Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses have repeatedly gone viral for falling into massive potholes and sinkholes caused by Pittsburgh’s aging underground infrastructure.

National Aviary is the largest standalone aviary in the United States, located on Pittsburgh’s North Side.

Kaufmann’s Department Store was famous for its giant Christmas tree mounted on the building’s wall during the holiday season.

Point State Park is a riverside park located at the exact point where Pittsburgh’s three rivers meet.

Its large dome houses powerful telescopes used for astronomical research and public stargazing.

A giant glowing ketchup bottle that lights up Pittsburgh at night.

Carrie Blast Furnaces are massive former steel furnaces. After being shut down, the site was transformed into a cultural and event space for art installations, tours, and festivals.

It is a historic military memorial and performance hall in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, opened in 1910.

Duquesne Incline is a historic cable car railway built in 1877 that climbs Mount Washington.

A human figure walks vertically into the sky, symbolizing ambition, progress, and upward drive.

PNC Park is the home stadium of the Pittsburgh Pirates, known as one of the most beautiful ballparks in the U.S. for its riverfront location and skyline view.

Union Station is the former main train station of the city, famous for its massive domed rotunda.
Opened in 1903, it later lost its rail function and is now used as shops, offices, and event space.

Manor Theatre is a historic independent movie theater in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood

Hamerschlag Hall is the original main building of Carnegie Mellon University, opened in 1912.
It marked the beginning of CMU as a technical and engineering-focused university.

Inspired by the bridge in Venice, it connects the Allegheny County Courthouse to the former jail and was once used to transport defendants from court to prison.

Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel is a historic Beaux-Arts–style building originally opened in 1906 as the Fulton Building.

Westinghouse Atom Smasher is an abandoned particle accelerator built in the 1930s by Westinghouse Electric Corporation.
It was used for early nuclear physics experiments before being shut down and left in ruins.

Built in the 1920s, they are named after Andy Warhol, Rachel Carson, and Roberto Clemente.

The statue honors Roberto Clemente's career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and his legacy as both an athlete and humanitarian.

USS Requin is a Cold War–era U.S. Navy submarine displayed outside the Carnegie Science Center.

During heavy floods in Pittsburgh, underground sewer gas can ignite, causing trash cans on the street to suddenly burst into flames.
It’s a bizarre but real sight where water and fire appear at the same time.

Schenley Park Blue Slide Playground is a historic playground famous for its giant bright-blue concrete slide.
For decades, it has been a childhood landmark where kids ride down on cardboard boxes for speed.

Sri Venkateswara Temple is a major Hindu temple

Schenley Park Sphinx is a small Egyptian-style sphinx sculpture hidden inside Schenley Park.
Because of its exaggerated chest shape, locals jokingly call it the “Titty Sphinx.”

Panther Hollow Bridge is a historic stone arch bridge built in 1897 inside Schenley Park.
It connects Oakland and the park valley

Installed in 1940, it is one of the largest animated clocks in the United States.

PPG Place is a Neo-Gothic glass skyscraper complex that was used to represent Gotham City’s skyline in The Dark Knight Rises.

It was completed in 1926 as a steel suspension bridge and was originally called the 7th Street Bridge before being renamed after Andy Warhol.

Cathedral of Learning was completed in 1937 and is one of the tallest educational buildings in the world.
It houses 31 Nationality Rooms representing different countries.

Primanti Bros. is Pittsburgh’s most iconic sandwich shop, founded in the Strip District in 1933.

Pierogi is a traditional Eastern European dumpling filled with potatoes, cheese, or meat.
In Pittsburgh, pierogies became a local staple through Polish and Slavic immigrant communities.

Eat’n Park’s Smiley Cookie is a soft sugar cookie with a hand-drawn smiley face made of icing.
It became a childhood icon in Pittsburgh and a symbol of local comfort food culture.

Page’s Dairy Mart is a legendary seasonal ice cream stand in Pittsburgh’s South Side, open only from spring to early fall.

Pamela’s Diner is famous for its thin, crispy-edged hotcakes (pancakes) loved by locals and presidents alike.

Iron City Beer is Pittsburgh’s most iconic local beer, first brewed in 1861.
It became a symbol of the city’s steel industry and working-class culture, and locals often just call it “IC.”

It is a historic Italian grocery store founded in 1902 in Pittsburgh’s Strip District.
Locals call it Penn Mac, and it’s known for affordable pasta, cheese, olive oil, and imported European foods.

