Coming to Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft during the 30th National Poetry Month and the first few days of Year of the Horse, and wondering what to do? That seems unlikely, but just in case here are some tips for you:
There are multiple statues to Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood fame, but for something really different, I would absolutely recommend the Fred Rogersaurus currently located near the Cheesecake Factory and the Southside Works on 27th street. A little further down Carson Street you can also take a ride at the famous incline seen in the opening of the show. The South Side Color Park is a fun jaunt in the South Side. At any given point in time has a wide range of graffiti, some examples more creative than others to enjoy, all of the way up to the 10th Street bridge, and maybe a little past that. Fans of street art and graffiti will also want to check out the murals by Raymer and others in the Lawrenceville neighborhood near the 40th street bridge. The Color Park is very picturesque with plenty of pre-con and post-con photo opportunities.
If you can get your way up to the nearby Northside, you'll want to visit Randyland at 1501 Arch Street, which just has to be seen to be believed. It's also near the supposedly haunted National Aviary, as well as City of Asylum Bookstore and the Poet Houses, also worth looking at. I happen to also like the relatively nearby Children's Museum, which features a number of plaques containing cryptid poetry, and a fun "dragon" sculpture, and on one floor, the original puppets from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.
The Carnegie Museums are HUGE here, but the Natural History Museum is also connected to the major art museum, and has a great dinosaur collection as well as a gigantic diplodocus outside. Be prepared to spend a whole afternoon here if you go.
The Caliban Bookstore also has a good selection of used books nearby. But this IS a little further out from the main hotel zone. White Whale Books and City Books are also very popular bookstores in the city.
Some of you may want to visit the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum at 4141 5th Avenue, which is where they shot a key scene from Silence of the Lambs, but the cage isn't usually in there anymore. Approximately 30 minutes away is the Monroeville Mall where the classic film Dawn of the Dead was shot, but there have been so many renovations that you really can't spot any landmarks from the film. However, there is a bust of George Romero and the Living Dead Museum, which features some excellent exhibits. You may want to go see this in particular because the mall is about to be demolished for some harebrained developer hustle in the near future.
If you have a car, you can make your way up north to the cemetery in Evans City where Night of the Living Dead was shot. Here you can see a reading of my poem "Zombuddha" I did there back in 2021. It IS an actual cemetery however, so remember to be respectful. Others may find the Carrie Blast Furnaces a more interesting side stop.
Trundle Manor is located a similar distance away and is by appointment only, but it promises one of the more unusual experiences as you see some truly bizarre and macabre objects and taxidermy.
Along that line, if you time it right, you might be able to see the Center for PostNatural History at 4913 Penn Avenue. It's a small museum but it includes extensive exhibits of humans meddling with nature, including the only example I've ever seen of a biosteel goat, who was genetically modified to produce spidersilk proteins in its milk. The Center is only open on Sundays from noon to 4PM, so it's a VERY narrow time frame, but peek ahead. For some of you it may be just what you need to see.
There are of course many other sights and horrors to be found throughout Pittsburgh. I hope this will give some of you a headstart in enjoying the city during your visit!
