How to Spend a Weekend in Pittsburgh With Kids

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know we have been loving road trips lately! With two small kids, road trips are so much easier, and there are tons of really cool places for us to visit within a three hour driving distance from Cleveland.

The other weekend we made a road trip to Pittsburgh, PA. Just under two and a half hour drive, Pittsburgh was the perfect place to spend a weekend with the kids. There was so much to see and do, and all within a 10-15 minute drive of where we stayed.  Read on for kid-friendly things to do in Pittsburgh.

Heinz History Center

The city’s largest history museum, this was a must-do on our list, as the hotel we were staying at was directly across the street! If you are history buffs, this is going to be the spot for you. Pittsburgh has an incredibly rich and unique history, from how the city gained its popularity to all of the successful years in sports. The museum is very well marked and you will easily find whatever interests you.

My personal favorite was seeing parts of the set from Mister Rogers Neighborhood. My son, who is now a huge of Daniel Tiger, was able to see the original puppets from the show, which I thought was really neat.

Cost: $18 for adults, $9 for kids ages 6-17, free for children 5 & under.

The National Aviary

This “zoo” is really unique in that almost all of the exhibits are free flying – that means you will have birds literally flying right over your head. They feed the penguins at 12pm an 4pm, so if you have a penguin lover in your family, you won’t want to miss that! There is also a sloth who climbs all around the trees in the rainforest section. This space is small, but jam packed with so many varieties of birds to see (150 different species to be exact).

Cost: $17.95 for adults, $14.95 for children, free for children under the age of 2.

Carnegie Science Center

We hadn’t originally planned to come here, but we had a lot of rain during the weekend we visited, and this was a perfect way to spend a morning. Honestly – you could spend a whole day here if you really wanted to! This is an extremely hands-on, interactive museum and has something for kids of all ages. There is a specific are designated for kids under 3. Whether you child enjoys playing with water, learning about gravity or space, you won’t be disappointed with a visit here. Our favorite was the massive railroad display, showcasing all of Pittsburgh’s history through it’s various seasons.

Cost: $20 for adults, $12 for kids ages 3-12, free for children under the age of 2. 

Ride the Duquesne Incline

This is something you will only get to experience in Pittsburgh, so make sure this is on your list of things to do! It’s a quick ride up to Mount Washington, but you get to enjoy breathtaking views of the city skyline and experience a “ride” unlike any other. Once you get to the top, be sure to step out the fenced in area and get your photo with the skyline and rivers as your backdrop. This is a cash only business, so have some on hand when you go.

Cost: $5 roundtrip, free for children under 5.

Ride the Gateway Clipper

Another unique way to see the city is from the rivers! Hop aboard the Gateway Clipper and enjoy a cruise, where you will be able to see the city from different vantage points and the Three Rivers – Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio. There are a ton of themed cruises to choose from, so take a look before your trip so you can plan ahead.

Kid-friendly food options while in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh has an abundance of food options to choose from, so I’m going to share where we went to help you narrow things down. We stayed in the Strip District, so you will notice most of these locations are close to that area!

Pamela’s Diner – a classic diner, with the best hotcakes and potatoes in the city! Make sure you have the entire group with you before heading it, as they will only seat you with everyone there.

Pro tip: If you appreciate a good cup of coffee, stop by Colombino Fine Coffee & Cacao Bar right around the corner. It’s one of the best cups of coffee I’ve ever had.

Primanti Brothers – a Pittsburgh staple, we stopped here for lunch to enjoy the famous loaded sandwiches here. There are multiple locations throughout the city, so you should be able to find one close to where you’re staying.

Waffles INCaffeinated – we loved this because our son is a huge waffle fan. There are so many combinations to choose from here, it was so hard to pick! I had the funky monkey and it was delicious.

Church Brew Works – this is a unique location because it’s a brewery that was once a church. A lot of the original church still stands so there is a lot to look at and enjoy while you wait for your food and drinks. There are tons of food options and the beers are great for adults!

Millie’s Ice Cream – of course we had to get some dessert while in the city. I was blown away by how good this ice cream was. I had the strawberry pretzel flavor and I had to stop myself from getting more. They have kids tables and coloring inside as well, so your toddler is sure to stay entertained well after they finish their treat!

We barely even scratched the surface with the kid-friendly things to do in Pittsburgh, so we’ll be making a trip back there to see even more next time. There’s the zoo, Kennywood, the children’s museum, and so much more! 

For other kid friendly things to do in Pittsburgh, check out the VisitPITTSBURGH for inspiration. **Thank you to VisitPITTSBURGH for hosting us for our w