Looking for something to do with the kids on New Year's Eve day? From 11:00am-1:00pm on December 31 head to the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium for an afternoon of fun!
Ring in the new year-Zoo Style with the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium and Radio Disney. Count down to a noon ball drop, make noise makers, party hats and enjoy live entertainment with Radio Disney.
Admission: $9 Adults, $8 Kids and Seniors
Living Treasures Animal Park is the ultimate place to let your family's animal instincts run wild! The large petting zoo is the thrill of the day for young visitors, while the exotic animals fascinate young and old alike. Bring your camera for those once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities with your favorite animals.
You could spend an entire day learning about the park's 100 species, inlcuding an exotic white tiger. They even allow you to pet and feed some of the animals, which makes for a unique, interactive experience. \
Get up close and make friends with baby Lambs, baby Camels, Sheep, Goats, Pot Belly Pigs, Belted Galloway, Llamas, Yaks and of course Muffin, our miniature Cow with buck teeth! The Park is located in Donegal, about an hour from Pittsburgh.
You can also make arrangements to bring living treasures to you! Treasures Moraine offers a wide variety of traveling exhibits for events ranging from birthday parties to corporate events, parades, photo shoots, festivals, and school programs. Trained staff are supplied for every event. Some shows we commonly done are: Petting Zoos, Pony Rides, Camel Rides, Christmas Parades and Nativities with: Reindeer, Camels, and other desired animals. Photo shoots with reptiles or other animals are available or you can arrange to have staff bring a variety of animals for an educational talk.
Pittsburgh is a shopper’s paradise and you’re sure to find something for everyone on your list. In addition to four major department stores downtown, suburban malls and shopping meccas such as Shadyside, Station Square and the South Side, there’s a treasure trove of museum shops and stores nestled within many area attractions. Below is a list you may want to check twice.
Carnegie Museum of Art Store - Books, catalogs, stationery, toys and more, including Celebrating the First 100 Years, which vividly recounts the “palace of culture ” history.
Senator John Heinz History Center Gift Shop – Unique gifts such as chocolate-covered gherkins, red Heinz Ketchup t-shirts, hand-made jewelry, books and the memorabilia of the region.
Mattress Factory Museum Shop - Postcards with Mattress highlights, limited edition lithographs by in-residence artists and officially licensed gear.
Carnegie Science Center - XPLOR (Store) - Spy and buy a telescope. Get a read on the stars in the astronomy section. Or pick out a goofy gadget.
Phone: (412) 323-7235; Website: aviary.org
You can also enjoy one of the free holiday concerts at the Carnegie Museums, which take place on select dates in December. The music of Joy Ike fills the Museum on Saturday, December 19, an eclectic mix of jazz, pop, and soul. A Nigerian singer and songwriter raised in Pittsburgh, she has worked with the Pittsburgh Public Theater, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and the August Wilson Center, among others. On Sunday, December 20, Frank Cappelli entertains visitors. Famous for his children’s show “Cappelli and Company” that aired during the late 1980s and early ’90s, he provides lead vocals and guitar as a part of the Monongahela Duck Club Band.
Head to the Carnegie Museums for the Holidays!
So head to the Carnegie Museums, located in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh.
The spirit of the Christmas season is apparent all around Pittsburgh, but the most impressive, and the most beautiful in my opinion, is the Pittsburgh Creche located at the USX Tower on Grant Street. It is so life-like that it is a moving experience just standing in front of it.
Sponsored by the Christian Leaders Fellowship, the Creche is the world’s only authorized replica of the crèche erected in front of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. First erected in 1999 through the work of the Christian Leaders Fellowship, the Pittsburgh Crèche appears again through generous gifts from Pittsburgh labor unions, businesses, religious communities and other community members. It can be viewed 24 hours a day through January 7, 2008. Throughout the Christmas season, various choirs from around Pittsburgh will perform on site.
The Pittsburgh Crèche features larger-than-life-size renderings of the Holy Family, the magi, an angel, shepherds, animals and a stable, along with a professional sound and lighting system. Pietro Simonelli, sculptor of the original Vatican crèche, created the figurines, which have lifelike hands, feet and faces made from clay and weather-proofed papier-mâché placed on a wooden frame. The stable design is also taken directly from Vatican blueprints.
Stop by and be inspired.
Mercer County offers a getaway that is close (an hour north of Pittsburgh) affordable and fun. Known for its unique shopping attractions and golf. Shopping venues include Prime Outlets, Grove City; Reyer's, the world's largest shoe store, and The Winner, the world's largest off-priced fashion store.
There's lot to see and do in Mercer County. Wendell August Forge offers tours to view hand-crafted metalworking. Philadelphia Candies and Daffin's Candies invite visitors in for a chocolate candy tour. What a yummy way to spend a day!
Historical attractions include Buhl Mansion Guesthouse & Spa, which is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Take a tour of the mansion and learn about the area's most famous philanthropist, Frank H. Buhl. If you're feeling patriotic, follow Route 62 (business) North to the Avenue of 444 Flags. Watching 444 flags catch the wind is a breathtaking sight.
Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy a trip to Shenango Lake where you can picnic, swim, camp, canoe, kayak, boat, jet ski, bike, hike or just relax. Anglers can challenge the waters for bass, walleye and a variety of panfish in the lake. Pymatuning Deer Park will delight children of all ages who can ride a train, take a pony ride or have fun at the petting zoo with over 250 animals from around the world.
So head to Mercer County for a day of fun you will never forget!
Lawrence County is known as the Fireworks Capital of America and is located north of Pittsburgh. There's lots to see and do including entertainment options such as the ballet, community theater, historic museums, art galleries, restaurants and more.
The Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts offers art galleries in an environment of Victorian opulence. The Scottish Rite Cathedral contains one of the largest stages between New York and Chicago. Described as New Castle's "cultural jewel", the historic four building complex offers an environment of historical interest while housing art galleries, classrooms, studios and a collection of fine arts library on five manicured acres of the residential North Hill.
Living Treasures Animal Park features 100 species of animals, including an exotic white tiger. Visitors can pet and feed some of the animals at the petting zoo. The "Stuff your own Animal" stand lets customers pick their favorite animals, stuff it, and dress it up! Get up close and make friends with baby lambs, baby camels, sheep, goats, pot belly pigs, llamas, yaks and Muffin, the miniature Cow with buck teeth!
Railroad enthusiasts will be right on track at the Harlansburg Station Museum of Transportation, where you'll find exhibits of transportation memorabilia plus a unique gift shop.This is a story on the creation of one man's dream, his own personal museum that he now shares with the public. It is the Harlansburg Station, Museum of Transportation. Donald Barnes, a retired US Air pilot, started collecting things 30 years ago, such as an airplane propeller, the frame of an unassembled bi-plane and more. He built an airstrip and airplane hanger to house future museum exhibits, as well as a grass airstrip. His collection grew to include two full size antique Greyhound buses, old gas pumps, porcelain signs, railroad tools, badges from steel mills, an airliner galley, a Model T 1949 Ford truck, parachutes, leather flying pants and four passenger railroad cars. He built a museum so that he could share his passion for transportation. Today the museum features over 3,000 objects.
There are also lots of outdoor activities in Lawrence County, including West Park Nature Center and Villa Maria Wetlands Trail. West Park is a 108-acre park brimming with wildflowers and an abundance of bird species and several acres of wetlands. Villa Maria Wetlands Trails is an inland wetland area providing four distinct views.
So head to Lawrence County. Whether you see the dazzle of fireworks or the beauty of Christmas trees, you will have a great experience.
The Pittsburgh Zoo is a fun place to be in October. ZooBoo for Kids Sake has lots of treats in store for kids and adults too. Zoo Boo haunts the Zoo Oct. 17-18 and Oct. 24-25, and features spooktacular activities like the Haunted House, not-so-spooky Train Ride, costume parade and contest, special animal activities, and of course, trick-or-treating.
All children ages 12 years and under will receive trick-or-treat bags. Bags will be distributed until 3 p.m. There’s also Halloween safety tips for parents.
Wander through the Zoo in your costume and visit your favorite animals. See the PPG Aquarium where you can walk through a glass tunnel and see sharks swimming overhead. Head to the African Savannah and mingle with the giraffes and elephants.
Interact with the animals at Kids Kingdom and at the end of the day the kids can munch on the treats from their t treat bags -- sponsored by KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh's CW, McDonalds, FedEx and Safe Kids USA, Bob FM 96.9, and Q92.9,
Start your Halloween celebration early with a grownups-only evening at the National Aviary. Be there on October 23rd at 70m and join Aviary staff and a professional storyteller for spine-tingling tales of North Side hauntings, including first-hand accounts of strange and ghostly occurrences at the National Aviary, the former site of the Western Pennsylvania Penitentiary. Those who dare are free to wander through the exhibits in the semi-darkness, where the ghosts of Confederate soldiers are said to roam after hours. Guests will mingle with Aviary owls, and light snacks and a cash bar will be offered. Cost is $25 per person and reservations are required. Must be 21+.
Owl-o-ween is a real hoot! Head to the Aviary Oct. 24-25 or Oct. 31 and meet some of the National Aviary’s spookiest residents! A special Halloween-themed free-flight bird show in the Rose Garden will add to the fun. Guests will also have the chance to “trick or treat” by collecting candy at each encounter they attend.
And on October 27 is Jeepers Creepers, a fun-filled, but not-too-scary, Halloween storytime just for little ones. Wear a costume, bring a camera, and learn why owls are so important to our world. Children ages 5 and under who wear a costume receive free admission and a special treat bag.
So fly on over to the Aviary and have some Halloween fun! Boo!
Bigger than the Jaws movie debut 30 years ago is the opening of the new Sand Tiger Sharks exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium on June 5. The new Sand Tiger Shark exhibit offers zoo visitors face-to-face encounters — and an unforgettable aerial view — of eight sinister-looking sharks.
