Today’s profile of Pittsburgh is part of an occasional series looking at where central Ohio sports fans travel.
PITTSBURGH — Come for the hockey, stay for the gnocchi — and the pierogies, pop art, tyrannosaurs and beer.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have two more hockey games scheduled in Pittsburgh this season on March 22 and April 29.
But fans traveling to the games — or anyone who visits anytime — will find plenty of off-ice diversions in this fun- and food-filled town, too.
Hockey:Blue Jackets down Vegas with Sillinger hat trick, Bjorkstrand’s four-point game
As hard as it might be to admit, the fact that the Penguins have had more hockey success than Columbus is impossible to deny, especially when gazing up at the five Stanley Cup banners hanging from the ceiling at PPG Paint Arena (www.nhl.com/penguins/) downtown. The Pens’ first championship was in 1991, 23 seasons after the club began play. (Columbus began play in 2000. Just sayin’.)
Pittsburgh’s hockey arena, opened in 2010, is a thoroughly modern facility with beautiful sightlines and plenty of refreshments, including local beer and food favorites. The arena does not, however, have its own cannon. Score one for Columbus.
Pittsburgh’s sports history goes far beyond hockey, of course, and inquisitive sports fans will find plenty of that history around town.
Museums — sports and otherwise
The Roberto Clemente Museum (3339 Penn Ave., www.clementemuseum.com) honors Clemente, a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball icon, humanitarian and groundbreaking Latino hero. The museum contains many sports and family mementos of Clemente, who died at age 38 in an airplane crash on his way to assist earthquake victims in Nicaragua. He was the first Latin American player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The museum is open for pre-purchased guided tours only, so check the website for available times. Small group tours can also be booked.
The Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum is located inside the downtown Heinz History Center (1212 Smallman St., www.heinzhistorycenter.org). The sports museum includes great exhibits on the Pirates, the NFL Steelers and many other Pittsburgh teams and athletes past and present including — yes, yes — a newish display about the Penguins and all their success, yada yada. (But the Stanley Cup reproduction will really make you want to get your own hands on that baby, so take a close look.)
Travel:Fort Wayne, Indiana, a weekend destination with vibrant downtown
Pittsburgh is also home to several unique, world-class museums, including the Andy Warhol Museum (117 Sandusky St., www.warhol.org) , the largest in the country dedicated to a single artist.
Warhol, a Pittsburgh native, was one of the most influential artists of the late 20th century. His work such as Campbell’s Soup Cans, became iconic avant-garde symbols while he himself became an icon of the avant-garde pop scene of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.
The museum’s seven floors display a huge amount of Warhol’s work and personal mementos while delving into his early life, the development of his art, and his huge influence on art and culture.
Travel forecast: Ohioans are once again saying ‘aloha’ to Hawaii and other far-off destinations
Another must-see destination is one of my favorite museums in the entire world. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History (4400 Forbes Ave., www.carnegiemnh.org) has one of the largest collections of dinosaurs, including the first Tyrannosaurus rex discovered. But don’t get hung up just on the big guys. The museum also has a world-class mineral and gem collection, dozens of magnificent nature dioramas and a Hall of Egypt, among many, many other fascinating displays.
And be sure to visit the Hall of Architecture and the Hall of Sculpture, which link the museum to the adjacent Carnegie Museum of Art. The most amazing architecture on hand, however, may be the museums complex itself. The stunning and magnificent Grand Staircase and the Carnegie…
Read More: Many things to see, do in Pittsburgh for visiting Blue Jackets fans