January 30, 2025 Pittsburgh Offers Black History Month Activities for Children While activities for adults to celebrate Black History Month can include everything from commemorative to cultural events, there are also a wide variety of activities for children that incorporate play, arts, and learning. Events The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh will offer its second annual Black History Month Art Crawl from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 1. Contemporary artists will be stationed throughout the museum’s first floor who will create live portraits and artworks honoring Pittsburgh’s Black heroes. This year’s featured subjects will include Pittsburgh’s Freedom Corner, Kuntu Repertory Theater Founder Dr. Vernell Lillie, baseball player Josh Gibson (of the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords), civil rights activist and performer Lena Horne, and many others. The Carnegie Science Center will host several Black History Month-themed events, including a Story Time Under the Stars during which children can learn about Black STEM professionals while listening to science-themed stories under a starry sky. Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures will host “Words & Pictures” featuring author Kelly Starling Lyons. Her latest book celebrates the 120th anniversary of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black National Anthem, and how it inspired five generations of a family. The talk will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 30 at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Main branch in Oakland. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Knoxville branch will host Kids Club: Taking Flight – African Americans in Aviation for children in kindergarten through fifth grade on Wednesday, February 5. The event will focus on three history makers: Bessie Coleman, David E. Harris, and Guion Bluford, all three of whom played a significant role in aviation and aerospace history. The Carnegie Library has also put together a list of Teen Books for Black History Month 2025. The list includes everything from nonfiction to novels that fit in with the Black History Month theme. The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, located on Main Street in Greensburg, will host a Black History Month Celebration on Sunday, February 9. The event will include art-making activities and performances honoring the month’s theme.
April 24, 2024 How to Get to Ultimate Play Day on May 18 Playful Pittsburgh will host its annual Ultimate Play Day on Saturday, May 18 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Activities Shelter in Riverview Park. There are three bus routes that can drop participants off close to the event. Learn More Ultimate Play Day is a celebration of playfulness for people of all ages. The event – co-hosted by Playful Pittsburgh, Trying Together, and Citiparks as part of Remake Learning Days – celebrates the importance of play. A number of city organizations will take part in the event – including the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Carnegie Science Center, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Fred Rogers Institute, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and many more. A complete list can be found on Ultimate Play Day’s event page. Directions Participants driving to the event and taking 279 N should avoid Milroy Street. Instead of making the first left, continue on to East Street and take Baytree Street to the park. Three bus routes will drop participants close to the event. Riders can take Bus 8 from the Northside to Riverview Park. They can pick up this bus at Cedar, East North Avenue, or Federal Street. The closest stops to the park are Perrysville and Watson or Perrysville and Cherryfield. Riders can take Bus 12 from the Northside. The closest stop to the park is East Street and Venture Street, which is about a mile walk to the event. Riders can also take Bus 15 from Downtown. More Information If you have questions, contact Adam James Zahren, Program Director for Playful Pittsburgh, at adam@tryingtogether.org. To plan a route to Ultimate Play Day, visit Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s True Time System’s website.
April 18, 2024 Sensory-Friendly Afternoon The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh will host a sensory-friendly event on the second Tuesday of every month, starting May 14. Learn More Children with autism spectrum disorders and sensory sensitivities can take part in a fun, friendly experience with their families in a comfortable and accepting environment. Lights and sounds in spaces throughout the museum are adjusted for the event. There will be designated quiet areas to provide space to take a break. Sensory kits with noise-cancelling headphones, sunglasses, an assortment of fidgets, and other items will be available. More Details Sensory-Friendly Afternoons will run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month. For more information, email accessibility@pittsburghkids.org.
Sensory-Friendly Afternoon The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh will host a sensory-friendly event on the second Tuesday of every month, starting May 14. Learn More Children with autism spectrum disorders and sensory sensitivities can take part in a fun, friendly experience with their families in a comfortable and accepting environment. Lights and sounds in spaces throughout the museum are adjusted for the event. There will be designated quiet areas to provide space to take a break. Sensory kits with noise-cancelling headphones, sunglasses, an assortment of fidgets, and other items will be available. More Details Sensory-Friendly Afternoons will run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month. For more information, email accessibility@pittsburghkids.org.
