Pittsburgh, the home of our bed and breakfast, is an extremely rich cultural town. When it was settled, the European immigrants settled together and defined very distinct boundary lines to their neighborhoods. Polish hill and Dutch town are clear examples. Many Slovaks settled Southside to be close to the emerging mills. Bloomfield became the home of many Italians settling here. The Northside became famous for the industrial giants that created “Millionaire’s Row” two blocks behind the Parador.
Whether you’re new to Pittsburgh or a lifetime resident, during your stay with us we can help you make the most of your visit. Here are some the locations that make Pittsburgh such an attractive getaway from your daily grind.
The Cultural District
Heinz Hall is the home of the Pittsburgh Symphony. It was built as the Lowe’s Penn Theater in 1927. It is the home of the Pittsburgh Symphony. 600 Penn Avenue 412.391.4819
Benedum Center was built in 1927 as the Stanley Theater by James Bly Clark, one of the founders of MGM. It was built for $3 million and the renovations in the 1980′s cost $48 million. It is predominately used for plays and concerts. 719 Liberty Avenue 412.456.6666
Harris Theater emerged from it’s steamy past as an adult theater to the Pittsburgh Filmmakers media arts center. 809 Liberty Avenue 412.471.9700
The Cabaret at Theater Square is the home of the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera offers many lunch and dinner shows. 655 Penn Avenue 412.325.6766
The Pittsburgh Ballet Theater is home to the world renowned Pittsburgh Ballet. 2900 Liberty Avenue 412.281.0306
Public Theatre Pittsburgh created The O’Reilly Theater as a state-of-the-art facility to host music, theater and other performances. 621 Penn Avenue 412.316.8200
Museums
The Andy Warhol Museum is dedicated to the art of this Pittsburgh advante garde artist. Located nearby at 117 Sandusky Street 412.237.8300
The Carnegie is actually five museums. The original three, the Carnegie Natural History Museum is a huge facility dedicated to the evolution of earth species. The Carnegie Art Museum has an extensive permanent collection as well as traveling exhibits. The Carnegie Library has four million items for your perusal. They are all located 4400 Forbes Avenue 412.622.3131. The Carnegie created the Science Center, right here on the Northside. This is a hands on experience that is great for children and children at heart. 1 Allegheny Avenue 412.237.3400. This replaced Buhl Planetarium as the science museum in Pittsburgh. They then turned that facility, also here on the Northside into the Children’s Museum located at 10 Children’s Way 412.322.4932. This is a great interactive museum to entertain the young ones.
Pittsburgh History Center is a research facility and museum dedicated to the history and heritage of Western Pennsylvania. Located in the Strip District at 1212 Smallman Street 412.454.6000
The Frick Art & Historical Center the former residence of Industrialist Henry Clay Frick has an extensive art and automobile display as well as the restored mansion and grounds. Located in Shadyside at 7227 Reynold Street 412.371.0600
The Fort Pitt Museum located right in the famous Point State Park is dedicated to recounting the struggle between the French and Indians against the British for control of this crucial waterway. 101 Commonwealth Place 412.281.9284
Allegheny Portage Railroad was the first railroad connection over the Allegheny Mountains from the east and was considered and engineering marvel at the time. A cog train would take the train cars over the highest mountains. This National Historic Site is about an hour and a half northeast of Pittsburgh near Altoona.
The George Westinghouse Museum located in the Wilmerding section of Pittsburgh; it is about twenty minutes from the Parador. The “Castle”, as the main house is refered to is a stunning piece of architecture. The museum and grounds are dedicated to Mr. Westinghouse’s life and that of other innovators of the time.
The Mattress Factory is located here on the Northside and is a research and development lab for artists. It hosts a permanent collection as well as rotating exhibits by artists currently in residence. 500 Sampsonia Way 412.231.3169
The Manchester Arts Guild is located here on the Northside and is an educational facility; it features a permanent art collection and is a major force in Jazz. Its Jazz series is nationally acclaimed. 1815 Metropolitan Street 412.322.1773
Soldier’s and Sailor’s National Military Museum is located in Oakland with a myriad of artifacts, equipment, uniforms and art. 4144 Fifth Avenue 412.621.4253
The National Aviary is the only not for profit bird zoo in the United States is located here on the Northside and has over 600 birds in residence. Allegheny Commons West 412.323.7235
Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is a Victorian greenhouse in Oakland that has inspired Pittsburgh for over a hundred years. It has an extensive collection of local and exotic plants and has special exhibits several times a year. 412.441.4442
The Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium hosts a large assortment of animals and fish in natural settings on seventy-seven acres. 1 Wild Place 412.665.3640
Sports Activities
Boyce Park Skiing is a small facility located right out in Monroeville.
Hidden Valley has a nice mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced terrain slopes available in the Laurel Mountains and is about an hour away. 1 Craighead Drive, Hidden Valley, PA 15502 866.443.7544
Seven Springs is Pennsylvania’s largest ski resort located in the Laurel Mountains about an hour away. 777 Waterwheel Drive, Champion, PA 15622 800.452.2223
Sandcastle is a water park with 15 slides and wading pools right along the Monongahela River. 1000 Sandcastle Drive 412.462.6666
Kennywood Park is Pittsburgh’s oldest amusement park founded in1898. It has a history of having cutting edge roller coasters; the Racer was originally built in 1910. There are several buildings still in use from the turn of the century. 4899 Kennywood Blvd, West Mifflin, PA 15122. 412.461.0500.
Allegheny Park System boasts ice-skating in both North and South Parks in the winter. North and South Parks have golf courses for summer time activities. Wave pools are in Boyce Park, Settler’s Cabin Park and South Park. A traditional pool is in North Park. There is tennis available at Boyce, Settler’s Cabin, North and South Parks.
