Pittsburgh: A Renaissance

Date: April 3, 2025
Registration: Open

Pittsburgh has been remade and reimagined. With 24 miles of riverfront trails, beautiful parks, historic attractions, and 90 neighborhoods, the ‘Burgh feels authentic and unpretentious. This trip features:

Nationality and Heritage Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning: The University of Pittsburgh’s Nationality Rooms are gifts from the ethnic communities who helped to build Pittsburgh. More than 30 rooms in the 42-story Cathedral of Learning commemorate the cultural heritage of the communities who supported and planned their construction. The design of each room predates 1787, when the university was founded.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: With 15 acres, including a 14-room glass house and 23 distinct gardens, Phipps has provided a first-class garden experience since 1893. Visit the renowned orchid and bonsai collections, the Tropical Forest Conservatory, and the Center for Sustainable Landscapes. Enjoy lunch on your own at Café Phipps.

Carnegie Museum of Art & Carnegie Museum of Natural History: Soak in some of the world’s great art and walk among the dinosaurs — all under the same roof! The Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History are home to one-of-a-kind exhibit spaces that make us wonder — about our world, the Universe, the past, and the future. Time is spent on your own in the two museums, so you can see what you wish.

  • Carnegie Museum of Art was the first museum in the United States with a strong focus on contemporary art, instructed by its founder, Andrew Carnegie, to collect the “old masters of tomorrow” at the inception of the Carnegie International in 1896. Today, it is one of the most dynamic major art institutions in the country. Strengths of its collections include Old Master prints and drawings, nearly 3,000 Japanese prints, Impressionism, the Teenie Harris Archive, and contemporary art from the 1980s to the present, along with iconic works from other eras.
  • Carnegie Museum of Natural History features 22 million objects and specimens, forming one of the world’s great archives of biodiversity and the history of life. Exhibit areas include dinosaurs, minerals and gems, the Hall of the American Indian, numerous wildlife halls, and the Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt.

Itinerary

  • 6:00 a.m. — Depart Fullington Bus Garage (near University airport). Comfort stop along the way.
  • 9:15 a.m. —  Arrive at the Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh.
  • 9:30 a.m. — Guided tour of the Nationality and Heritage Rooms in the Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh.
  • 11:00 a.m. — Depart University of Pittsburgh.
  • 11:15 a.m. — Arrive at Phipps Conservatory. Lunch and exploring on your own. Café Phipps will be open for lunch. Meal is at your own expense.
  • 1:45 p.m. — Depart Phipps Conservatory.
  • 2:30 p.m. — Arrive at Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History.
    • Exploring on your own in both Carnegie museums. The Café Carnegie, for sit-down dinners, can be reserved in advance. A grab-and-go counter, Fossil Fuels, is available for a quick bite or to take on the bus. Meal is at your own expense.
  • 5:45 p.m. — Depart Carnegie museums with comfort and food stop.
  • 9:30 p.m. — Arrive in State College.

Cost per person

  • Member: $145
  • Nonmember: $170

Included in cost:

  • bus transportation
  • one tour
  • admission to Phipps Conservatory and Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History.

Not included in cost:

  • meals

Register today