Guest Activities and Tours
Welcome to Pittsburgh! There are many wonderful activities for you and your family to enjoy during your visit to Pittsburgh. Known as the Golden Triangle, Pittsburgh downtown is shaped by the joining of two rivers, the Monongahela and the Allegheny to form the mighty Ohio River.
Whether jogging the tree-lined riverfront trails; taking in the action of the Steelers, Penguins or Pirates; discovering a world-class art scene; or exploring the city’s jazz legacies, there is something to entertain everyone.
Pittsburgh’s finest cultural attractions are housed in the Carnegie Museums; fossilized dinosaur bones and glittering geodes are among the natural treasures in the Museum of Natural History, while the human creations of Picasso, Georgia O’Keeffe and Frank Gehry draw attention at the Museum of Art. Pop art reigns supreme at the Andy Warhol Museum, which houses the work of the groundbreaking hometown eccentric.
Stay, eat and mingle just steps away from the Convention Center. The bustling Cultural District is home to 100 restaurants, six live theaters and plenty of night-life action.
Registered guests are welcome to visit the Guest Hospitality Room (at the Westin Hotel) during the day to greet old friends, meet new friends, enjoy refreshments and check out other activities.
Hours:
Monday, 20 May 7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 21 May 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, 22 May 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
You may register as a guest if you are neither a geoscience professional nor involved in the petroleum industry. Guest registrations must be accompanied by a professional registration.
Take Me Out to the Ball Game!
Date: Tuesday, 21 May
Time: 7:05 p.m.
Location: PNC Park
You can still get tickets to AAPG Night or ball games on a different day by contacting Ryan Shapiro at +1 412 325 4495.
What is a sports-themed ACE without a little sports action? Come see the Pittsburgh Pirates take on the Chicago Cubs for AAPG night at PNC Park. AAPG will have several sections reserved for seating. Enjoy the game with old friends or colleagues you meet on the exhibition floor.
PNC Park is a 15 to 20 minute walk from the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Attendees can also take the “T” (Pittsburgh’s subway system) or the Gateway Clipper fleet, a short boat ride from Station Square. Go Deep! And root for a homerun over the fence and into the Allegheny River!
Fallingwater in the Laurel Highlands
Date: Monday, 20 May
Time: 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Fee: $100
Includes: Transportation, guide, admission and lunch at Nemacolin
Woodlands Resort
Limit: Minimum 30 people
Drive through the magnificent mountain scenery of the Laurel Highlands by privately chartered coach to Fallingwater, famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s most widely acclaimed work. Over a million people from every corner of the earth have come to see this masterpiece, built as a summer home for the Edgar Kaufmann family, prominent Pittsburgh merchants.
Dramatic cantilevered terraces soar over a cascading waterfall. The living room hearth embodies an immense boulder in the setting nature created. Completed in 1939 with guest wing and servants quarters, it is as fresh today as when it was built.
We continue to Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. Formerly a private estate of the Rockwell family, it is now the focal point of a 3,000 acre reserve nestled in the Laurel Mountains. The extensive antique collection of current owner Joseph A. Hardy includes 18th century wooden Punch figures once owned by the artist, Andy Warhol, and a 1909 Stanley steamer. Now an exclusive resort and conference center, this charming setting is the site for a specially-arranged luncheon.
Note: Since considerable walking, steps, pebble pathways and steep inclines are involved, good walking shoes are strongly advised. Fallingwater is handicap accessible, but please notify us if you require special assistance.
Gateway Clipper River Cruise
Date: Monday, 20 May
Time: 10:15 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Fee: $81
Includes: Transportation, guide, boat passage, and lunch on board
Limit: Minimum 50 people
With the exquisite Pittsburgh skyline as a backdrop, sail the three rivers on a private charter aboard one of the Gateway Clipper Fleets’ signature boats.
Join us on an afternoon luncheon as we sail the picturesque three rivers. Sit back, relax and enjoy lunch as our Captain points out landmarks and relates interesting tales of the past and present aboard this insightful three hour cruise. Your cruise will feature a juxtaposition of past and present — the old steel mills, battle sights of the French and Indian war, along with the modern technology centers that are making the Pittsburgh metropolitan area one of the premier destinations in the United States.
Note: Participants will walk approximately 2 blocks to and from the Dock located by the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. No outside food or beverages are permitted on board the boat.
Just Ducky Tour with Duquesne Incline
Date: Tuesday, 21 May
Time: 10:15 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Fee: $80
Includes: Transportation, boat passage, guide, Incline admission, and lunch
on Mt. Washington
Limit: Minimum 30 people
For more than 10 years, Just Ducky has been taking riders on Pittsburgh’s only adventure through the city on land and water. This tour travels through the city’s business district past local government buildings and the headquarters of the area’s Fortune 500 companies. You will be awed by the amazing architecture of the Allegheny County Courthouse and learn some fun facts about the modern skyscrapers that call Pittsburgh home, like the US Steel Tower. Then we’ll move on to the Cultural District, the heart of downtown. Our guides will have you laughing until you’re all quacked up!
Take a step back in time on a century-old cable car and see the best views of downtown Pittsburgh while riding one of the few remaining inclines in the country. Opened on May 20, 1877, the Duquesne Incline was rescued and restored by a group of local residents in 1963 and still delights residents and visitors with its original, elegant, wooden cable cars. The Duquesne Incline’s upper station houses a museum of Pittsburgh history, including photos and a storehouse of information on inclines from around the world. Unusual Pittsburgh souvenirs, maps and photos can be found at the gift shop.
Celebrating more than 50 years, the Tin Angel Restaurant has been consistently recognized as one of the premier restaurants in Pittsburgh. Experience a spectacular view of the city while dining high above it all. The Tin Angel is nested 1200 feet above the City of Pittsburgh high atop Mount Washington.
Frick Museum and Phipps Conservatory
Date: Tuesday, 21 May
Time: 9:15 a.m.–4:45 p.m.
Fee: $88
Includes: Transportation, guide, admissions, and lunch
Limit: Minimum 30 people
Travel back in time to the gilded Victorian Era of the late 1800’s and delight in the beauty of “Clayton” built by steel industrialist Henry Clay Frick. Objects of everyday Victorian life have been restored according to the highest standards of authenticity. In addition to the 23 room house, the estate is comprised of a Carriage Museum housing seventeen Frick carriages, sleighs and antique automobiles, a domed greenhouse, restored children’s playhouse (now the gift shop) and the Frick Art Museum displaying Renaissance to 18th century European art. You will quickly come to realize why giants of the era such as Teddy Roosevelt and Andrew Carnegie were visitors of Frick.
The Porch at Schenley is a neighborhood bistro in the heart of vibrant, bustling Oakland. Situated within beautiful Schenley Plaza, the restaurant serves the University community, neighborhood regulars, and park users alike.
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, a great steel and glass Victorian greenhouse, has been inviting visitors to explore the beauty and mysteries of plants since 1893. Set amidst one of Pittsburgh’s largest greenspaces, Schenley Park; Phipps Conservatory stands as a cultural and architectural centerpiece of the city’s Oakland neighborhood. In recent decades, Phipps has evolved into one of the region’s most vibrant, thriving cultural attractions, bringing fresh perspectives and artists into our historic glasshouse environment.
