It’s cold out, rainy or maybe you just want to learn a new skill. Every time I’m looking for something experiential to do with friends or weekend visitors, I hit a roadblock. The excessive Googling starts and we always just end up … eating … a lot.
Here’s our new hit list for Indoor Activities in Pittsburgh.
Channel Your Inner Artist
- Glass Blowing, Pittsburgh Glass Center in the Strip District: Private classes, mosaic to go kits, date night workshops and youth activities are all available at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Cost ranges from $95-110 on average for a 2-hour workshop.
- Pottery Wheel Throwing, Kiln-N-Time in Lawrenceville: Paint your own pottery or actual wheel throwing lessons for both Adults and Kids. Cost is $60, 1 hour or $99, 2 hours. Schedule 3-4 weeks in advance. BYOB!
- Candle Making, Mix Candle Co in Lawrenceville or Oakmont Candle Works in Oakmont: Create your own fragrance with a bar of seasonal options and many more. Cost range: $20-35/candle. Oakmont Candle Works is BYOB.
Get Sporty
- Go Karts, Three Rivers Karting in Leetsdale: Selected as one of the World’s Greatest Indoor Karting Facilities in 2020, these karts hit a speed of up to 50mph! Cost is $20 for one race or $50 for three.
- Golf, Top Golf in Bridgeville or Shooters in Wexford: Full golf bay, entertainment, grab a drink at the bar experiences. Cost range is $25-50/hour, depending on the day of the week.
- Rock Climbing, ASCEND in South Side: Bouldering-centric climbing facility with a second floor that has full on panoramic views of the city. Cost is $18 for a day pass, and there are also memberships available. You can even rent gear like climbing shoes.
Learn Something
- Macaron Class, Macaron Bar in East Liberty: Pastry chefs will demystify and demonstrate the art and science of macaron baking. They offer classes for bakers of all ages and skill levels. Cost is $95 for a class, or $40 if you attend a Pairing Event.
- Pasta Making, Forma Pasta in Allentown or Private, At-Home Classes from Chef Alekka: Pasta is a true art form. Join Forma for one of their evening, immersive classes – $60/person and BYOB. You’ll learn to make pasta and be sent home with a bunch. Interested in a private, at-home option? Chef Alekka does custom classes for groups of up to 12!
Entertain Yourself
- Entertainment Complex, Zone 28 in Harmarville: This place quite literally has it all. Bowling, game zone arcade, laser tag, 2 escape rooms and a dog-friendly beer park. On-site restaurants too! Cost varies based on activity.
- Comedy, Arcade Comedy Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh: Improv shows, plays and comedy classes for all. Tickets range from $10-15.
- Music & Movie Events, The Oaks Theater in Oakmont: From show-themed trivia to movie viewings with beer tastings, The Oaks truly has it all. Tickets start at $8. Pro tip: you can even rent out the theater for a private event.
Be Touristy
- Bicycle Heaven in the North Side: The largest transportation museum in the world dedicated to bicycles. No admission fee, free parking, donations accepted.They also fix up bikes or rent them out!
- Nationality Rooms at the Cathedral of Learning in Oakland: If you haven’t experienced the Nationality Rooms on Pitt’s campus, you’re truly missing out. They offer guided tours at a cost of $10 per adult. These rooms are gifts from the ethnic communities who helped to build Pittsburgh. 31 rooms commemorate the cultural heritages of the communities who supported and planned their construction.
- Museums: We’re are lucky to have so many incredible museums in our backyard. Take a look at this detailed breakdown from our friends at Discover the Burgh!
Ok, that is officially where my excessive Googling and similarly experience-crazed friends have ended up with our list. Fingers crossed it’s helpful for you too!