The eight ragged-toothed, glassy-eyed fish, four males and four females, swim in a large pool through which was built a walkway and glass tunnel, giving visitors the sensation of seeing sharks floating close beside them and directly over their heads.
Sand tiger sharks range in length from 6 to 8 feet and can grow to 10 feet long and 450 pounds. The largest in the exhibit tank is named "Large Marge" and weighs 300 pounds. With their prominent dorsal fin and mouthful of sharp teeth -- they swim with their mouths open and the teeth exposed -- sand tiger sharks appear fearsome but are actually docile.
So head to the Zoo and meet Large Marge!
You don’t have to be a birdwatcher to enjoy the National Aviary, located on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. The Aviary is a great attraction for all ages. You’ll learn a lot about the feathery friends soaring overhead. Over 600 exotic and endangered birds make their home at The Aviary.
There’s lots to do at the aviary with daily events and activities for everyone.The FliteZone, a popular free-flight bird show takes place Wednesdays through Sundays; Little Peeples Story Time is geared toward children 2-6 years old and features storytelling, crafts, and meeting the birds; Feed the Lories is an event that features a flock of lorikeets. Visitors can purchase a cup of nectar and have birds eating out of their hands. West Park Bird Walk is a guided tour at nearby West Park. The guide distributes a bird check-off list to those who participate in the walk.
So visit the National Aviary and the next time you’re awakened by birds chirping outside your window, you will know a whole lot more about their world.
Visit Pittsburgh and check out the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. Don't miss the new Tiger Shark exhibit at Water's Edge where you'll get a view of these creatures like no other. Video filmed and edited by Brenda Miller and hosted by Meryl Hellring of VisitPittsburgh.
Ok, so it's raining outside and you're wondering what to do for fun right? Here's a BIG idea -- walk among the dinosaurs at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History! Dinosaur Hall is now better than ever after its renovation in 2007.
Dinosaurs in Their Time is a new exhibit where you’ll see the dinosaurs in dramatic new, scientifically accurate poses amidst the hundreds of plant and animal species that shared their environments. You’ll also see new specimens that were added to the exhibition.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History is home to one of the world’s best fossil collections, including the world’s greatest collection of dinosaurs from the Jurassic Age. The museum displays five dinosaur skeletons. Dinosaurs in Their Time also features the world’s most complete fossil skeletons of the Jurassic plant-eating dinosaurs.
In total, there are over 15 mounted dinosaur specimens, dynamically posed and surrounded by the plants and other animals that lived with them. So mingle with gigantic friends today – the dinosaurs!
My name is Sharon Davis. I have a custom gift wrapping and decorative papers business called Extra Impressions. Contemporary or classic, elegant or casual, I have the perfect papers to enhance any gift or special occasion. I offer the best in American design as well as an extensive selection of handmade, imported, and eco-friendly papers. I wrap gifts for individuals, organizations, and companies and no project is ever too big or too small. I am happy to place special orders for paper and ribbon for weddings and commitment ceremonies, fundraising events, corporate gifts, and craft/design projects. The papers have a multitude of uses beyond gift wrapping - such as invitations and stationery, cardmaking, book arts, scrapbooking, home/office decor, artwork, framing, and collage. I also offer an in-home wrapping service for multiple gifts and gift wrapping workshops. I meet with customers by appointment since I don't have a retail location at the moment; a website is in the works. I can often be found at craft shows sponsored by I Made It! Market and the Pittsburgh Craft Collective. The gift in the photo is wrapped in an antique rose paper from Italy with a garnet double faced satin ribbon. The paper is acid free and the colors and registration are excellent. I have over 40 papers from Italy ranging from florals and other botanicals, architecture, music, antique maps and flags, tarot cards, animals, fruit, vegetables, pasta, as well as traditional Florentine designs. This photo was taken by Holly Zakowski for Lux Magazine. To read the article "Paper Love," go to www.luxmagz.com, click on the February "Passion" issue and turn to pages 65-68. My work has also been featured in the December 13, 2008 issue of the PittsburghTribune-Review. For more information, please email me at extra_impressions@msn.com. Comments and inquiries are always welcome. My next events: Saturday, May 2nd: I Made It! Market at the Oakmont Library, 9 am - 2 pm (corner of Allegheny River Blvd. and Pennsylvania Ave.). Go to www.imadeitmarket.com. Sunday, May 3rd: Mother's Day Gift Wrapping & Handmade Papers Sale at Big Dog Coffee, 12:30 - 5 pm (2717 Sarah St. on the South Side). Bring your presents and have them wrapped there to make this Mother's Day the best. Presents for other occasions are also welcome. Go to www.bigdogcoffee.net. Saturday, May 9th: Butler County Master Gardener's Spring Garden Market at the Succop Conservancy, 9 am - 4 pm (Rt. 8 south of Butler). I'll be under the pavillion. Call (724) 287-4761 for more information. Best wishes for a happy spring!