AREA ATTRACTIONS | Pittsburgh College

Phipp's Conservatory

Real estate baron Henry Phipps donated these botanical gardens to the city in 1893. Set in Schenley Park, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens offers visitors a variety of things to see and do. There are extensive outdoor gardens that surround the central building, a 13-room Victorian glasshouse with rotating seasonal exhibits, including orchids, bonsai, and other delicate plants. Dedicated to the environment and sustainability, the gardens also include a Tropical Forest Conservatory and the Center for Sustainable Landscapes, which explore topics like water conservation and energy use, as well as an educational film about urban farming. Even kids will enjoy a visit. The Discovery Garden offers free, hands-on children's activities and in the Garden Railroad, they can explore and interact with the tropical Treasure Island as a visiting pirate.

Address: 1 Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Official site: www.phipps.conservatory.org

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of four Carnegie Foundation museums in Pittsburgh, the Museum of Natural History is dedicated to educating and entertaining visitors, so they can gain a deeper understanding of our natural world. Exhibits explore the science behind the discovery and understanding of the earth and its inhabitants, both past and present. The museum's central exhibit is a collection of authentic dinosaur fossils and some reproductions, including a Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops. The Cretaceous Seaway exhibit shows the life of dinosaurs who lived under water. The museum's extensive galleries also include exhibits about earth sciences like geology and gems, animal life in various parts of the world, and cultural history including Native American and Ancient Egypt. Kids will find plenty of things to do at Discovery Basecamp, an interactive exhibit that encourages kids to get hands-on, and also at the Bone Hunter's Quarry, where they can dig and uncover their own replica fossils.

Official site: www.carnegiemnh.org

Carnegie Science Center

On the north bank of the Allegheny River is the huge Carnegie Science Center, which offers more than 250 hands-on exhibits. While visitors are exploring, they will learn about the ways that science and technology influence every aspect of our lives, from energy use, food production, and industrial processing to space exploration. The museum also offers plenty of things to do, like the Ropes Challenge indoor climbing and zipline course, with its sibling SkyTykes ropes course for little ones; the four-story Rangos Omnimax Theater; and the Henry Buhl Jr. Planetarium and Observatory. Meanwhile, the Miniature Railroad and Village document the state's history and culture with tiny horse-drawn carriages, cars and trucks, trees, and airplanes complete with animation. Also on site is the USS Requin, a World War II submarine that held a crew of 80. Guided tours are given by former submariners.

Address: One Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Official site: www.carnegiesciencecenter.org

Cathedral of Learning

At the University of Pittsburgh, the Gothic Revival skyscraper known as the Cathedral of Learning towers above the campus at 535 feet tall. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this 42-story building is the world's second-tallest university building. Construction began in 1926, and classes were held inside as early as 1931 while the exterior was still being completed - a task that was not finished until 1934. Home to many of the university's current educational facilities, it also has a food court where visitors can grab a bite while exploring the impressive building's interior.

Location: University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Frick Art and Historical Center

The Frick Art and Historical Center is a complex of museums and historical buildings located across five acres of lawns and gardens in Pittsburgh's residential East End. The highlight is the Frick Art Museum, which displays the art collection of Helen Clay Frick. It is located in the Clayton, which was Henry Frick's mansion and the only surviving one on Millionaire's row. On display are pictures ranging in date from the early Renaissance to the end of the 18th century. The collection contains Italian, French, and Flemish paintings through the eighteenth-century; sixteenth-century tapestries; and Chinese porcelains.

Also on-site is the Car & Carriage Museum, including a 1914 Rolls Royce and 1931 Pierce Arrow 43 Club Sedan.

Address: 7227 Reynolds Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Official site: www.thefrickpittsburgh.org

Duquesne Incline

Since 1877, this funicular railway has served the residents and businesses of the Duquesne Heights and Mount Washington sections of Pittsburgh. From the cars there are great views out over the city. Using two original 1877 cable cars, the Duquesne Incline is a working museum, with the upper station providing photos and displays on the history of the incline. Visitors can also see the inner workings of the incline. The Mount Washington neighborhood is one of the city's most popular areas for its grand homes and excellent fine restaurants and can also be accessed by the Monongahela Incline, which departs from Station Square.

Address: 1220 Grandview Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Official site: www.duquesneincline.org

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium

The Pittsburgh Zoo has five unique habitats and an aquarium that house its wide variety of animal residents. The PPG Aquarium is home to water dwellers, from seahorses to sharks, including a flock of penguins that play in the snow during winter. The Water's Edge area is dedicated to education about coastal wildlife and environmental concerns, and is home to sea otters and polar bears. The Tropical Forest area is full of fascinating animals, including two-toed sloths, lemurs, poison dart frogs, and capuchin monkeys among many primate species. The Islands exhibit focuses on endangered species of tropical climates, including Galapagos turtles and clouded leopards. The African Savanna section houses some of the zoo's most popular residents, including Masai giraffes, lions, rhinoceroses, African elephants, and zebras.

Address: 7370 Baker Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Official site: www.pittsburghzoo.org

Point State Park

The heart of Pittsburgh is the "Golden Triangle" at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers. At the tip of the triangle is Point State Park, with one of the country's largest fountains, symbolizing the birth of the Ohio. This was the site of Fort Pitt, of which there now remains only a blockhouse. The fort's original appearance is shown in dioramas in the Fort Pitt Museum, a re-created eighteenth-century bastion of the famous British fort.

The 36-acre park commemorates the British settlement of the frontier outpost in 1754 until the French seized the area. Later, the British regained supremacy and erected a new fort.

Address: 101 Commonwealth Place, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Official site: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/point/

Andy Warhol Museum

The museum contains the largest collection of work by Andy Warhol, the city's most famous artist and American pop-art pioneer. Exhibits cover all facets of Warhol's prolific career as a painter, filmmaker, record producer, stage designer, author, magazine publisher, and celebrity-gazer. Opened in 1994, the museum is housed in a restored warehouse, and displays many of Warhol's drawings, paintings, prints, and multimedia installations, as well as presents several of his films and video clips. This large space is also used to host events and classes, and the museum is committed to promoting contemporary art by sponsoring research and scholarships.

Address: 117 Sandusky Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Official site: www.warhol.org

Peterson Events Center

The Petersen Events Center is a 12,508-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in the Oakland neighborhood. Home to University of Pittsburgh basketball, concerts, graduation ceremonies, and conventions.

Address: 3719 Terrace St, Pittsburgh, PA 15261

Soldiers and Sailors Museum

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum is a National Register of Historic Places landmark in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the largest memorial in the United States dedicated solely to honoring all branches of military veterans and service personnel.