Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Review
Not just for the little ones!

Get your wheels spinning! For those of you that think the Children’s Museum is just for the little ones, think again! Having three kids spread across the age spectrum (13, 11 and 6), the challenge is finding find places we can enjoy as a family together. We hadn’t been to the Children’s Museum in a little while, mostly because I thought my older two would no longer enjoy it, but with the new Wheels Exhibit that rolled into town on February 18, we thought we’d give it a go. I love the expanded museum, even on a busy Saturday; the Museum is big enough to not feel crowded. There had been some changes since our last visit that were noticeable as soon as we walked in. First, the Fred Roger’s Trolley area had been changed up to be the new “MakeShop”. Activities in this area change daily, so you never know what you will be able to “make”. On this day, we tried our hand at the SewShop and helped the girls make a scarf with a real sewing machine. The boys tried the Soft Circuitry table where they created a cool light-up contraption to take home! Depending on the day, there are other neat explorations available like the ElectricShop where you can take apart small appliances and reassemble the parts, create your own animated short film and use real woodworking tools to build a birdhouse. Clearly, this was the section that entertained my 13 years old (and hubby) the most; they could have stayed there all day. A favorite from the past was a visit to The Attic, where the kids all enjoyed several trips through the gravity room (it makes me too dizzy) and down the slides. I had more fun creating shadows in the Phosphorescent Room with the strobe lights! We found the beginning of the Wheels exhibit in the Garage area. We likely spent half of our visit just in this area, between the classic Pulley/Ball roller coaster and sending parachutes off the large landing overhead. The 7 foot tires on display made for a great photo opportunity once I got the kids to stop climbing through them! Amazing to see these tires up close, HUGE! The girls really enjoyed creating their own magnetic cars and racing them in the Magnetic Car Park. They loved hanging out in the 37-foot test course and running them up the walls! The Wheels exhibit went on into the next room where an indoor roadway had been created and the girls were able to try all sorts of ride-ons around the course. Naturally, we couldn’t even think of leaving until they tried each and every vehicle! My husband and son found seats on the motorcycles on display, I’d bet I have 20 pictures of my hubby on his “imaginary” ride, ha ha. We wrapped up this visit with some time in the Art Studio creating screened art, paintings and recycled paper. I love that there are staff everywhere to you look to assist, so you can really just enjoy the experience with the kids. The Museum was closing at 4:30pm, and I’ll bet we were one of the last one’s out, so I would say that this visit was a sure hit. During our 5 hour visit, we found so much to do on the first floor, that we never even made it to the other floors. Though we may have outgrown some of the exhibits, I was pleasantly surprised to find so many activities that the kids were still interested in. We will be planning another visit soon, the girls can’t wait to get back to the Art Studio, and my son wants to try the Animation studio in the MakeShop next time! If you are going, there is parking available on the metered streets around the Museum, but I would suggest paying the $5 to pay in the Museum lots so that you don’t have to worry about how long you stay. There are some great food choices in the Café, including Child Value Meals and some great sandwiches and salads. You can also bring your own packed lunch and enjoy it on the lower level.