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\nSeveral places to visit are within easy walking distance when you’re on Pitt’s campus, including, from left to right, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, Frick Fine Arts Building, Schenley Plaza, and the Carnegie Library and Museums.<\/p>\n
Central Oakland is an extension of the University’s Pittsburgh campus, which features museums, sights, green spaces, and restaurants. This guide suggests our favorites in Oakland with a few nearby favorites that are worth the trip.<\/p>\n
\nSeveral places to visit are within easy walking distance when you’re on Pitt’s campus, including, from left to right, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, Frick Fine Arts Building, Schenley Plaza, and the Carnegie Library and Museums.<\/p>\n
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Visit the links below for more information, or download the PDF version of the guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jump to: Museums and Cultural Sites<\/a> | Outdoor Spots and Views<\/a> | Attractions<\/a> | Neighborhoods<\/a> | Restaurants<\/a><\/p>\n Museums and Cultural Sites<\/p>\n Carnegie Museum of Natural History<\/a> Carnegie Museum of Art<\/a> The Andy Warhol Museum<\/a> Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum<\/a> Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens<\/a>\u2014take a tour before dinner on Tuesday Cathedral of Learning & Nationality Rooms<\/a>\u2014offered as a tour Frick Fine Arts Building<\/a> (Pitt) Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh<\/a> \u2014 Main (Oakland) Branch Maxo Vanka Murals<\/a> Heinz History Center<\/a> Allegheny Observatory<\/a> Community Engagement Centers<\/a> The Frick Pittsburgh<\/a> Mattress Factory<\/a> Randyland<\/a> National Aviary<\/a> Outdoor Spots and Views<\/p>\n Duquesne Incline<\/a> Grandview Overlook Schenley Park<\/a> Pitt & Carnegie Mellon Campuses Attractions<\/p>\n Kennywood Amusement Park<\/a> Gateway Clipper Fleet<\/a> Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium<\/a> Neighborhoods<\/p>\n Pittsburgh has several distinct neighborhoods worth exploring including the Strip District with produce markets and Bloomfield\u2019s \u201cLittle Italy.\u201d Find out more at Visit Pittsburgh: Neighborhoods<\/a>.<\/p>\n Restaurants<\/p>\n Primanti Brothers<\/a> Butterjoint<\/a> The Porch (at Schenley)<\/a> Union Grill<\/a> Tazza D’Oro<\/a> Divvy Coffee & Buns<\/a>
One of the largest natural history museums in the U.S., famous for its dinosaur hall (including a real Diplodocus and T. rex) and the Hall of Gems and Minerals. Connected to the Carnegie Museum of Art in one building.<\/p>\n
Founded by Andrew Carnegie, with a collection spanning contemporary art, decorative arts, photography, and architecture. Home to the long-running Carnegie International exhibition.<\/p>\n
The largest museum in the world dedicated to a single artist, showcasing Warhol’s paintings, films, and personal archives. (Located on the North Shore.)<\/p>\n
A Beaux-Arts landmark built in 1910 to honor Allegheny County’s military veterans, styled after the ancient mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Houses military exhibits, a 2,500-seat auditorium, and a banquet hall.<\/p>\n
A stunning Victorian glasshouse with rotating seasonal flower shows, a tropical forest, desert room, and butterfly garden \u2014 right on the edge of Schenley Park.<\/p>\n
Pitt’s 42-story Gothic Revival skyscraper is a Pittsburgh icon on its own. Inside are the Nationality Rooms \u2014 31 classrooms representing different cultures and heritages that helped build Pittsburgh, each designed and furnished in an authentic period style. Explore the free rooms on the 3rd floor, or take a self-guided audio tour of the 1st-floor rooms for a small fee.<\/p>\n
A beautiful Italian Renaissance-style building with an open-air cloister and murals inspired by the Sistine Chapel and Vatican. Home to Pitt’s art history department and a small gallery. Free and often overlooked.<\/p>\n
A grand historic building attached to the Carnegie Museums, worth a walk-through even just to admire the architecture and reading rooms.
