From the Mount Washington Overlook (Grandview Ave.) you can see how Pittsburgh became a crucial junction of transportation and commerce, sitting at the confluence of three major rivers. History aside, the city's arching bridges, sparkling rivers, and Golden Triangle create a lovely panorama best enjoyed from one of many lookouts, restaurants, and bars atop Mount Washington. Hundred-year-old cable cars ferry passengers up Mount Washington. Visit either the Duquesne Incline, 1220 Grandview Ave. (tel. 412/381-1665; www.incline.cc), where the fares are $3.75 for adults and $1.70 for children; or the Monongahela Incline, 8 Grandview Ave. (tel. 412/442-2000; www.ridegold.com), with fares of $2 for adults, $1 for children.
Pittsburgh's compact and walkable downtown is called the Golden Triangle, where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers converge flowing west into the Ohio. Here you'll find Point State Park (tel. 412/471-0235), the historic site of Fort Pitt and home to Pittsburgh's landmark 150-foot fountain. Entrance is free to the park and the adjoining Allegheny Riverfront Park; both are popular for a picnic or pleasant stroll.
Many of Pittsburgh's cultural institutions bear the names of American industrial barons who amassed their fortunes in Pittsburgh and said thanks with the endowments of concert halls, museums, and libraries. In 1895, Andrew Carnegie endowed the Carnegie Museums (www.carnegiemuseums.org), which today include the city's finest: Carnegie Museum of Art, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland (tel. 412/622-3131; www.cmoa.org), with contemporary exhibitions and Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces; the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland (tel. 412/622-3131; www.carnegiemnh.org), renowned for its Dinosaur Hall; the Carnegie Science Center, 1 Allegheny Ave. (tel. 412/237-3400; www.carnegiesciencecenter.org), where kids experience hands-on science and the interactive SportsWorks next door; and The Andy Warhol Museum, 117 Sandusky St. (tel. 412/237-8300; www.warhol.org), devoted to the life and work of Pittsburgh's most fabulous native artist.
Unassociated with the Carnegie Museums but just as dynamic is the Mattress Factory, 500 Sampsonia Way (tel. 412/231-3169; www.mattress.org), a museum of site-specific artworks by the likes of James Turrell. Clayton, the former home of Henry Clay Frick, shares a 6-acre site with the Frick Art & Historical Center, 7227 Reynolds St. (tel. 412/371-0600; www.frickart.org), which has museums featuring artistic masterpieces and classic cars, as well as a floral conservatory. Many guests round out an afternoon of free chamber music with a formal high tea on the grounds. Among the city's most unusual sights are the Nationality Rooms in the 42-story Cathedral of Learning on the University of Pittsburgh's campus (tel. 412/624-6000; www.pitt.edu/~natrooms). Twenty-four classrooms reflect the customs and architectural styles of Pittsburgh's diverse immigrant groups.
Pittsburghers love their sports teams, especially the Steelers. Spend an autumn day taking in a football game at Heinz Field, North Shore Dr. at Allegheny Ave. (tel. 412/323-1200; www.steelers.com). PNC Park, 115 Federal St. (tel. 800/BUY-BUCS; www.pirateball.com), home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, sits on the shore of the Allegheny River and offers terrific views of the city skyline as a backdrop to the action on the field. The Pittsburgh Penguins play at Mellon Arena, 66 Mario Lemieux Place (tel. 800/642-7367; www.pittsburghpenguins.com), right off I-579.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, 1 Wild Place, at Baker Street (tel. 800/474-4966; www.pittsburghzoo.com), set atop a hill in Pittsburgh's Shadyside neighborhood, is known for its large children's zoo. Other highlights include a walk-through bat flyaway, a rare Komodo dragon, and a well-stocked African savanna. Another family favorite is Kennywood, 4800 Kennywood Blvd. (tel. 412/461-0500; www.kennywood.com), a traditional amusement park 10 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in West Mifflin. The park features steel and wooden roller coasters, water rides, and dozens of spinning, twirling attractions for all ages.
The Strip District, a warehouse district bounded roughly by 16th and 31st streets between Smallman Street and Liberty Avenue, is Pittsburgh's historic waterfront market. Today the Strip draws locals and visitors to its ethnic grocery stores; fresh produce, meat, and fish markets; bakeries; and specialty foods stores. Here you'll also find the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center, 1212 Smallman St. (tel. 412/454-6000; www.pghhistory.org), housed in a massive renovated 1898 icehouse. A highlight is the Heinz 57 exhibit, featuring the pickled relishes, ketchup, and mustards made famous by the Pittsburgh-born Heinz family.
