Attractions

Braddock’s Battlefield History Center Connects Early History

You are likely familiar with how the British and French fought for control of the confluence in what is now downtown Pittsburgh during the French and Indian War in the 1750s.

Many local battles took place during the war, including the Battle of Jumonville Glen at Fort Necessity (where George Washington is thought to have inadvertently been responsible for starting hostilities), the Braddock Campaign's devastating loss at the Battle of Monongahela, the subsequent victory of the Forbes Campaign taking the confluence for the British (giving us the Pittsburgh we know today from Fort Ligonier to Fort Pitt), and more.

The Battle of Monongahela is memorialized in the appropriately named Braddock and North Braddock, PA, and today you can visit the battlefield site at Braddock's Battlefield History Center at the site of where the battle took place.

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The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum 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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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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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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Chatham Baroque Offers a Unique Concert Series in Pittsburgh

Chatham Baroque is a period music ensemble that was founded in Pittsburgh in 1990 that performs their own concert series in the city, in addition to collaborating with other groups in Pittsburgh and touring around the country and world. Artistic directors Andrew Fouts, Patricia Halverson, and Scott Pauley invite other musicians from around the world to perform with them, making their concerts special and unique.

We were first introduced to Chatham Baroque when they accompanied the opera Idaspe, put on by Quantum Theater in the fall of 2022. I don't think we had ever seen instruments like the viola da gamba or the theorbo played in person before. We were instantly drawn to their unique look and sound, and knew we had to learn more about this interesting ensemble.

Cut to early 2023 and we were able to check out Chatham Baroque play their final concert of the season, The Joy of Bach!

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Puttery Combines Indoor Mini Golf with Libations in the Strip

We are big fans of all things mini golf, and when the indoor-themed mini golf course, Puttery, opened in the Strip District in 2023, we knew we had to go right away.

Themed mini golf courses seem to be a hot commodity as they combine uniquely designed courses with a restaurant and bar space to make for a place to spend an entire evening hanging out with friends. 

Whether you want a drink and a meal before your course, a drink while playing, or a bit of everything, this 21+ establishment offers a ton of fun. That being said, this one comes at a price to match!

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Cooking International Food at Sweetwater Center for the Arts

Sweetwater Center for the Arts is a rather impressive facility in Sewickley providing community classes ranging from creative writing to ceramics, oil painting to metalsmithing, classes for children to seniors, and everything in between. Throw on incredibly passionate instructors and you have an all-around destination not to be missed.

On our first visit, we were guests of Sweetwater for a media night to take in one of their new cooking classes which run a spectrum of themes (particularly with a strong international element that we are quite the fans of). Although our particular class had a curated menu for this special event which likely won't show up for a public experience (we made food from a mix of countries), the experience makes us want to book many more classes for future Pittsburgh date nights.

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