Museums

International Christmas at the Cathedral of Learning

The Nationality Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning are one of Pittsburgh's true gems. These rooms function as classrooms for the University of Pittsburgh, but they are much more than that- they are also designed in the style of classrooms from various countries around the world.

Although we always love taking out of town visitors to these rooms, perhaps the best time of year to do so is the Christmas season.

From late November to early January every year, these classrooms come alive with Christmas trees and other holiday decorations that are representative of decorations from their respective countries. And if that wasn't enough, the common area of the cathedral is also decked out with even more Christmas trees and decorations as well!

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The Living Dead Museum – Behind the Scenes of a Cult Classic

In November 2020, The Living Dead Museum moved to the Monroeville Mall. Our article was from our visit to the museum when it was located in Evans City. As such, the museum and experience may be different than described below. Once we are able to visit the new location we will update this article accordingly.

You may be aware that the cult classic zombie flick, Night of the Living Dead, was filmed outside of Pittsburgh.

But did you also know that Pittsburgh has its own Living Dead Museum dedicated to the franchise?

Although small, this one does a fantastic job paying tribute to all things from the Living Dead series, zombie media at large, and then some!

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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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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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28 Unusual Pittsburgh Museums You Must Check Out

Bicycle Heaven in Pittsburgh

For those who love museums, Pittsburgh is a great place to explore.

We have world class art museums like the Carnegie Museum of Art, the contemporary Mattress Factory, and the Warhol Museum. We have the fantastic Science Center and Children's Museum that are family oriented. We even have the Fort Pitt Museum and Heinz History Center that focus on the amazing history of Western Pennsylvania from the very first settlements to the present.

But you probably knew this already.

We could actually spend a lot of time writing about all of the more mainstream museums in Pittsburgh and barely begin to scratch the surface.

Today we wanted to go beyond those and talk about a few Pittsburgh museums that you would never expect to find here. These hidden (and not-so-hidden) gems are what make our museum scene truly special, and on your next trip out we highly encourage you to visit one of these unusual finds.

To get started, we're going to begin with a few you've likely heard of before, and then go down the rabbit hole to some really unique spots you can find only in Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania! To read more about each museum featured in this list, click the link in the description to head to our full review.

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Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright is Truly a Sight to See

Fallingwater has become a popular tourist destination in southwestern Pennsylvania as it was designed by the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, is one of his most acclaimed works, and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.

There are several more good reasons for this popularity, as the house features unique designs both in the layout and how it appears in nature over the changing seasons.

But did you know that Fallingwater is connected to Pittsburgh in that the famous Kaufmann family (of Kaufmann department store fame) were the original owners of the property and hired Frank Lloyd Wright to build them a house near one of their favorite waterfalls in Ohiopyle?

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Soldiers and Sailors Memorial is a Gorgeous Museum

You may know Soldiers and Sailors Hall as that gorgeous memorial on Fifth Avenue in Oakland.  It is almost impossible to miss. But did you know that this hall contains one of the city's largest museums dedicated to those who served this country in times of war?

If you didn't you may want to jump into your car to check this one out right away. It is a must see.

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Western Pennsylvania Model Railroad Museum Features History

The Western Pennsylvania Model Railroad Museum (WPMRM for short) is a truly unique museum in the region as it has been able to stand the test of time in its permanent location in Gibsonia, PA, just north of Pittsburgh.

For model railroads, a substantial effort is required just to plan and build a display in the first place, and that is all before other traditional museum logistics come in to play like opening the space for visitors, generating revenue, hiring employees, and more. You're likely to see model railroads in other museums as a small portion of a larger theme, but at the WPMRM the only features are model trains, and what a beautiful design it is.

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