Pittsburgh: Five Must See Sites

Behind Philadelphia, Pittsburgh is the second largest city in Pennsylvania and is located in the south west region of the state. The city itself has a population of more than 305,000 residents, where as the seven-county metropolitan area is home to more than 2.3 million people. The city is situated on three rivers and was once the epicenter for the steel industry. There are many gorgeous spots tourists visit in order to get in a little sight-seeing in Pittsburgh. The numerous attractions in Pittsburgh offer a wide variety of education, arts, history, and entertainment. Here are the top five tourist attractions not to miss in Pittsburgh.

Andy Warhol Museum

As the United States' largest museum dedicated to one artist, the Andy Warhol Museum displays an eclectic collection of art and archives from Pittsburgh-born Andy Warhol. This museum is part of three other Carnegie Museums that are also popular Pittsburgh tourist attractions. It is home to 17 galleries that include 900 paintings, 2,000 works on paper, more than 1,000 published prints, 77 sculptures, and 4,000 photographs. The Andy Warhol Museum welcomes thousands of visitors each year during their Pittsburgh vacation.

National Aviary

One of the more unique Pittsburgh tourist attractions, the National Aviary is the only independent indoor nonprofit aviary and the largest aviary in the United States. More than 100,000 tourists visit the aviary each year where they can take part in daily interactive experiences. The National Aviary underwent an $18.5 million expansion in 2010 and the sites newest exhibit includes 11 African penguins. More than 600 birds are featured in the aviary, making it one of the must-see attractions in Pittsburgh.

Duquesne Incline

There is no better experience for sight-seeing in Pittsburgh than going up Mt. Washington on the Duquesne Incline. Located near Pittsburgh's South Side, this attraction is an inclined plane railroad that has been in operation since 1877. The incline, which is 300 feet long and 400 feet high, was originally built to ship cargo up and down the mountain. Now, thousands of visitors during their Pittsburgh vacation travel up to incline for a breath-taking view of the city's skyline.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Located near the Andy Warhol and Carnegie Museums in Schenley Park, the conservatory and botanical gardens is a historical landmark that is compiled of numerous buildings and gardens. While sight-seeing in Pittsburgh, visitors can tour the many buildings and take a walk through the bountiful gardens. These attractions in Pittsburgh include a facilities house, gardens, and a thirteen room conservatory.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

In addition to the Andy Warhol Museum, the Carnegie network of museums also includes a Museum of Natural History. These popular Pittsburgh tourist attractions welcome more than 400,000 visitors each year. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History was founded in 1896 and contains more than 20 galleries with more than 22 million specimens. While visiting the museum during a Pittsburgh vacation, tourist will see the world's largest collection of Jurassic dinosaurs and learn that the museum made history in 1899 when they unearthed the fossils of a Diplodocus dinosaur.