Frugal Foodie Mama: Pittsburgh is For Families- A Travel Guide

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Pittsburgh is For Families- A Travel Guide

A big thank you to Visit Pittsburgh for arranging our travel accommodations and for helping us plan out a truly memorable family weekend getaway...
Pittsburgh is For Families- A Travel Guide via thefrugalfoodiemama.com #familytravel #traveltips
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Living less than 2 hours away and with my husband being a die hard Pirates fan, we have visited the beautiful city of Pittsburgh on several occasions in the past 3 years.  The city itself is nestled among the convergence of 3 different mighty rivers- the Allegheny, the Monongahela, and the Ohio- making for breathtaking views of Pittsburgh no matter where you may be standing. Of course, for the best views of the city, you must take a ride on one of the two still operational inclines and visit Mount Washington (but more on that later ;) ).

Despite our many trips to Pittsburgh to root on the Buccos, there are still many places and areas of the city that we have not explored as a family yet.  With a little help from Visit Pittsburgh, we were able to cross off a few of the things still left on our Steel City travel bucket list.

Starting with the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh...
The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh is a family friendly must-do! via thefrugalfoodiemama.com #familytravel
This was our first time visiting the Children's Museum, and our original plan was just to spend a few hours there and then head to the Carnegie Science Center. But we were having so much fun there, that we just decided to spend the entire day at the Children's Museum...

The Garage exhibit at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh via thefrugalfoodiemama.com
The Garage area was definitely one of our favorite parts of the Children's Museum.  My 16 year old son probably had the most fun of all of us in that exhibit! From the SmartCar you could sit in and pretend to drive, to the different pulley systems and gadgets, there really was so much to learn and to do.

Indoors and outdoors, there is something for every member of the family at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh! via thefrugalfoodiemama.com
The Children's Museum has indoor and outdoor (weather permitting) exhibits and activities for the entire family.  Little miss really enjoyed the huge outdoor sand box in the Backyard exhibit, and she also loved painting in the Studio...

Beauty awaits in the Studio at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh! via thefrugalfoodiemama.com #familytravel
I loved the Studio area best as well because it was simply such a beautiful part of the museum.  From the colorful beach balls arranged in one of the windows to the thousands of streamers hanging from it's dome ceiling...  The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh is a definite must-do during your next trip to Pittsburgh. :)

Taking a ride on the Monongahela Incline is a must-do in Pittsburgh! via thefrugalfoodiemama.com #familytravel
Another must-do in the Steel City? Catching a ride up to Mount Washington on one of the two inclines still operating on the hillside.  Since we were staying at the Sheraton Inn at Station Square, we made the short walk over to the Monongahela Incline to hitch a ride to Mount Washington for breakfast Sunday morning.  The views of the city from the incline were beautiful! I couldn't believe that we had never traveled to Mount Washington by the incline before...

Taking a ride on the Monongahela Incline is a must-do in Pittsburgh! via thefrugalfoodiemama.com #familytravel

Next on our Pittsburgh family getaway weekend agenda? Visiting the Carnegie Science Museum!
The Carnegie Science Center boasts FIVE floors of exhibits for the entire family! via thefrugalfoodiemama.com #Pittsburgh #familytravel
My husband, my son, and myself were no strangers to the Science Center. At one time, we had lived less than an hour away from Pittsburgh and had a membership to the center. But this was little miss's very first visit... :)

The Carnegie Science Center boasts FIVE floors of exhibits for the entire family! via thefrugalfoodiemama.com #Pittsburgh #familytravel
And she had a blast! As did the rest of us. 
From exploring the USS Requin Submarine now anchored in the Ohio River to testing their earthquake-proof engineering skills in the Exploration Station, to building life-sized forts from giant foam blocks in the BLUE! exhibit, it was hours of fun and exploring for us all!

roboworld in the Carnegie Science Center via thefrugalfoodiemama.com #Pittsburgh #familytravel
With one of her current loves being robots (aka, "bebots"), little miss was right at home in the roboworld exhibit

The Carnegie Science Center boasts FIVE floors of exhibits for the entire family! via thefrugalfoodiemama.com #Pittsburgh #familytravel
Boasting FIVE floors of exhibits and hands-on activities, a day at the Carnegie Science Center is guaranteed to be a fun and memorable experience for the entire family no matter what their ages may be.

Have you and your family visited Pittsburgh before? 
What is on your must-do list for each family visit?

Looking for a place to stay on your next visit to Pittsburgh? We loved our two night stay at the Sheraton Inn at Station Square!  Located in Station Square, it is close to everything- Heinz Field, PNC Park, most of the museums, and Mount Washington.  My tips for staying there? If you are visiting on a weekend with the family or happen to be a light sleeper, I would request an interior room or a river view room. Since Station Square is home to quite a few restaurants and bars and the hotel is across the street from the parking garage, it can get a little loud late at night on the weekends.  Also, parking for the hotel is a separate daily fee.

Planning a trip to Pittsburgh soon? Be sure to click on over to Visit Pittsburgh to make planning your visit easy and fun! :)
Be sure to follow Visit Pittsburgh on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up-to-date with all the latest deals and things to do in the 'Burgh!
And look for the #lovepgh hashtag!

Be sure to visit my Family Travel page for even more family friendly city travel guides and reviews on places to stay! :)

And for family friendly travel tips and guides from all over the web, be sure to follow my Family Friendly Travel board on Pinterest... 
Follow Carrie (Frugal Foodie Mama)'s board Family Friendly Travel on Pinterest.