The Best Field Trips In Pittsburgh Area

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Best Field Trips In Pittsburgh Area

This best field trips in Pittsburgh post is part of a link up on iHomeschool Network. Scroll down to find link for more information about rockin' field trips.

Our family has been blessed with an amazing gift-a family membership to Carnegie Museums. We now have free access for one year to all 4 Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Perfect gift for a large family!

We took advantage of this opportunity for a homeschool learning adventure as soon as possible. The boys had a hard time choosing between the 4 museums. Which would you choose?

We initially were going to visit the Natural History museum to enrich our All American History studies but it was closed on the day we could go. The boys shrieked with joy when they heard that we would be going to the Carnegie Science Center and Highmark SportWorks®. A day full of hands-on science fun is always a win for this crew!

Best Field Trips In Pittsburgh-Carnegie Science Center

Carnegie Science Center has 4 floors of interactive exhibits.  The first floor now houses the H2Oh-Why Our Rivers Matter exhibit. As you move among the demonstrations and hands-on opportunities, you get to gaze out over the confluence of the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio Rivers (where Pittsburgh gets one of its nicknames, Three Rivers). You also can watch the Duquesne Incline go up and down Mount Washington.

Best Field Trip Pittsburgh
Boys learning about waves in one of the H2Oh activities

 


The first floor also had a nature room with animals, fish, and reptiles on display. A shelf of preserved animals was fascinating to us all. Captain had fun learning about how a fish sees.

field trip Pittsburgh Carnegie Science Center
Is that Captain or a fish?

 

Bear, our bug boy, did not want to leave the Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. He was thrilled to hold one and kept calling it his baby. (He definitely does not get his affinity for bugs from me!)

Field trip and Pittsburgh
Bear & his friends, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches


 

Our next stop was the SpacePlace. We all marveled at the buttons, switches, and screens in a space station module. Smiley made some interesting observations and discoveries.

A person standing in front of a building, with Carnegie Science Center

 

field trip science Pittsburgh Carnegie Science Center
Smiley on the space toilet


 

The Miniature Railroad & Village® display is intricate in detail and fascinating to observe. We were fortunate to have a volunteer give us more information about the display that chronicles Pittsburgh history.

A bunch of different types of food, with Field trip and Pittsburgh
A few of our favorite scenes in Miniature Railroad & Village


 

The boys were delighted to discover a roboworld™ exhibit. They got to operate a few of the robots, as well as learn a bit of robot history in movies.

field trip Pittsburgh Carnegie Science Center
Bear using iPad to operate BB8 while Smiley chases robot around

 

A person standing on top of a stove, with Carnegie Science Center
Xman & Coach operating Robot Rovers

 

Field trip and Pittsburgh
Smiley is all smiles with his favorite robot of all time, R2D2

 

Field trip and Pittsburgh
Smiley learning about Power Station


 

The top floor is a designed primarily for younger ages with Exploration Station Jr.   (Older kids can have fun with Exploration Station in adjoining area.) The boys love playing with a gigantic ball machine where kids work together. There is so much for little ones to do! Big blocks, climbing, learning about instruments, and dental hygiene. The favorite activity on this floor is the huge water table.

field trip Pittsburgh
Xman playing at huge water table


Best Field Trips In Pittsburgh-Highmark SportsWorks®

After we pulled the younger boys away from the top floor, we headed over to Highmark SportsWorks®. We love sports around here and this exhibit rocks! Hands-on activities for learning about speed and balance-the science behind sports!

A group of people standing in front of Highmark SportsWorks building

 

 

Field trip and Pittsburgh
Smiley & Bear playing a big game of Operation!

 

Field trip and Pittsburgh
Smiley learning about balance on a skateboard display

 

Field trip and Pittsburgh
Captain helping Xman

 

A group of people on a court
My favorite part of our Pittsburgh field trip! Running on indoor track with timer. We need on of these in our home! Yes, I did demonstrate how to use the starting blocks & had a few runs myself.

 


 

The Carnegie Museums offer some of the best field trips in the Pittsburgh area, especially for homeschoolers. We look forward to visiting the Natural History Museum soon. This summer, we will visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater (Kaufmann Residence). I will keep you updated on all of our homeschool field trips!

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Please stop by iHomeschool Network's Best Field Trips link up. I  can not wait to see what my friends over at iHomeschool Network have to share!

best homeschool field trips

 

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One Comment

  1. I am a Kindergarten teacher in Pittsburgh and I do an Africa unit. Do you know of any good field trips in Pittsburgh that would be good during this unit? Thanks!

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