As a Pittsburgh Photographer, ok, more importantly, as a Pittsburgh Mom who had three little boys at home all day, I know how long the winter days can be when your kids are literally bouncing off of the walls.
And for those of you that don’t know, I homeschooled my kids so they were always home with me. Often, I found myself looking for places to visit outside of the house. On warmer days, we had an endless amount of parks and outdoor places to go on an adventure. However, in the winter and on rainy days, the options were much more limited.
So here is a list of 14 places you can visit with your kids on a cold and/or wet winter day in Pittsburgh!
The first seven locations are the places we visited often. Unfortunately, I have not personally visited the other locations but they were recommended by other local parents.
Feel free to invite me along to document your fun day out! If the timing is right, I may be able to join you on a weekday at a discounted session rate!
1. Your Local Mall – FREE!
Like any place where children gather, you’re going to have to risk some germs in exchange for your sanity. Just remember to wash their hands before eating ;) And if you have an escape artist and runner as I did, you might want to sit close to the exit. 🤣 Otherwise, I spent many, many days here with my children and loved chatting with other moms because adult interaction is also important when you’re home with little ones all day.
2. The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh – Northside
A membership here is so very much worth it. This is what we always asked my in-laws for as a Christmas gift! I spent so much time here with my kids when they were little. They would literally spend hours playing in the water play area. (Be sure to take a change of clothes.). It’s also a great place to meet up with other families.
3. Phipps Conservatory – Oakland
Although they no longer have the play grocery store area where my kids loved to play for hours, it is still a fun place to visit in the winter. They change out the displays seasonally, so there is always something new to see. If you head down into the Amazon forest there is also a large tank full of fish! They even have classes for little ones like story time and potting plants.
4. Carnegie Museum of Natural History – Oakland
This place is great for kids who love dinosaurs! Although there are fewer hands-on activities here than in places like the Children’s Museum, be sure to visit the hands-on learning exhibit, Discovery Basecamp.
5. Carnegie Science Center – North Shore
Like the Children’s Museum, the top floor with the water play area was where we spent the majority of our time. Don’t forget to check out the Sportsworks in the adjacent building!
6. Pittsburgh Aviary – Northside
Like Phipps, I may have enjoyed going here more than my children, but they also had fun! They especially loved watching the penguins! And in some of the rooms, the birds are free to move all about and they’re not in cages! This was always so exciting for my boys to experience.
7. Pittsburgh Toy Lending Library
I loved having playdates here when my boys were little! “Our play space is designed to engage young children. We carefully select each item with the developmental needs of children from birth through kindergarten in mind. Some toys encourage children to imagine, play pretend, or create.”
8. Heinz History Center
9. The Landing – Moon, PA (at Impact Christian Church)
–Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday:
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
4:00 PM – 5:45 PM
-“The Landing is a community center that requires no membership. This is a place for families, sports teams, clubs, groups, and organizations to use. Our facility has a cafe, indoor park, gym, and meeting rooms.”
10. Discovery Christian Church – Mars, PA
– M-Sat. 9am-4pm
“Pittsburgh’s weatherproof fun! Enjoy our indoor playground for kids under 5. This is a great space for kids to have fun and for parents to relax.”
11. The Seesaw Center – Castle Shannon
-“The Seesaw Center is a nonprofit indoor play center for children of all abilities, from infancy through kindergarten age. Open to all communities, The Seesaw Center offers parents and caregivers a safe and fun place to take children to play during the long winter months.”
12. Indoor Trampoline or Carpet Slide Parks –
There are a handful or more of these around the Pittsburgh area, check google maps to find one closest to you!
13. 424 Play Factory
-“The 424 Play Factory is an indoor soft play facility for all children ages 0-8 years old. The facility is located in Pittsburgh, PA.”
14. Lil Bunny Play Place – Robinson and Monroeville
-“Lil Bunny is a unique, brightly-colored family-owned entertainment center for parents and kids 0-10! Our center is filled with so many ways for your kids to make an awesome adventure and it provides the perfect place for your child to play, develop and create!”
I hope that you found this list helpful to find places to visit in Pittsburgh during the winter when you and the kids need to get out of the house.
Feel free to share this list with other parents or even better, invite a friend and their kids along when you go!
If you’re looking for a Family photographer in the Greater Pittsburgh area, please get in touch to inquire about a session! I’d love to plan a unique photo session for your family!
Here are some other blog posts that you might want to check out!
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All images by Mary Beth Miller Photography
Mary Beth Miller Photography specializes in family and newborn photography in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and many of the surrounding areas. Mary Beth has over thirteen years of experience photographing families, newborns and babies in Pittsburgh including Valencia, Mars, Wexford, Seven Fields, Warrendale, Bradford Woods and Adams Township Her style is very relaxed and natural and your family session will feel like a stress-free Sunday afternoon with your family!
What a great article with useful information!
So many great suggestions!
Those are some awesome places to visit with your kids.