A Weekend In Pittsburgh, PA

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I’m a travel advisor with The Magic’s Yours Travel and I send clients on vacations of all kinds all over the world. My specialty is Disney travel!

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I recently returned from spending three nights in Pittsburgh, and I’m excited to share the experience with you. While I’ve taken countless day trips there over the years, having grown up with family in the area, this was one of the first times I truly explored the city as an adult. It was the perfect chance to see Pittsburgh in a whole new light and discover what makes it such a fun and unique place to visit.

Hotel Review

We stayed at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Downtown Pittsburgh. This hotel is located on the top floors of a historic high-rise right in the heart of downtown. It’s walkable to many of the city’s attractions, or you can easily catch a rideshare from the entrance.

After entering the beautiful building lobby, you’ll take the elevator straight to the top of the building, where you’ll find the hotel lobby, a large breakfast area, a bar, an indoor pool, and a gym, all with stunning views of the city. From there, you’ll take another elevator down to reach your room.

All of the rooms are suites, most featuring two separate spaces, a bedroom and a sitting area, along with a kitchenette that includes a microwave and mini-fridge. Studio layouts and larger suites are also available. The amount of space is impressive, especially for a hotel in the middle of a city, and the views from the rooms are just as striking.

I really appreciated how spacious the rooms were, loved the city views, and found the kitchenette especially convenient. The gym and indoor pool were both clean and fell supplied, and the complimentary breakfast buffet included a great variety of options, including a made-to-order omelet station. They even offered complimentary cocktails in the evenings. This hotel was definitely a win for me.

Day One

We started our first day with a half-mile walk to the Andy Warhol Museum. Along the way, we stopped at De Fer, a local coffee shop with several locations in the area. The lattes were excellent, so much so that we went back again the next afternoon.

Our walk to the museum took us across the Andy Warhol Bridge, one of Pittsburgh’s iconic yellow bridges. It offered great views of the city skyline and the baseball stadium, making it a perfect photo opportunity.

The Andy Warhol Museum pays tribute to Pittsburgh native Andy Warhol, celebrating his life and work through galleries that showcase the different decades and styles of his career. I went in knowing just the basics about Warhol and left with a real appreciation for his range as an artist and a better understanding of his life and influence. One thing to know ahead of time is that many of Warhol’s most famous works are housed in major museums in New York, like the Met and MoMA, so you won’t find all of his iconic pieces here in Pittsburgh. That was a bit of a letdown. Still, this is a well-curated, smaller museum that makes a nice addition to a Pittsburgh itinerary, especially for art lovers, though I wouldn’t call it a must-do for everyone.

The museum also pairs well with a visit to the Heinz History Center, which is walkable from this area. I visited a few years ago and spent a few enjoyable hours learning about Pittsburgh’s history. Highlights include exhibits on the city’s sports teams, the original set of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, a full-size streetcar on the first floor, and of course, the Heinz ketchup exhibit. There are also interactive areas that are great for younger visitors.

After a quick break at our hotel, we headed back out to explore one of Pittsburgh’s most popular neighborhoods for shopping and dining, the Strip District. The name refers to the narrow strip of land along the Allegheny River at the base of the Hill District. It’s packed with souvenir shops, local eateries, and places to pick up specialty groceries to take home.

Our first stop was the well-known La Prima Espresso Company. It had a classic, old-school feel with a very straightforward coffee menu and minimalistic vibes. The espresso was strong and well-made, but the overall experience was a bit stressful. The ordering process felt chaotic, there was a long line, and the customer service came across as disinterested and borderline annoyed. The atmosphere was tense, and honestly, I don’t think it was worth the hype. We spotted several other small coffee shops in the area so there are plenty of options.

We spent some time window shopping through the neighborhood, and my favorite stop was My Sweet Lilly bakery. Everything looked incredible, and it had charming, old-school bakery vibes. I also want to shout out the huge mural on the side of one of the nearby buildings. You’ll also come across plenty of kitschy souvenir shops which can be fun to browse, but after a few, they all start to feel the same.

Later, we took a break at Wigle Whiskey, where Scott enjoyed a whiskey tasting flight. This spot features a bar, table seating with a small food menu, plus a retail space where you can purchase full bottles. They even offer tours of the distillery. Judging by the banners on the wall, Wigle is well-decorated and award-winning. Scott gave two thumbs up to the flight, though nothing stood out enough to buy a bottle. I personally loved the hallway displays that told the story of the Whiskey Rebellion and its ties to Alexander Hamilton. Spoiler alert: they are not fans of the historical figure, though no word on their opinion of the musical. It was a fun and informative stop.

A few blocks over, we checked out the Novo Asian Food Hall, which hosts a handful of Asian quick-service vendors. We grabbed sushi to go from Mola for dinner, and it was excellent. Back at the hotel, Scott ordered ramen delivery from Yuzu Kitchen, which was also a hit.

And that wrapped up a full and delicious first day in Pittsburgh.

Day Two

We spent the next day exploring the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Carnegie Museum of Art, which are connected as part of a massive museum complex made up of both historic and modern buildings. (Teachers—be sure to check out the excellent discount they offer!)

I’ll start with the negative. These museums are a bit of a labyrinth, and the map provided was confusing and unhelpful. The rules around water bottles and bags were poorly posted and contradictory. After purchasing our tickets and entering the museum, we were stopped about ten minutes in and told to take our closed water bottle to the locker area because it didn’t fit inside our bag. The lockers required payment, and to make matters worse, no one was working the locker station so we couldn’t rent one even if we wanted to. So back to the car we went. This was especially frustrating since the parking lot signage clearly stated that large bags were not allowed, so I had deliberately downsized to a small purse and water bottle. To top it off, it took another five minutes after we re-entered to actually find an exhibit, as we wandered through what felt like endless, empty hallways.

Once we finally found the main museum spaces, things improved dramatically. The Dinosaur Hall was a major highlight, filled with towering skeletons and an impressive collection. One of the most exciting parts was seeing the first T. rex ever put on display, the type specimen for the species, meaning it’s the original fossil used to define what a T. rex is. I was genuinely blown away by this!

Other exhibits included a wide sampling of artwork, numerous taxidermy dioramas (just a heads-up if you or your kids are sensitive to that), and a massive Hall of Architecture filled with casts of buildings and sculptures from around the world. It was really cool to walk through and felt totally unique. There’s also a large Ancient Egypt exhibit, though unfortunately it was closed for refurbishment during our visit. The building itself is stunning and historic, complete with a grand staircase that makes a lasting impression.

Overall, it was a fascinating and educational experience with something for just about everyone. If you’re a museum lover, I’d definitely recommend making time for a visit.

The museum is also located near Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, which makes for a great pairing if you’re looking to spend a full day in the area.

After the museum, we made a return trip to De Fer for more lattes before heading back to the hotel. Later, we ordered takeout from Hello Bistro, which offers amazing design-your-own salads, I highly recommend giving it a try.

That evening, Scott attended a Pearl Jam concert at PPG Paints Arena, the city’s hockey arena, just a quick ten minute walk from our hotel. The concert was actually the main reason for our trip, and the Embassy Suites’ convenient location made getting to and from the show incredibly easy. If you’re planning to catch a concert or a hockey game, staying at the Embassy Suites Downtown Pittsburgh is definitely a great choice.

That wraps up our visit to Pittsburgh! With family in the area and Scott’s love for the Pittsburgh Penguins, I’m sure we’ll be back to explore more of this great city again soon.