Pittsburgh – Unusual Attractions & Day Trips

Pittsburgh Off the Beaten Path

There are many secret and unusual attractions and day trips in Pittsburgh. Here are the top off-the-beaten-path attractions.

Love Locks

Take a stroll over the Schenley Bridge located on the way to the Phipps Conservatory, and enjoy the very Parisian addition of “Love Locks” attached to the bridge. This route through the park is lovely in itself and the locks make it even more special.

Freedom Corner

Created in 2002 as the city’s civil rights memorial, this circular site’s stone carvings and engraved names were built with some $700,000 in community donations. The circle of names is comprised of local residents, both black and white, who led Pittsburgh’s civil rights and human rights movements. In 2008 the Urban Redevelopment Authority transferred the memorial and its surround land to the city of Pittsburgh.

Located at Centre and Crawford, this has long been a Pittsburgh landmark. From here marches for civil rights and women’s rights, as well as anti-war protests. In 1963, Pittsburghers caught buses here when they went to March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

St. Benedict the Moor Church

Across the street is St. Benedict the Moor Church. The statue atop the church, though in a Jesus pose, is not a black Jesus. Rather it is a statue of St. Benedict the Moor, who was also known as Benedict the Black.

Big Mac Museum

To celebrate all things Big Mac, you can visit the museum located in a town called North Huntingdon, east of Pittsburgh, off Route 30. The iconic Big Mac was created by a Western PA McDonald’s franchiser over 50 years ago. If you do get hungry, you can order yourself a meal from the McDonald’s restaurant co-located within the museum.

Editor’s Note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about the best off the beaten path spots in Pittsburgh.