Holiday Photos in Pittsburgh

Kick off the holiday season with a family photo in your favorite city!

Pittsburgh is beautiful all year long and especially during the holidays. Celebrate the season and share your love for Pittsburgh with picture-perfect holiday photos at these iconic locations.

Whether you just want family photos to go on the Christmas card, are looking to create content as a TikTok influencer or anything in between, here's where to go in Pittsburgh:

Pictured |
Dazzling Nights at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden
Credit |
Quay Hu

Grandview Overlook

It’s hard not to think of the city view from Mt. Washington when you think of Pittsburgh. And, what better way to capture your love for the city than with a city skyline photo as your backdrop? A photo session at Grandview Overlook will provide a mesmerizing view of Downtown Pittsburgh with room for plenty of friends and family to be included in the frame. The overlook provides a scenic backdrop all year long, so you don’t have to wait until the holiday season for this photo opp.

Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

Snap your family photo with stunning, seasonal flowers and decorations at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens! Experience this year’s Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show and Light Garden featuring a canopy of twinkling lights, fragrant decorated trees and thousands of poinsettias. Photos at Phipps are sure to capture the magic of the season.

Interested in a personalized photo session? Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens offers private photo sessions with a variety of breathtaking backdrops perfect for engagement, bridal and family photos.

Credit |
Dustin McGrew

Holiday KidsPlay Selfie Garden

As part of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership's holiday events and activities, be sure to stop by the Holiday KidsPlay Selfie Garden for a safe and kid-friendly photo opportunity! Located at the Heinz Hall Courtyard, the Selfie Garden features colorful backdrops and standees of popular characters from Fred Roger Productions’ children’s shows. The Selfie Garden is open daily from Nov. 27-Dec. 23 and is free and available for you to explore at your own pace, providing safe and accessible outdoor photo fun.

Downtown

Enjoy a unique, photogenic shopping experience in Market Square! The Peoples Gas Holiday Market™ inspired by the original German Christkindlemarkts (“Christmas Markets”), brings a cherished European tradition to Pittsburgh. Small businesses will be placed in chalets around the festive and highly decorated Market Square, creating plenty of opportunities for fun, holiday-themed photos.

Other great stops Downtown include PPG Plaza, where a giant illuminated tree serves as the centerpiece as ice skaters zip around and gingerbread houses fill windowfronts. Make sure to head to the sister bridges leading from Downtown to the North Shore; they are now permanently lit providing an evening glow perfect for pics that will wow.

Credit |
@four_one_two on Insta

Fairmont Pittsburgh

Downtown Pittsburgh’s Fairmont Pittsburgh takes a modern twist on traditional holiday décor, offering a festive background for your holiday photos. Starting in mid-November, the lobby is fully decorated for the holidays with bright lights and a giant white Christmas tree, creating a cozy and Instagrammable atmosphere.

GLOWLAND

Schenley Plaza comes aglow with different light-up sculptures and interactive artworks that fill this space with holiday cheer each year in the heart of Oakland. I took some of my favorite wintry photos at GLOWLAND in previous years, plus you're just a minute walk away from the Cathedral of Learning and Heinz Chapel, both of which make stunning backdrops for photos when it snows!

Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens

Tunnels of illuminated stars. Moroccan lanterns hung from trees. Ponds filled with beacons of light. 2,000+ illuminated flowers. Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is a can't-miss for fantastic holiday photos with so many ideas for backgrounds, macro photos and beautiful bokeh guarantee you're going home with great content.

Credit |
Quay Hu

Holiday Pop-Ups

Shooting outdoors and in low light can be tricky, but a great way to get stellar indoor Christmas shots is to head to holiday pop-up bars throughout the city. Barcadia has a selfie station set up right in front of their Home Alone-inspired theme, the rooftop of Il Tetto is sparking with holiday lights, and Christmas ephemera fills Miracle on 6th. Turn on portrait mode and get those perfect shots.

Carnegie Museums

Skip the photo in front of your tree this year and head to ours instead! Carnegie Museum of Art fills their Hall of Architecture with towering fir trees trimmed to perfection each year, each of which is perfect for a family photo op! And be sure to pause for a photo with Dippy the Dino right outside the Carnegie Museum of Natural History who is decked out in his wintry best.

Pick a Neighborhood

One of the best parts of Pittsburgh is that you have 90 unique neighborhoods to choose from if you prefer to just grab some authentic shots from the sidewalks. The Mexican War Streets area of the NorthSide always has great decorations from the residents, the shops in Lawrenceville and Shadyside make the walk through them a winter wonderland or catch the buzz of holiday shopping with our vibrant Strip District of local merchants, fish markets and international grocers.

Share Your Story On Social #LOVEPGH

While you're out and about snapping pics, tag VisitPITTSBURGH in your holiday posts on social media using #LovePGH for a chance to be featured in our marketing materials of Pittsburgh throughout the year!

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Kylie M.

Author

Kylie M.

Blog Author

Kylie is a Pittsburgh native and Duquesne University alum who loves to travel and explore new things. Follow her on Twitter @KylieMcCracken_ for all things PGH, sports, food & drink.

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