SEE & DO
MATTRESS FACTORY: Step into a
bewildering world of darkness, light and
texture at this contemporary art museum (it
calls itself a ‘laboratory’), housed in a former
mattress warehouse. Founded in 1977 , it offers
four floors of interactive exhibits — both
revolving exhibitions and permanent pieces
by the likes of Greer Lankton, James Turrell,
Yayoi Kusama. mattress.org
AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN
CULTURAL CENTER: Pittsburgh native
August Wilson blazed a trail for Black
playwrights and poets in the 1960s and ’70s. His
10-play Century Cycle (chronicling the Black
experience in Pittsburgh in the 20th century) is
a key piece of US theatre; today visitors can see
the works staged at this cultural centre, whose
calendar of events, poetry readings and talks
honour Wilson’s legacy. aacc-awc.org
PHIPPS CONSERVATORY AND
BOTANICAL GARDENS: Enter an enchanting
world of plant life under glass at The Phipps
Conservatory. Its sprawling Victorian
greenhouse contains flora from around
the globe, amid waterfalls, ponds, a desert
landscape and a tropical forest.
phipps.conservatory.org
THE ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM: Although
best known for a groundbreaking creative stint
in New York, the paradigm-shaking artist was
born and raised in Pittsburgh. His eponymous
museum, located in the North Shore area, is
home to the largest collection of Warhol’s
artworks and archival materials. Dive into
his fascinating life while wandering through a
recreation of his film studio, browsing archives
of his films and taking an in-depth look at his
friendship with fellow iconoclast, Venezuelan-
American sculptor Marisol Escobar. warhol.org
CARNEGIE MUSEUMS: The Oakland
neighbourhood is home to a complex of
museums and galleries. The Carnegie
Museum of Natural History puts visitors
face to face with two towering Tyrannosaurus
rexes and the Wertz Gallery dazzles
with its displays of jewels and gems; the
Carnegie Museum of Art, meanwhile, is
home to works by the world’s finest
impressionist painters, including van Gogh,
Monet, Cézanne, Degas, Manet, Pissarro and
Matisse. carnegiemuseums.org
POINT STATE PARK: Stroll beneath the
Pittsburgh skyline at Point State Park, where
a mesmerising fountain marks the merging of
the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers. Justmoments from Downtown — the oldest part
of the city, dubbed the ‘Golden Triangle’ as it
was where the city’s power and wealth were
once concentrated — the park showcases local
history at the Fort Pitt Museum and Fort Pitt
Block House. dcnr.pa.gov
BIKE THE GREAT ALLEGHENY PASSAGE:
To cycle along the Great Allegheny Passage
(two former railroad corridors) is to ride
through the pages of Pittsburgh history.
This rails-to-trails path streaks 150 miles
through rural Appalachia, past the remnants
of the mines, mansions and railway stations
that marked America’s expansion westward.
Bike rentals are available from Golden
Triangle Bike, with lodgings ranging from
boutique hotels to hostels. gaptrail.org
PADDLE TO A PIRATES GAME: Venture
Outdoors rents solo and tandem kayaks in the
shadow of the 3 8,000-seat PNC Park, home to
one of the most storied franchises in US sport,
the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team. If you
work up an appetite, it’s worth noting that the
stadium serves much more than hotdogs; try
a Primanti Bros sandwich, local barbecue,
chipotle-loaded tater tots (totchos) and even
quinoa salads. ventureout-doors.org
mlb.com/piratesA bridge too farPittsburgh claims
to have more bridgesthan any other city
in the world — 446
in totalPrevious pages, from left: Lunch
at Spork; view from the Duquesne
Incline cable-carClockwise from left: Hotcakes at
Pamela’s Diner; Market Square;
The Industrialist hotel, set in a 1902
skyscraper; craft cocktails at Spork