Best Candy, and as they say, there can only be one winner!
Finally, Pittsburgh has a space museum!
If you follow space news at all, odds are good that you know Pittsburgh's robotics companies are at the forefront of innovations for upcoming missions off-planet. One such company, Astrobotic in the North Side, is designing many new technologies that can be used for upcoming missions to the moon in particular.
To showcase their work and the goals of these missions at large, the company has opened a modest educational museum, aptly named the Moonshot Museum, at their North Side production facility in late 2022.
We got the chance to visit this one just before it opened to the public and share a bit more about what you can expect when visiting!
We love checking out movie set locations in Pittsburgh, and one of the most famous films shot here is none other than the 1991 thriller The Silence of the Lambs.
You may know that some of the movie's most iconic scenes were shot at a set built inside Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Oakland (where they typically recreate the set for a screening most Halloweens). But did you know that the house used as Buffalo Bill's residence is located about an hour south of the city just outside of Perryopolis?
Up until 2021, this house was maintained as a private residence, but when it went up for sale a horror movie fan (and worker in the film industry at large) bought it up to transform it into a private rental and museum for tours.
Naturally, as a fan of the movie myself, I had to visit this one as quickly as possible once it opened for the public and had my chance during a media tour via our friends at Laurel Highlands tourism.
You'll want to check this one out as fast as possible!
Pittsburgh has a thriving arts scene, and no matter what neighborhood you are in odds are good you're not too far away from a world-class museum, independent art gallery, mural, and everything in between.
This is especially true in downtown Pittsburgh as the Cultural District hosts numerous galleries worth visiting. Wood Street Galleries is one such spot, located in the T Station of the same name, and is managed by Cultural Trust with frequently rotating exhibits throughout the year.
After visiting this one dozens of times over the years, we have to admit, it is one of our favorite galleries in the city!
When we started our quest to do everything in Pittsburgh, if someone would've said that one of the most enjoyable river activities is taking out a jet ski, I would've had some contrarian thoughts.
But after taking a jet ski for a spin on the Allegheny River and around Point State Park as guests of Steel City Jet Ski Rentals, I have to admit, I'm a convert.
Not only is riding a jet ski immensely fun, but it is also a great way to see a number of river highlights in a craft that you are able to control outright. The adrenaline junkie in me was thrilled with the speed element, and the photographer in me even more so as it made for wonderful city photography too!
Sometimes we just want to unleash our inner child. Thankfully there are a number of options to do so in the Pittsburgh metro region.
One such place is Zone28 in Harmarville- a 50,000-square-foot complex that has virtually everything you would want for indoor fun.
Whether you have a child or simply want to act like a kid yourself, this one is sure to please with their collection of arcade machines, VR machines, escape rooms, laser tag, bowling, an on-site restaurant, and for the adults, loaded bars to name a few.
We were fortunate enough to visit this one as part of a media event and share more about what you can expect in this one.
You know we are fans of unusual museums in Pittsburgh, and when the one-room Pittsburgh Tattoo Art Museum in Shadyside opened in early 2022, we had to go straight away.
This small museum in a somewhat hidden tattoo parlor is everything we look for in offbeat exhibits- namely a wonderfully curated selection on a topic we don't know much about managed by extremely passionate Pittsburghers.
So if you want to take a dive into the world of tattoos, this one is for you.