Top Free Things to Do in Pittsburgh
Public Art
Explore Pittsburgh's public art with one of our walking tour itineraries. You don't need to go to a museum to enjoy beautiful art!
No matter where you are in Downtown Pittsburgh or Oakland, you are steps away from experiencing a work of art. Self-guided walking tours of art in public spaces are available courtesy of the Office of Public Art,in partnership with the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and the City of Pittsburgh's Department of City Planning, in print or as downloadable PDFs. The Office of Public Art also offers a comprehensive resource, Pittsburgh Art Places, for finding public art and arts venues in the Greater Pittsburgh region.
Downtown Walking Tours
The Downtown tours winds through four neighborhoods, focusing on remarkable artwork by nationally and internationally recognized artists. Since many of these artists were inspired by the Pittsburgh region when they created their pieces, the tour is also a great way to learn about Pittsburgh's place in history. Downtown tours: 30-60 minutes each.
Get the Cultural District Walking Tour
Get the Grant Street Corridor Walking Tour
Get the Retail District and First Side Walking Tour
North Shore and Northside Walking Tours
Just across the Allegheny River from Downtown Pittsburgh are the North Shore and Northside neighborhoods. Explore the riverfront to view art, monuments, and memorials that honor the people, events and industries of the region. Or trek further into the Northside neighborhood to find contemporary art and monuments intermingled with historic buildings, parks, museums and the Mexican War Streets historic district. North Shore and Northside Tours: 60-120 minutes each.
Get the North Shore Walking Tour
Get the Northside Walking Tour
Oakland Walking Tour
Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood tour offers lovers of art and the outdoors photographs and descriptions of 35 works of public art in this historic neighborhood with architectural notes for select Oakland buildings. Created in partnership with Carnegie Museum of Art. Oakland tour: 75-120 minutes.
Cultural District Gallery Crawls
Art. Music. Architecture. Film. Fun. FREE! The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Gallery Crawl is a free quarterly showcase of art and entertainment in the heart of the Downtown Cultural District. All events take place at a variety of galleries and eclectic spaces. Keep an eye out for the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership's Night Market, happening alongside the crawl, featuring local artists and food vendors.
Art Within Art
It is very rare for a Convention Center to promote its public art as Art within Art but the David L. Lawrence is a very rare meeting/exhibition venue. Home to more than 25 works of art, valued at $2 million, including seven commissioned pieces that reflect the vitality, character and creative energy of the Pittsburgh Region.
A River of Glass
A river of glass now flows through Pittsburgh in the city's first all-glass public art installation. "Rivers of Glass: Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue," located in the lobby of 11 Stanwix Street, an historic 1960s-era office tower in downtown Pittsburgh is now open for all to enjoy, weekdays, 9am-5pm. The Pittsburgh Glass Center is one of the partners in this extraordinary work. See photos of the installation.
MLK Community Mural Project
The MLK Community Mural Project is the biggest and brightest art venture in the city's history, with murals scheduled to cover 26 walls throughout the city and already engaging hundreds of Pittsburgh's biggest and brightest residents. Currently, the project has produced more than a dozen murals along the MLK East Busway, spanning eight neighborhoods.
