Pittsburgh’s known for some pretty awesome things. Loyal Steelers fans. Medical and technology innovation. Mister Rogers. But, what non-Pittsburghers might not realize is just how many off the wall, unexpected things you can find in our beautiful city. Here are 10 delightfully weird things you’ll only find in Pittsburgh.
- The Big Mac Museum – 9061 US-30, Irwin, PA 15642
Flickr/Via Tsuji Of course you can find Big Macs all over the world. But, a Big Mac Museum? That’s exclusively in the Pittsburgh area - Irwin, to be exact. Snap selfies with the World’s Largest Big Mac. Learn more about the history of the Big Mac, invented by Pittsburgher Jim Delligatti. And, of course, treat yourself to what just might be the world’s most famous burger.
- The Kecksburg UFO – Kecksburg, PA 15666
Flickr/Shannon O’Toole Drive just around 50 minutes to Kecksburg where you’ll find the world’s only space acorn. Yep. You read right: Space acorn. In December 1965, a UFO soared over the North American sky, landing in a field in Kecksburg. To this day, it hasn’t been determined what landed: a meteor, a Russian spy satellite, or something else. A replica of the UFO witnesses saw, the space acorn is a popular tourist attraction today.
- A Town Named Mars
Flickr/Jon Dawson In how many towns do you think you can find a shiny silver flying saucer? Well, Mars is definitely one of them. The charming town near Pennsylvania regularly hosts the Martian New Year. That celebration brings NASA and even alien impersonators to town.
- Trundle Manor – 7724 Juniata Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15218
Facebook/Trundle Manor Most attractions would shy away from the label of tourist trap. Not Trundle Manor. In fact, the museum of oddities prides itself on being perhaps the world’s best tourist trap. Open by appointment only, Trundle Manor features exhibits of taxidermy, medical devices, and other oddities.
- R2D2, C3PO, & A Bunch of Robots - 1 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Flickr/Via Tsuji You generally have to travel to a galaxy far, far away - or at least to Florida - to come face-to-face with two of the universe’s most popular robots. R2D2 and C3PO, of Star Wars, now live within the Carnegie Science Center along with a few others in the Robot Hall of Fame.
- Racing Pierogies - 115 Federal Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Flickr/Scott Abelman Okay, so plenty of people around the world love pierogies. It’s definitely one of our favorites in the Burgh. But, where else in the world can you find racing pierogies? Nowhere but PNC Park between innings of Pirates’ games.
- A Jaws Headstone - 4734 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Allegheny Cemetery People want others to know who they were and what they loved - even in death. That’s why we hear stories about individuals being buried in their beloved Corvettes. One local man shared his love for Jaws with a shark headstone. at Allegheny Cemetery. Lester Madden, a Korean War Veteran, had a shark tombstone added to his grave upon his death in 1983.
- Fries as a Topping - 46 18th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Flickr/jpellgen If you see fries topping a sandwich or a salad, just know the trend started right here in the Burgh. After all, Pittsburgh’s Primanti Brothers was the first to introduce the world to the concept of a sandwich heaped with fries and coleslaw. Perhaps weird to others but obviously delicious, right?
- The U.S’s Steepest Street - Canton Avenue, Beechview, PA 15216
Flickr/Dan Buczynski Who woulda thunk that the steepest street in the United States - if not the world - resides right here in the Beechview neighborhood of Pittsburgh? That’s right. Canton Avenue boasts a 37 percent grade. Try biking or walking up the hill if you’re up for it.
- The Fountain of Youth - 10127 Kummer Road, Wexford, PA 15090
Flickr/Paige Shoemaker Okay, okay. So, Pittsburgh’s not the only place in the world to lay claim to a Fountain of Youth. But, it’s pretty cool that people believed we had one at one time. Nestled in Allison Park, the Fountain of Youth - really a water pump - used to pump out pure water. That led locals to believe the water had magical powers. Today, the water has been shut off but it’s still a fun spot to visit.
What other delightfully weird things would you add to a part two of this list? Share below! Then click here to read about the 11 things we Pittsburghers do that seem insane to everyone else.
Flickr/Via Tsuji
Of course you can find Big Macs all over the world. But, a Big Mac Museum? That’s exclusively in the Pittsburgh area - Irwin, to be exact. Snap selfies with the World’s Largest Big Mac. Learn more about the history of the Big Mac, invented by Pittsburgher Jim Delligatti. And, of course, treat yourself to what just might be the world’s most famous burger.
Flickr/Shannon O’Toole
Drive just around 50 minutes to Kecksburg where you’ll find the world’s only space acorn. Yep. You read right: Space acorn. In December 1965, a UFO soared over the North American sky, landing in a field in Kecksburg. To this day, it hasn’t been determined what landed: a meteor, a Russian spy satellite, or something else. A replica of the UFO witnesses saw, the space acorn is a popular tourist attraction today.
Flickr/Jon Dawson
In how many towns do you think you can find a shiny silver flying saucer? Well, Mars is definitely one of them. The charming town near Pennsylvania regularly hosts the Martian New Year. That celebration brings NASA and even alien impersonators to town.
Facebook/Trundle Manor
Most attractions would shy away from the label of tourist trap. Not Trundle Manor. In fact, the museum of oddities prides itself on being perhaps the world’s best tourist trap. Open by appointment only, Trundle Manor features exhibits of taxidermy, medical devices, and other oddities.
You generally have to travel to a galaxy far, far away - or at least to Florida - to come face-to-face with two of the universe’s most popular robots. R2D2 and C3PO, of Star Wars, now live within the Carnegie Science Center along with a few others in the Robot Hall of Fame.
Flickr/Scott Abelman
Okay, so plenty of people around the world love pierogies. It’s definitely one of our favorites in the Burgh. But, where else in the world can you find racing pierogies? Nowhere but PNC Park between innings of Pirates’ games.
Allegheny Cemetery
People want others to know who they were and what they loved - even in death. That’s why we hear stories about individuals being buried in their beloved Corvettes. One local man shared his love for Jaws with a shark headstone. at Allegheny Cemetery. Lester Madden, a Korean War Veteran, had a shark tombstone added to his grave upon his death in 1983.
Flickr/jpellgen
If you see fries topping a sandwich or a salad, just know the trend started right here in the Burgh. After all, Pittsburgh’s Primanti Brothers was the first to introduce the world to the concept of a sandwich heaped with fries and coleslaw. Perhaps weird to others but obviously delicious, right?
Flickr/Dan Buczynski
Who woulda thunk that the steepest street in the United States - if not the world - resides right here in the Beechview neighborhood of Pittsburgh? That’s right. Canton Avenue boasts a 37 percent grade. Try biking or walking up the hill if you’re up for it.
Flickr/Paige Shoemaker
Okay, okay. So, Pittsburgh’s not the only place in the world to lay claim to a Fountain of Youth. But, it’s pretty cool that people believed we had one at one time. Nestled in Allison Park, the Fountain of Youth - really a water pump - used to pump out pure water. That led locals to believe the water had magical powers. Today, the water has been shut off but it’s still a fun spot to visit.
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Address: 9061 US-30, Irwin, PA 15642Address: 115 Federal Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212Address: 10127 Kummer Road, Wexford, PA 15090Address: 4734 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201Address: 1 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212Address: 7724 Juniata Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15218
