Part of Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, Theater Square is home to some of the best entertainment in the Steel City. The 330,000-square-foot complex contains the Backstage Bar, Café Zao, Cabaret at Theater Square, WQED FM and biggest parking garage in the area, as well as a box office where you can purchase tickets for many surrounding theaters.
Visit what Travel + Leisure named one of "America’s Coolest City Parks" in 2011. Schenley Park borders the University of Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Mellon University campuses, and is filled with people taking advantage of the park’s 450 acres of trails, woods and attractions—from an ice rink in the winter to outdoor movies in the summer.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is one of America’s finest zoos, and has plenty of attractions and exhibits to keep you and the young ones busy for the day. If you can drag them away from the Kid’s Kingdom, the interactive children’s area filled with petting zoo animals and fun activities, they can see all the lions and tigers and bears, oh my!
Advanced water sports enthusiasts and whitewater rafters can challenge themselves at the famous Youghiogheny River Gorge. Hailed as "the birthplace of whitewater rafting," these rapids can be found in Ohiopyle State Park, about two hours southeast of Pittsburgh. Warm up on the milder Class I and II whitewater like Ramcat, Flipper and Fast & Clean before attempting the churning Class III and IV rapids like Dimple Rock, Double Hydraulic and River's End.