Have family over for the holidays or hosting friends for a weekend? Here’s how to show off the Steel City.

Sooner or later, it happens to every Pittsburgher: A sibling books a flight, an old college roommate plans a road trip, or the in-laws decide this is the year they finally come dahn for Thanksgiving. Luckily, this city is packed with fun and things to do with out-of-towners. The hardest part is deciding what to skip.

Things to Do With Visitors in Pittsburgh

Go to a Museum

Hit up two museums at once in Oakland, where the Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Museum of Natural History share a grand building on Forbes Avenue. And, be sure to catch the 59th Carnegie International, North America’s longest-running exhibition of international art, before it ends on January 3, 2027, with satellite installations at the Mattress Factory and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, both on the North Side. Then, take them to the The Andy Warhol Museum, which devotes seven floors to the city’s most famous native son. Check out TABLE‘s roundup of must-see 2026 art exhibits within a day’s drive of Pittsburgh if your loved ones want to make the most of their stay in Western Pennsylvania.

Have a Great Meal

Save a night to show off Pittsburgh’s culinary gems. Apteka in Bloomfield, celebrating 10 years of vegan, Eastern European-inspired cooking, earned a 2026 James Beard Award semifinalist nod for its beverage program. If you have a small party and are craving seafood, hop into Fet-Fisk and snag a two-top table or sit at the bar. Bar Marco in the Strip District has returned to an à la carte menu, so you can mix and match your plates for a custom dinner. 

Make reservations in advance at Altius on Mount Washington for a fancy dinner overlooking the city skyline. If your family happens to be in town for Thanksgiving, we rounded up Pittsburgh restaurants open on Thanksgiving Day 2026 so nobody has to do the dishes.

Explore and Take a Walk

Pittsburgh reveals itself best on foot. Start on Mount Washington’s Grandview Avenue to take in the city skyline. Or, begin your journey in the Strip District for coffee at La Prima, pasta to take home from Penn Mac, and definitely legally licensed Steelers gear on the street corner. Then, head up to Lawrenceville’s Butler Street to check out the neighborhood’s boutiques and bars. Pick up the 64 to Frick Park and walk along wooded trails. For a true local experience, climb a few of the city’s hundreds of public staircases. Your guests’ legs will remember them.

See a Movie

Support one of Pittsburgh’s many independent theaters with your guests. Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville builds its lineup around weekly themes and pours local beer; its sister theater, the Hollywood in Dormont, keeps single-screen charm alive. The Harris Theater Downtown screens independent and international films, and snag a cocktail with your movie at The Parkway Theater in McKees Rocks. The Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill is our pick for watching new releases. In the fall, check the schedule from Film Pittsburgh, which presents the Three Rivers Film Festival. See what recent movies our Arts and Culture Editor Sean Collier recommends from his latest reviews.

See a Show

Downtown’s Cultural District packs Broadway tours, opera, ballet, and cabaret into a few walkable blocks around the Benedum Center and Heinz Hall. Pittsburgh Public Theater rounds out the Downtown options. Before buying tickets, check TABLE‘s picks for standout Pittsburgh theater shows in 2026 and the season’s must-see dance shows.

Learn about Pittsburgh’s History

The Heinz History Center, a Smithsonian affiliate in the Strip District, tells the region’s story across six floors. Then go back to the beginning at Point State Park with the two-floor Fort Pitt Museum. Nearby, the 1764 Fort Pitt Block House is the oldest authenticated building west of the Allegheny Mountains. Walk to the fountain at the tip of the Point, and you’ll be standing where it all started.

End the day riding a piece of history with the Duquesne Incline, one of two funicular railways left in the city. Time the ride for sunset.

Still looking for more to do? Check out our guide to Things to Do Around Pittsburgh for concerts, events, performances, museums, and so much more.

About the Author

Amanda Reed has written for Popular Science, Pittsburgh Magazine, Pittsburgh City Paper, Very Local Pittsburgh, GearPatrol and TheStreet. Amanda earned the 2021 Ray Sprigle Best of Show Award from the Western Pennsylvania Press Club for a story on stressed-out college counseling centers. She lives in Bloomfield with JunkJunk, a handsome, sad-looking tuxedo cat who wants only wet food and attention.

Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen

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