\ud83d\udd17 carnegielibrary.org<\/p>\n
Located at the historic St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church in Millvale, these striking murals were painted by Croatian artist Maxo Vanka in 1937 and 1941, depicting the lives of working-class immigrants, war, and social justice themes. Guided tours are offered, with admission around $15\u201320 per person.<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh’s Smithsonian affiliate, covering the region’s history \u2014 from Big Mac origins to the Civil War \u2014 in the Strip District.<\/p>\n
A working astronomical research facility (University of Pittsburgh) with the third-largest refracting telescope in the world, located in Riverview Park. Free public tours run April through October, by reservation only, starting at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n
Pitt-run neighborhood hubs that act as a “front door to Pitt,” housing community programs and services in the Hill District, Homewood, and Greater Hazelwood.<\/p>\n
Located in Point Breeze, this includes Clayton (the Frick family mansion), a car and carriage museum (free museum of antique cars), and an art museum \u2014 set on a beautiful wooded estate.<\/p>\n
A contemporary art museum known for large-scale, immersive room installations, including Yayoi Kusama’s infinity rooms.<\/p>\n
A free, wildly colorful outdoor folk-art environment created by local artist Randy Gilson \u2014 a fun, quick photo-op stop.<\/p>\n
The country’s largest indoor nonprofit aviary, with walk-through exhibits where birds fly freely around visitors.<\/p>\n
A historic cable car (opened 1877) that climbs Mt. Washington, offering one of the best skyline views in the city.<\/p>\n
Part of Mt. Washington’s Grandview Avenue and located in the city\u2019s Emerald View Park<\/a>, this is one of the most photographed skyline views in the country, especially at night.<\/p>\n
A sprawling 456-acre park bordering Oakland, with trails, a scenic lookout within the park with views over the Panther Hollow ravine and the city, Phipps Conservatory, and a golf course. Nearby Schenley Plaza hosts a large open lawn bordering Pitt\u2019s campus with food kiosks, a carousel, and lawn games (giant chess, bocce).<\/p>\n
Both worth a stroll even if you’re not a student: The University of Pittsburgh<\/a> campus centers on the Cathedral of Learning, while Carnegie Mellon University<\/a>‘s adjacent campus has spots like the Fence (a constantly repainted student tradition), Hunt Library, and the Randy Pausch Memorial Bridge.<\/p>\n
A National Historic Landmark amusement park in West Mifflin known for classic wooden roller coasters like the Jack Rabbit and Thunderbolt.<\/p>\n
Sightseeing riverboat cruises on Pittsburgh’s three rivers, departing from Station Square \u2014 great for skyline views from the water.<\/p>\n
Home to a wide range of animal exhibits and an aquarium, in Highland Park.<\/p>\n
The Pittsburgh classic: sandwiches piled with French fries and coleslaw right inside the bread. Multiple locations, including one in Oakland (Forbes Ave) and the original in the Strip District.<\/p>\n
A cozy North Oakland bar and restaurant mixing Pittsburgh comfort food (pierogies, burgers) with French bistro classics. Shares a kitchen\/bakery with Sidecar coffee shop next door.<\/p>\n
A come-as-you-are neighborhood bistro right in Schenley Plaza, serving simple, scratch-made food, with a patio overlooking the plaza’s fountain, carousel, and lawn \u2014 good for a meal before\/after museum visits.<\/p>\n
A classic neighborhood bar and grill since the 1990s, famous for its Turkey Devonshire (a Pittsburgh original from the 1940s) and the Chophouse Burger. Popular with students, museum-goers, and UPMC staff alike.<\/p>\n
A European-style caf\u00e9 that opened in 1999 and serves only single-origin coffee, roasted by Verve Coffee Roasters. About 70% of its food is locally sourced, including pastries made by the owner’s family bakery. The original spot is a beloved neighborhood fixture in Highland Park, and there’s now a second location right in Oakland at 125 Lytton Ave \u2014 good for a coffee break between museum stops. Very close to hotel.<\/p>\n
A family-owned Oakland cafe with a European-inspired, globally flavored menu, blending coffee with sweet and savory buns (like the Kopi Roti). Also serves breakfast sandwiches, acai bowls, and sandwiches such as the Habibi Beirut. A cozy, welcoming spot to sit and study or chat over coffee.<\/p>\n