I'm always into unusual sports, and when Lumberjaxes in Millvale announced the opening of Sliders Curling, their on-site variant of the popular winter sport, I knew I had to go.
So shortly after opening a friend joined me in one of the most unusual outings I've had in a while- going ice curling in Pittsburgh.
As it turns out, this one may be a bit different from what you are expecting.
As a non-golfer, I generally stay clear of driving ranges (and most courses for that matter) as I'll very clearly make a fool out of myself within minutes of picking up a club. But I made an exception to this rule to make a trip to Topgolf Pittsburgh.
This one goes beyond your conventional driving range and adds on many interactive game elements into the mix. The best part of all? By the end of my first outing, I was doing quite well and enjoying it!
We started Discover the Burgh in 2015 as a means to get out and enjoy everything in Pittsburgh. Since then, we have been blown away by all the city has to offer, and are getting close to having personally experienced over 1,400 unique things to do in the city.
While this site is mainly an opinion blog sharing our personal views on all of these attractions, restaurants, bars/breweries, events, parks, and more, we haven't really called out any spots are our personal favorites. You can tell if you read our articles which ones we like more than others, sure, but we never had a dedicated feature to this effect.
For a while, we thought we'd unveil an awards series to highlight our favorite spots. But then we realized they are overplayed and clickbaity. Then we worried that perhaps it was always too soon to do this because we still have way more of the city to see. But as we explore more of the city, we realize that we will never, ever be “finished” and have to commit to it at some point.
So this guide to our favorite places in Pittsburgh was born.
Arsenal Bowl is an award-winning bowling alley in Pittsburgh, and is a staple attraction right in the heart of Lawrenceville.
While more or less your typical bowling alley, this one gets a few extra points for a higher-end ambiance, themed nights, and of course, its location!
I've driven by the RIDC industrial park off of Route 28 more times than I can count, and to be honest I never quite took a moment to stop and research all of the businesses that call that area home.
Had I looked into this further, I would've discovered Inventionland. Sadly, it wasn't until I was invited out for a tour by the company that I became aware of its existence. Naturally, with a name like Inventionland I went out to learn more immediately and I was blown away within moments of walking through the door.
We are big fans of caves, and in southwest Pennsylvania, our options to go underground are a bit limited.
Closer to the city it is much easier to find an old coal mine to go deep into (like at the Tour-Ed Mine and Museum) than it is to find a cave. But for those who want to make the drive in order to explore a gorgeous cave system (and the largest cave in Pennsylvania), the 90 minute trip to the Laurel Caverns in the southern Laurel Highlands is for you!
For the longest time, we never really saw the allure of escape rooms. We knew of their popularity and saw how many escape rooms in Pittsburgh were popping up, but it wasn't much of a priority for us.
It wasn't until we found out that friends of ours love escape rooms that we decided to check one out, and we made our way to Escape Room Pittsburgh at their Homestead location to try our hand at a challenging room.
The theme? An appropriate Pittsburgh connection aptly named Carnegie's Millions. Our goal? To save the world, of course!
If you drive by Playthings Etc. in Butler, PA, you'll know it.
That isn't because of the signage or an unusual display, but rather that the toy store itself is shaped like a stealth bomber!
If that isn't enough to make you want to stop, we don't know what would (but we're going to try to convince you all the same). Going inside this one is even better than the outside!
The Palace Theatre in Greensburg is a popular performing arts space that is known for its history as much as its world-class performers that take the stage each week.
While I am still looking for the perfect show to take in a performance at the theater, I was able to get in on a behind-the-scenes tour to check out more of the history of this iconic spot!
When it comes to Frank Lloyd Wright in the Laurel Highlands, you likely know of Fallingwater. You've probably also heard of Kentuck Knob just a few miles away. But did you know that there is a third site containing the acclaimed architect's work?
This location is Polymath Park- home to two Frank Lloyd Wright houses and two more built by his student, Peter Berndtson.
But the Wright houses here are rather unique- the two houses were completely relocated to the park in the last few decades!