Top 8 Family-Friendly Indoor Activities in Pittsburgh (updated for 2025)
As newborn and family photographers and moms, we are often discussing ways to keep kids busy during rainy days and the winter. When the weather throws a curveball, and the kids are climbing the walls, Pittsburgh has an array of engaging family-friendly indoor activities to choose from. Let’s look at some of the city’s indoor wonders, ensuring smiles from the kids and an escape from the house for you!
1. Carnegie Museums/Science Center/Andy Warhol Museum
There are endless ways to spend time as a family in the Carnegie museums! Our kids love the Natural History/Art museum with its animals, dinosaurs, rocks and gems, and art exhibits. With these museums connected to each other, we have easily spent hours within its walls and still haven’t seen everything. As the kids became preschool and elementary age, they were fascinated with the mummy room! The dinosaur skeletons are sure to impress both kids and adults, and there’s a great fossil digging area with tools just like archaeologist’s use.
The Science Center is a huge kid favorite. With multiple floors of hands-on exploration, kids will want to spend the day here. We’ve learned about the human body, robots (check out the basketball-throwing one!), insects, and so much more. Two popular stops are the model train display and the water play/climbing area! Their cafe is a favorite for kids, too, and we love to eat outside if it’s warm. All of these museums can be accessed with one yearly membership!
Carnegie Museums Website
2. Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
Creativity is always bursting at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh! Packed with interactive exhibits, workshops, and art installations, this museum promises a day of imaginative exploration for your little ones. There are always new events and exhibits to keep things interesting and fun. A big climbing structure is great for active fun and a big garage has ball drops and car racing tracks. A huge art room and maker space with endless materials and projects will keep the creative juices flowing. They also have a great cafeteria for picking up some delicious lunch. Pack extra clothes for the water play floor!
Children’s Museum Website
3. Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium
There are so many things to see indoors at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. From exotic rainforests to underwater adventures, it’s an animal lover’s paradise, rain or shine. The aquarium is our kids’ favorite, and they love to see all of the fish, sharks, and penguins! Even when our kids were babies, we would roll their strollers up to the glass and they’d be mesmerized by the swimming fish. The primate house is another favorite, and they love laughing at different species of monkeys swinging and playing. Another indoor area houses snakes and reptiles and has a fun twisty slide. Bonus: some of the outdoor animals are extra active in the winter and you can see a lot more playful activity as you walk past!
Pittsburgh Zoo Website
4. Urban Air/Elevate
Indoor playtime reaches new heights at these trampoline parks. With lots of trampolines, inflatable bounce houses, slides, and zip lines, they’re a favorite for energetic children to burn off some steam. A ninja course is always a good challenge, as is falling into a giant ball pit! A soft climbing structure is also a great way to play and take breaks from jumping. Have older kids who need less supervision? Head to the massage chairs while they play! For north Pittsburghers, Urban Air is located in Cranberry Twp, while Elevate is in Zelienople. Our kids love these trampoline parks, and they always sleep well after we go!
Urban Air Website
Elevate Website
5. Poppins Playhouse
For younger kids, this place is awesome! Dress up, ride-on toys, playhouses, building blocks, and more are included. You pay to use the facility for a designated amount of time, and then let the kids run around and play with all of the different toys and stations! There are also mini storefronts like a vet clinic, food store, etc. Conveniently located in Wexford, this place is a great go-to when the weather turns rainy or cold. It’s also a great spot for birthday parties, where kids can join together with friends for some imaginative play!
Poppins Playhouse Website
6. Dave & Buster’s
For families with younger and older kids, Dave & Buster’s is the ultimate destination. Enjoy a mix of arcade games, virtual reality experiences, and yummy food. Sometimes we go here for dinner (the food is pretty good!) and then load some game cards for the kids for as low as $10 each. They can play until their cards run out, and then they love shopping for prizes with their earned points. It’s a special night without being too expensive! They also have some great desserts. While we’re super disappointed to see that our favorite churros are no longer on the menu, the new funnel cake fries look like a new go-to! Go on a weeknight and you’ll avoid the crowds.
Dave and Buster’s Website
7. Pins Mechanical
This place is so much fun for kids and adults of all ages! Located in Southside Works, it’s a great indoor place. Duckpin bowling is very popular, so get there early or plan to wait a little for a lane. There’s a charge for bowling, but so many other activities are free! There are 2 giant slides, bocce courts, life-size cup pong, and tons of arcades… for free! As families with some older kids in them, we are always looking for places that keep teens and the younger ones equally entertained. Not an easy task, but this place does it! Something to keep in mind: there really aren’t food options, so either order a pizza to eat there, or eat at one of the great restaurants that are in the walkable area.
Pins Mechanical Website
8. Zone 28
Strike a balance between fun and friendly competition at Zone 28. Offering bowling, laser tag, and an arcade, it’s an entertainment complex that caters to all ages. It’s a great place to have a birthday party, or just visit for something fun to do. The kids love when we take their friends along, too. There’s a restaurant in the complex with great food choices and a nice place to sit and relax. Located off Rt 28 in Harmarville, it’s easily accessible from the city.
https://www.zone28.com/
In Pittsburgh, the options for family-friendly indoor activities are endless. Hope you get to try some new spots this winter!