Clark Bar is a chocolate bar filled with peanut butter and crispy flakes.
It was invented in Pittsburgh in 1917 and became one of the city’s classic hometown candies.

Kennywood is famous for its oversized fresh-cut fries known as Potato Patch Fries.
The fries are topped with cheese, gravy, or bacon and are considered an essential Pittsburgh amusement-park food.

Sarris Candies is a famous Pittsburgh-area chocolate company known for its chocolate-covered almond pretzels.

Prantl’s Bakery is famous for its Almond Torte, a layered cake with buttercream, custard, and toasted almonds.
It has been called “America’s Best Cake” by multiple food publications and is one of Pittsburgh’s most iconic desserts.

Gobs are a classic Western Pennsylvania dessert made of two soft chocolate cakes filled with cream.
They look like macarons but are bigger, softer, and way sweeter, and are especially popular around Pittsburgh.

Steuben grapes are grown in western Pennsylvania and used in local wines around Pittsburgh.
The sweet, dark grape reflects the region’s small-scale, local wine culture.

Gus & Yiayia’s is a legendary popcorn stand in downtown Pittsburgh, founded in 1934.
Run by Gus and his wife Yiayia (“grandmother” in Greek), it became famous for its bright orange cart and generations of loyal customers.

Isaly’s Chipped Ham is a signature shaved ham product from Isaly’s.
It’s a classic Pittsburgh sandwich filling, famous for being sliced extremely thin and stacked high in buns.

Isaly’s was founded in 1904, and its classic ice cream bars are locally known as “Skyrocket.”

Mancini's Bakery is one of the oldest bakeries in Pittsburgh, and after the filming of The Dark Knight Rises, Mancini’s created a limited-edition “Batman filming commemorative bread.”

Pittsburgh winters create the tradition of the Parking Chair, where residents place an old chair or object in a shoveled parking space to claim it.
It’s an unofficial rule of snow survival and a serious neighborhood code.

Babe Ruth once hit some of the longest home runs of his career. Today, only the original outfield wall and home plate remain on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh as a historic landmark.

Fort Pitt was a British fort built in the 18th century at the point where Pittsburgh’s three rivers meet.
It marked the strategic military origin of the city and later became the foundation of Point State Park.

It reflects Pittsburgh’s identity as a world center of paleontology through the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Pittsburgh weddings are famous for the Cookie Table, a tradition where family and friends bake hundreds of homemade cookies for guests. It reflects the city’s immigrant roots, community spirit, and the idea that weddings should feed everyone generously.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a historic glass greenhouse opened in 1893 in Schenley Park.

Fans wave the yellow towel at games as a symbol of unity, luck, and intimidation, and part of the profits support charity.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s iconic dinosaur is Dippy, a full-scale Diplodocus cast.
Every winter, Dippy gets a scarf as a Pittsburgh seasonal tradition.

Turner’s Iced Tea is famously sold in school-style milk cartons instead of bottles.

PPG Place Ice Rink is a seasonal outdoor ice skating rink set in the plaza of PPG Place.

Irish Festival is an annual summer festival celebrating Irish music, dance, food, and heritage.

The house is built directly over a waterfall, making it one of the most important works of modern architecture.

CMU Buggy Race is a long-running student engineering race held during Spring Carnival at Carnegie Mellon University.

Kaufmann’s Clock is a historic street clock installed in 1913 in front of the former Kaufmann’s Department Store.For over a century, people in Pittsburgh have said “Meet me under the clock” as a standard meeting phrase.

At the Allegheny Elks Lodge, this tradition survived as a weekly public music gathering.

It is an abandoned historic prison where rescued cats now live inside the old cell blocks.
They help control pests and have become unofficial mascots of the eerie site.

Picklesburgh is Pittsburgh’s giant annual pickle festival held on the bridges and along the riverfront.

Arsenal Bowling Lanes is a retro-style bowling alley in the Lawrenceville neighborhood.
It’s known for its old-school lanes, cheap games, glow bowling nights, and local bar vibe.

St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church is a historic Byzantine-style church in the Troy Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
Its golden onion-shaped dome reflects the city’s Eastern European immigrant heritage, especially from Croatia.

Carnegie Mellon University is where the world’s first digital smiley emoticon “:-)” was created in 1982 by computer scientist Scott Fahlman.

Groundhog Day is held every February 2 in Punxsutawney near Pittsburgh.
The groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicts whether winter will continue based on whether he sees his shadow.