Sensory-Friendly Afternoon The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh will host a sensory-friendly event on the second Tuesday of every month, starting May 14. Learn More Children with autism spectrum disorders and sensory sensitivities can take part in a fun, friendly experience with their families in a comfortable and accepting environment. Lights and sounds in spaces throughout the museum are adjusted for the event. There will be designated quiet areas to provide space to take a break. Sensory kits with noise-cancelling headphones, sunglasses, an assortment of fidgets, and other items will be available. More Details Sensory-Friendly Afternoons will run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month. For more information, email accessibility@pittsburghkids.org.
Sensory-Friendly Afternoon The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh will host a sensory-friendly event on the second Tuesday of every month, starting May 14. Learn More Children with autism spectrum disorders and sensory sensitivities can take part in a fun, friendly experience with their families in a comfortable and accepting environment. Lights and sounds in spaces throughout the museum are adjusted for the event. There will be designated quiet areas to provide space to take a break. Sensory kits with noise-cancelling headphones, sunglasses, an assortment of fidgets, and other items will be available. More Details Sensory-Friendly Afternoons will run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month. For more information, email accessibility@pittsburghkids.org.
October 16, 2023 Boo! A Sensory Friendly Halloween Join Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on Saturday, October 21, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. for a sensory-friendly family event. Trying Together and other Pittsburgh organizations will participate in this themed event for children, adults, and families who benefit from expanded accessibility and sensory accommodations. Children under two years of age are able to attend. Activities Include: Silent Disco in the Garage Pumpkin Painting and Spiderweb Weaving in the Art Studio Maker Activities in Makeshop Waterplay and the Nursery will be open Trick or treating with local organizations to create your own sensory kit (no candy treats – treats are first come, first served): Assemble Family Links HealthyCHILD PFLAG Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Trying Together Sensory Superpowers Wesley Family Services
July 13, 2023 3 For Free: Free Admission in August for Three Local Museums The Andy Warhol Museum, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, and the Heinz History Center will be open to visitors free of charge every operating day throughout the month of August 2023. ‘3 For Free’ Campaign The ‘3 For Free’ campaign will celebrate the museums’ recognition among the nation’s best. All three museums recently won honors from USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Through online voting, the museums collectively ranked in top five as some of the finest museums in the country: The Warhol (fourth in Best Art Museums), Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh (second in Best Children’s Museums), and the Heinz History Center (second in Best History Museums). Plan Your Visit Visitors seeking free tickets during the ‘3 For Free’ month are encouraged to book online at each museum’s website. Advanced reservations are recommended, but not required. Use the links below to secure your tickets: Book your tickets for The Andy Warhol Museum (RAD promo will apply at checkout) Book your tickets for Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh Book your tickets for the Heinz History Center This offer will be in addition to the annual free-admission RAD Days, which will begin in September. Related Content & Resources 2023 Summer Reading Programs for Young Readers CitiParks Announces Free Pool Access for Area Youth Updated: Summer Food Programs Offer Free Meals to Children Carnegie Museums Offer Free Memberships to Teens CitiParks Publishes Summer Guide LDA of PA Offering Free Reading Tutoring to Children in Hill District
March 19, 2019 Wellness Wednesday: Rethink Your Drink Join the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh for Wellness Wednesday in the Nursery! The group will explore the sugar content of popular beverages as well as sample different flavors of fruit-infused waters (the healthy alternative to sugar-sweetened beverages). Get ready to rethink your drink! This program is designed for our youngest learners (0-5) but is suitable for all ages. The event is drop-in, so guests may come and go as they please! For more information, visit the event page!
Tech Tuesday: MaKey MaKey Use the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh‘s MaKey MaKey invention kit to compute with your body! Discover different conductive materials, design a controller and build sensors. What will you invent? This program is designed for our youngest learners (0-5) but is suitable for all ages. The event is drop-in, so guests may come and go as they please! For more information, visit the event page!
