Things to See and Do In Pittsburgh

Carnegie Science Centre
One of four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Science Center features 250 interactive exhibits, including the Omnimax Theater, Buhl Planetarium, miniature railroad exhibit, and the World War II-era submarine USS Requin. Located just across the Alllegheny River from the convention center, the Carnegie Science Center is open Sunday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., call 412-237-3400 for details and admission prices or visit www.carnegiesciencecenter.org

Mount Washington
Mt. Washington and Duquesne Heights are located directly south of downtown Pittsburgh, surrounded by West End, Beechview, Beltzhoover and Allentown. This neighborhood’s popularity as a place to live and tourist attraction has grown rapidly in recent years. For a small fee, two cliff-climbing cable railways or “inclines” built in the 19th century carry sightseers up the steep ridge for spectacular views of the city. The Duquesne Incline and Monongahela Incline are open year-round. For details, visit http://tinyurl.com/376ljh

Carnegie Museum of Art
Begun by Andrew Carnegie himself in 1896, the Carnegie Museum of Art is today showcases works of American art from the late 19th century, French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, and European and American decorative arts from the late 17th century to the present. The museum’s Heinz Architectural Center is dedicated to architectural drawings and models, its Hall of Architecture contains the largest collection of plaster casts of architectural masterpieces in America and one of the three largest in the world, and the marble Hall of Sculpture replicates the interior of the Parthenon in Athens. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 12 noon to 5 p.m., admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors (65+), $11 for students (3-18), and free for children ages 2 and under. Call 412-622-3131 or go to www.cmoa.org

Senator John Heinz History Center
From the drama of the French & Indian War to legendary Pittsburgh Steelers football match-ups, discover 250 years of Pittsburgh history at the Senator John Heinz History Center — the largest history museum in Pennsylvania. Six floors and 275,000 square feet of exhibition space, including the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, a dynamic museum-within-a-museum. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, $5 for students and children (4-17), and free for children ages 3 and under. To find out more, call 412-454-6000, or visit the Center online at www.heinzhistorycenter.org

The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
Set on 77 acres just five miles from downtown, the “fiercest place in Pittsburgh” is home to thousands of animals representing hundreds of diverse species, and proudly exhibits 22 threatened or endangered species, with seven habitats painstakingly designed to replicate the wild. The PPG Aquarium features state-of-the-art exhibits including a stingray tunnel, a two-story shark tank, and innovative revolving tanks, and showcases penguins, a Pacific giant octopus, jellyfish, potbellied sea horses, an electric eel, live coral, polar bears, and sea otters. In addition, their “Kids Kingdom” is one of the top-rated childrens’ zoos in the nation. Open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., admission is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors (60+), $11 for children (2-13), and free for children under age 2. Parking is free. For details, call 412-665-3640, or travel on the Internet to www.pittsburghzoo.com

The National Aviary
“The nation’s premier bird park,” Pittsburgh’s National Aviary is America’s only independent indoor nonprofit aviary, and the nation’s largest aviary. It’s a must-see for bird lovers, with more than 600 birds of 200 different species, many of which are threatened or endangered in the wild. Originally built by the city in 1952, the National Aviary is located in Pittsburgh’s Northside, within Allegheny Commons West Park in Allegheny Center, just a mile from the Convention Center. Open seven days a week with summer hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, $8.50 for children (ages 2 and up), and free for children under age 2. Special advance reservation rates are available for groups of 15 or more. Parking is free. For details, call 412-323-7235, or visit the colorful National Aviary website at www.aviary.org

The Nationality Rooms at Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning
The Cathedral of Learning is the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh’s main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, located about 4 miles east of the StampShow 2009 venue. Its 42-story, 535-foot Late Gothic Revival spire faced with Indiana limestone is the tallest educational building in the Western hemisphere. On its first and third floors are the Nationality Rooms — 27 classrooms depicting, donated by, and decorated in the styles of the many ethnic groups that helped build the city. Of the 27 rooms, 25 are functional classrooms used daily by Pitt faculty and students, while the other two are display rooms accessible only via guided tour. Tour hours are Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for children 8-18. To arrange a tour, call 412-624-2000, or send an e-mail to natrooms@pitt.edu. Take a virtual tour of the Nationality Rooms online at www.pitt.edu/~natrooms

Frick Art & Historical Center
About 20 minutes east of downtown Pittsburgh, “the Frick” is a cluster of museums and historical buildings focused on the interpretation of the life and times of Henry Clay Frick (1849–1919), industrialist and art collector. The five-acre complex with lawns and gardens in the city’s Point Breeze neighborhood, includes Clayton, the restored Frick mansion; the Frick Art Museum; the Car and Carriage Museum; the Greenhouse; the Frick children’s playhouse; and the Café. Scheduled for exhibition during StampShow 2009 is “The Dutch Italianates: Seventeenth-Century Masterpieces from Dulwich Picture Gallery, London” — a display of 40 influential paintings from the collection of England’s oldest public art gallery. Closed Monday, the Center is open Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Admission to the Frick Art & Historical Center, The Frick Art Museum and the Car and Carriage Museum is free. The Frick offers a number of docent-led, thematic tours that interpret Clayton, the restored home of Henry Clay Frick, and the Victorian era in different ways. For details, call 412-371-0600 or visit www.frickart.org

