Perfect 24-Hour Adventure: 1 Day in Pittsburgh, PA
Welcome to the Steel City!
Also known as the City of Bridges, Pittsburgh is deeply rooted in its industrial history and famous waterways. Since this is where Passport Partners calls home, we want to share with you exactly how we’d spend 24 hours in our hometown. Dress in your best black and gold and you’ll be sure to fit right in.
Morning
To start the day take a glorious stroll down Penn Avenue or Smallman Street in the city’s Strip District or “The Strip”. For outsiders calling a neighborhood The Strip might imply there is a lack of clothing in this neighborhood, but we can assure you that is not the case. The Strip gets its name because of its shape. The narrow (and we mean narrow!), streets along the river used to be home to various factories, mills, and warehouses. Today, it’s visited by people from all over to check out its unique restaurants, markets, and shops.
If you’re a breakfast lover like us, be sure to check out Kelly O’s Diner. You may even recognize it from the popular show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Its diner atmosphere has a unique charm with a variety of breakfast items that will fill your belly for a day full of exploring.
Other popular breakfast spots:
Pamela’s Diner - their pancakes are mouth watering!
DeLuca’s Diner - as seen on Man vs. Food.
After a hearty breakfast cross the river to the North Shore. First stop here is Randyland. Built by Randy Gilson, the artistic wonderland is not only a free neighborhood attraction visited by people from around the globe. The outdoor museum is a kaleidoscope of colors constructed of upcycled materials like mannequins, pink flamingos, plastic dinosaurs, and more.
Next pass by the famous Heinz Field (yes, Heinz – no native you meet will call it Acrisure Stadium) and PNC Park home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Pirates on your way to The Andy Warhol Museum. Explore Pittsburgh native Andy Worhol’s largest collection of art and archives which feature his iconic Campbell’s Soup Can piece and provides a comprehensive look at his life and career.
Fun Fact: Pittsburgh is the only city where all of the professional sports teams (NFL, NHL, and MLB) all share the same color scheme, black and gold. It’s unique to the city and is adored by fans.
Afternoon
Pittsburgher’s love french fries so it should be no surprise we have a restaurant that incorporates fries into its featured dish. Primanti Bros sandwiches are a Pittsburgh tradition! Founded in 1930, the local restaurant is known for its sandwiches that are piled high with meat, coleslaw and french fries stuffed between two thick slices of Italian bread.
Primanti’s has several locations in and around the city but the specific locations we like are the Strip District, Market Square, and South Side.
Next make your way over to Oakland, home to several universities (University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Carlow University), museums, and the botanical garden.
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History can be easily identified by the large dinosaur that resides outside. Home to fossils, gems, and ancient artifacts, the museum is known for the Dinosaurs in Their Time Exhibit. Next on the list of stops is Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The botanical garden is one of our favorite places to spend time in the city. The greenhouse offers a variety of themed gardens, featuring seasonal flowers and creative exhibits. It’s easy to spend hours here walking through the peaceful atmosphere.
To round out the afternoon you won’t want to miss the views from the Mount Washington Overlook. The 450-foot high hill offers the best view of the city’s skyline. If you have never been on an incline, now is your chance! Take a ride on the Duquesne or Monongahela Incline down the hillside to Station Square and check out the river walk. This experience is a great opportunity for photo ops!
Evening
As the day winds down make your way back downtown for dinner at Meat & Potatoes for some comfort food. A gastropub with its own modern twist on its dishes, you’ll definitely want to make reservations here. After dinner catch a show at the Benedum Center of Performing Arts, a concert at Stage AE, or head to Bridges and Bourbon for a nightcap — all three are great options in our opinion.
And there you have it – Pittsburgh in a day! Hopefully you now love the Steel City just as much as we do. There is so much to do here a day really isn’t enough so come back to visit.
Safe Travels!
Just for Fun
Here are some facts about Pittsburgh that you may not know:
Pittsburgh is nicknamed “The City of Bridges”. Its most notably recognized for its yellow bridges downtown. The popular Roberto Clemente (6 th Street Bridge), Andy Warhol (7 th Street Bridge), and Rachel Carson (9 th Street Bridge) Bridges carry travelers from downtown across the Allegheny River to the North Shore.
Kaufmann’s department store was once an icon of the city. The store's clock still remains on the corner of Smithfield Street and Fifth Avenue. There is a saying here to “Meet me under the clock” which historically was where people would schedule meet up with family members, blind dates, loved ones coming home from war, and others if they were separated – which was certainly helpful in times before cell phones.
Mr. Rogers Neighborhood has been a children's television show that is loved by many nationwide. The famous incline in the show is actually a real landmark! The Duquesne and Monongahela Inclines allow residents and visitors alike the opportunity to ride up the hillside and catch a glimpse of the city skyline.
Three rivers meet to form the “Golden Triangle” at Point Park State Park. The rivers are the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio. This was also where Fort Pitt was located during the Seven Years’ War.
The world’s most favorite ketchup, Heinz 57, is from here!
Talk like a local
Here in da burgh, Pittsburgheese is a dialect unlike any other. For your knowledge and entertainment, here are some common phrases you might hear around town. We have included the pronunciation which is phonetically spelled with a Pittsburgh accent!
Locations
Nore-syde: North Side, where the city’s football and baseball stadiums, several museums, and casino are located.
Sahth-syde: South Side, where the youths go to bars to drink.
Dahn-tahn: Downtown, home to the city’s theaters, skyscrapers, and fancy restaurants.
Hahs: House, a place of residence. You might hear this in a phrase like “Why don’ yinz guys come dahn the hahs?”
Gine Iggle: Giant Eagle, the local grocery store chain that is in most neighborhoods.
Vocabulary
Yinz: Pittsburgh way of saying of y’all or you guys
Chipped-chopped: Usually refers to Isley’s ham, chipped-chopped is thinly sliced deli meat
Sweep: To vacuum a floor. For example, your mom might ask you to run the sweeper in your bedroom before football practice
Nebby: Nosy (noun form: Neb-nose)
Allegheny Whitefish: condom (usually floating in a river)
Underguchies: Underwear
Pop: Soda, and you won’t hear this called anything else
Gumband: Rubber band
Jagoff: Buthead or *sshole (there’s no way to beat around the bush with this one. Once a jagoff, always a jagoff…especially in rush hour)
Stillers: Pittsburgh Steelers NFL team—to be safe, you should probably own one piece of team paraphernalia to prove you’re not a Browns fan)
Bucs: Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB team)
Pens: Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL team)
Pittsburgh Salad: A salad with fries gloriously dumped on top of it
Jimmies: Sprinkles like you would get on your ice cream cone
Worsh: To wash
Ahno-dat: I know that, typically used when excited about something. You might hear, “Dunno who won da Stillers game… Pens won, ahno-dat!”
Airyago: There you go
Phrases
Red Up: To clean up or tidy up a room
Pumpin’ arn: To drink beer specifically Iron City Beer
N’at: And that, used at the end of sentences to replace “and so on”
Jeet Jet?: Did you eat yet?
Restaurants we love
Bars and Breweries
Did You Know...
When you buy through our links, you're supporting us without any extra expense. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your journey!
Book tours and attractions via Viator or Get Your Guide
Store your luggage via Bounce Luggage Storage
Find hotels via Booking.com
Book a bus/ferry/train via Omio
