Best Weekend Activities For Seniors In Pittsburgh

Seniors looking for an interesting and rewarding weekend experience will find a variety of options to learn about the historical, cultural, educational and recreational gems in the Pittsburgh region. There are museums, sightseeing tours, visual and performing arts, county parks, cultural venues and history lessons for the Pittsburgh area. There are plenty of trails, tours, spectacular vistas, art galleries and waterways that are either free or meet an affordable budget. Each excursion offers a chance to try out the culinary and shopping haunts in the neighborhoods within the Pittsburgh region, a wonderful opportunity to join with friends and family for a memorable weekend of fun and learning.

There is a history lesson and a National Historic Landmark waiting for seniors and their families at Old Economy Village for a Summer Saturdays visit. Each weekend there are exhibits in several categories of interest that include baking, blacksmithing, crafts, gardening, textiles and arts. Make sure to plan your visit, which includes the Visitor Center for rates, information, gift shop, historical homes, museum and special assistance. There is a slideshow available depicting the historical events of Old Economy Village, which is a wonderful educational experience teaching about the surrounding area and culture of Beaver County.There are manuscripts, documents and photos to enhance the understanding of the Harmony Society, an interesting way to further understand the Pittsburgh region.

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Summer arrives with a blaze of glory at Cool Springs Sports Complex in the South Hills and the weekend is the perfect time to experience all the amenities. The best part of the deal is that you can play the 18-hole miniature golf course or the driving range as an individual, with friends or the entire family. The miniature golf course has been redone, and it's new challenges allow visitors to have fun in the open spaces around manicured landscaping and a wooded background. The driving range is covered, which means you can practice in inclement weather all year long. If you need practice with chipping, pitching or putting, then try out the short game area that includes sand bunkers and challenging elevations. After a day of golf, a trip to the Fairway Grille or Cool Springs Creamery will top off a day of fun and exercise.

Price: $39

If you need the best of both worlds with great food and exploring the historic background of Pittsburgh and surrounding neighborhoods, then sign up in advance for a scheduled tour before it's sold out. Check the online calendar and make a phone call to assure your place on the tour. They are open Saturdays in Brookline, Bloomfield and Lawrenceville in late August, and if the tours are sold out, you have until Dec. 19 to assure a reservation. Capable and experienced tour guides will direct you to a wide-ranging sampling of foods from different cultural regions, which are hosted by businesses and shops. Don't forget to bring a camera for this historic adventure, and there is a short time scheduled to visit the businesses or shops to take in the culture and history of each community.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a historic landmark, and the moment you walk in through the entrance, you pass a magnificent flower garden with well-maintained landscaping. The secret journey lies inside, with an assortment of rooms that wind from one to another among the sights and aromas of exotic plants, flowers and foliage in a cultural display of beauty. The exhilarating walk passes a butterfly and tropical forest, aquatic gardens and a collection of plants from other countries that may give ideas for your home. The dazzling variety of flowers manifests an experience of serenity and relaxation. There is enough activity for families, too, and the Children's Garden is an exploratory education to learn the nuances of gardening, shopping and working together. There are opportunities to purchase food items and a chance to sit outside at the covered tables and take in the aura of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

Time: Saturday evenings: 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Highland Park & Highland Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 255- 2493
pittsburghpa.gov

Time: Sunday afternoons: 5 to 7 p.m.

The good, old summertime just got better with a display of jazz to fill the air with musical selections and seniors may choose Riverview Park or Highland Park locations. Citiparks' summer program offers a chance to relax with the comfort of a blanket or an easy chair to take in the music and scenery and amenities at each park. The uncertainty of weather conditions may be a factor for any cancellations, so give the Citiparks a call to ensure the concerts will go on without interruption. Another part of the Citiparks summer programs is the opportunity to take in a movie with the Cinema In The Park movie film series, and that will make a full day of entertainment. The best news is that the jazz and movie programs are free, a great deal for summer fun with the family or friends.

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