Take in a Pirates Home Game at PNC Park
PNC Park, which opened in 2001, is an intimate, classic-style ballpark that offers all the modern amenities while saluting the spirit of early American ballparks, like Pittsburgh’s legendary Forbes Field, home to the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1909 to 1971. From August 1-9, the Pirates play back-to-back-to-back three-game series against the Washington Nationals, Arizona Diamondbacks, and St. Louis Cardinals about half a mile across the river from StampShow 2009. For information about the Pirates, go to pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com. For their August schedule, including links to ticket reservations, visit http://tinyurl.com/c7gjn4

Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
Also across the river, about a mile from the show, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh has been housed within the Old Post Office building since 1983. (Graced with a four-story, copper domed rotunda and an enclosed courtyard, the building opened in 1897 as the main post office for the city of Allegheny.) Among the many engaging activities for kids of all ages, during StampShow TV’s Bob the Builder and his Can-Do Crew invite aspiring builders and their families to explore the world of building and repair. Open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m., admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors 65 and older and children 2-18, free for children under 2. Call 412-322-5058 or visit www.pittsburghkids.org

The Andy Warhol Museum
Another point of interest just across the Allegheny River, this institution honors Pittsburgh native Andy Warhol with the exhibition of over 500 of his works in the seven-story former warehouse. Opened in 1994 as one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, “the Warhol” features extensive permanent collections of art and archives on one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century, and is a primary resource for anyone seeking insights into contemporary art and popular culture. Closed Mondays, the museum is open Tuesday through Thursday as well as Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $9 for seniors 55 and older, $8 for children 3-18 and students with proper I.D., with half-price admission on Fridays. To find out more, call 412.237.8300 or visit www.warhol.org

Kennywood
About 20 minutes from StampShow, Kennywood Park in West Mifflin is one of Pittsburgh’s best-loved historic landmarks. Opened in 1898 as a trolley park, the park was known up to the 1990s as “The Roller Coaster Capital of the World., with three old wooden coasters still in working order, along with a newer steel coaster, the “Phantom’s Revenge,” and one indoor coaster, the “Exterminator.” The park features a variety of other family-type rides, with a total of 32 general-admission attractions, plus 14 more child-only rides in “Kiddieland.” Visitors alsio will enjoy games, food and exciting live shows. Open daily from 10:30 a.m. to approximately 10 p.m. Adult admission is $33.99, or $20.99 for children under 46 inches tall, and $18.99 after 5 p.m. A Senior FunDay pass that includes most rides and shows is available to guests over the age of 55 for only $16.99, or just $9.99 after 5 p.m. Call 412-461-0500 or visit www.kennywood.com

Allegheny Observatory
Less than four miles north of the convention center in Riverview Park, the University of Pittsburgh maintains the city’s first observatory, built in 1902. The facility now has three telescopes under its three domes, including the 47-foot-long, four-ton, 30-inch Thaw Memorial Refractor. Thursday and Friday night tours begin at 8 p.m. and last until approximately 10 p.m. A short slide or film presentation is shown followed by a walking tour of the building finally ending up at the 13-inch Fitz-Clark Refractor, used on clear nights to view whatever celestial objects are within range. Tours are free, but group or individual reservations are required. To make a reservation, call 412-321-2400 between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, leave your name and phone number and someone will return your call. If the tour is not full you can make reservations up to the day of the tour, however no reservations will be accepted after 5:00 p.m. To learn more, visit http://tinyurl.com/cf6bdo. Minutes from Downtown, Kennywood Park is one of Pittsburgh’s best-loved historic landmarks. But don’t let the history fool you! World-class roller coasters, plenty of thrilling rides, games, food and exciting live shows.

Fallingwater
Some 47 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, near Mill Run, Fallingwater is regarded by many as American architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s greatest achievement. Built partly over a waterfall in the Laurel Highlands of the Allegheny Mountains as a home for Pittsburgh department store owner Edgar Kaufmann Sr., it is a masterpiece both in its dynamism and its integration with the striking natural surroundings. In 1963, Kaufmann’s son donated the property to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, and nearly 5 million people have visited since this U.S. National Historic Landmark was opened to the public. Closed Wednesdays, it is open from Thursday to Tuesday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $18 for adults, $12 for youth ages 6-12, with grounds-only passes available for $8. To learn more, call 724-329-8501, or visit www.fallingwater.org.

Rachel Carson Homestead
The Rachel Carson Homestead is a National Register of Historic Places site in Springdale, Pennsylvania, about half an hour northeast of Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River. Its late 19th-century five-room farmhouse was the birthplace and childhood home of Rachel Carson, whose 1962 book Silent Spring launched the modern environmentalism movement. Explore the Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder organic garden, or hike the homestead’s quarter-mile Wild Creatures Nature Trail. There is also the nearby 34-mile Rachel Carson Trail, which offers a more strenuous jaunt and breathtaking views of the Allegheny River. The grounds and gardens are open to the public year round, and tours of the house are available year round by appointment. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and children over 5 years old, and free for children under 5. For more information, call the Homestead at 724-274-5459, send e-mail to info@rachelcarsonhomestead.org, or visit www.rachelcarsonhomestead.org

To find out more about StampShow 2009 August 6-9 in Pittsburgh, visit www.stamps.org/Stampshow/intro.htm