It captures the moment when the Pittsburgh skyline suddenly unfolds as you exit the Fort Pitt Tunnel.

Kennywood locals jokingly say “Kennywood’s open” to mean “your zipper is open.”

Eastern European food meets American baseball.

In many Pittsburgh homes, a lone basement toilet known as the Pittsburgh Potty sits next to a large concrete utility sink.
They reflect the city’s steelworker past, allowing workers to clean up before entering the main living space.

CMU Fence is a wooden fence on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University that is continuously repainted by students.
It serves as a living message board for celebrations, protests, club events, and campus life.

The famous Hannibal Lecter prison scene was filmed inside a real abandoned prison in Pittsburgh.

This sculpture combines the signature red cardigan of Fred Rogers with a dinosaur.
It is an outdoor photo spot installed in front of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on the North Shore.

Pittsburgh once had one of the largest streetcar networks in the United States, operating from the late 1800s to the 1950s.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have won six Lombardi Trophies, the most Super Bowl championships in NFL history.

Giant Rubber Duck appeared on the rivers of Pittsburgh during the 2013 Three Rivers Arts Festival.

Pittsburgh is famous for its three rivers, where canoeing and kayaking are popular outdoor activities.

The official mascot of the Pittsburgh Pirates is the Pirate Parrot.
Introduced in 1979, the green parrot entertains fans with dances, skits, and crowd interaction at home games.

Tunnel View is the famous moment when the Pittsburgh skyline suddenly appears as you exit the Fort Pitt Tunnel.
It’s one of the city’s most iconic first impressions.

During heavy floods in Pittsburgh, underground sewer gas can ignite, causing trash cans on the street to suddenly burst into flames. It’s a bizarre but real sight where water and fire appear at the same time.

Pittsburgh has a surprisingly large population of deer and rabbits.
After midnight, the streets feel like they belong to them.

The official mascot of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He is a penguin character known for skating, crowd interaction, and entertaining fans during NHL games.

Bald Eagle left Pittsburgh due to industrial pollution, but later returned as the environment recovered.
An Eagle Cam was set up so the public could watch their nesting live.

Anthrocon is the world’s largest international furry convention and is held every summer.

Dirty Dozen Bike Ride is an annual cycling event in Pittsburgh that challenges riders to climb the city’s 13 steepest hills in one day. It started in 1983 and is known for extreme gradients, brutal climbs, and a strong local rider culture.

George A. Romero was a filmmaker based in Pittsburgh who created the modern zombie genre with Night of the Living Dead.
His low-budget horror films turned Pittsburgh into the birthplace of the zombie movie.

Fred Rogers was the beloved host of the children’s TV show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which was filmed in Pittsburgh.
His message of kindness, emotional honesty, and everyday care shaped generations of children around the world.

Wiz Khalifa is a Pittsburgh-born rapper who released the hit song Black and Yellow in 2010.
The song celebrates Pittsburgh’s city colors and became an unofficial anthem for the city and its sports teams.

Andy Warhol was a world-famous pop artist born in Pittsburgh.
His work transformed everyday images like soup cans and celebrities into modern art icons.

Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-born steel tycoon who built his fortune in Pittsburgh and became one of the richest men in the world.

Rachel Carson was a writer and scientist whose book Silent Spring sparked the modern environmental movement.
She is closely connected to Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh region.

A legendary Pittsburgh Penguins player, widely considered one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time.
He later saved the team from bankruptcy and became its owner.

A dominant linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers and one of the most feared defensive players in the NFL.

was the Pirates’ ace pitcher and one of the top power pitchers in MLB during his time in Pittsburgh.

Alton Merrell is a Pittsburgh-based jazz pianist, composer, and educator known for his gospel-influenced jazz style.

Gene Kelly is the legendary tap dancer and actor famous for the rain dance scene in Singin’ in the Rain.
He was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and learned to dance here before becoming a Hollywood icon.

Andy Warhol is buried near Pittsburgh, and a live Grave Cam lets fans around the world leave real-time virtual tributes.

Fort Pitt Log Cabin is a reconstructed wooden frontier cabin located near the fountain at Point State Park.
It represents the type of homes early settlers lived in during the 18th century.

KDKA is the world’s first commercial radio station, and its historic microphone symbolizes the birth of modern broadcasting.
KDKA first went on air in 1920, making Pittsburgh a starting point of mass radio communication.