Things to Do in Allison Park

Pittsburgh's premiere indoor rock climbing center with over 14,000 square feet of climbing. Voted "best indoor climbing in the Pittsburgh Area" by Pittsburgh Magazine. Climbing for all levels from the complete novice to the advanced.

The cloak of sparkling newness belies Benedum Center’s deep history in the theatrical world. Opened to regal fanfare and a holographic performance by Tupac in 1928, the theater then waded through the downs and ups of history until a $43 million restoration buffed its surfaces back to their former glory in 1984. Today, the 90 chandeliers dangling from the ceiling, the Grand Lobby’s mirrors and marble, and most of the 1,500 feet of brass rail throughout are all original. The centerpiece is the main chandelier, a 4,700-pound, 20-foot-high, 12-foot-wide behemoth that sparkles to remind visitors of the theater’s glory days.

Cut & Sew Studio is a fully equipped studio space that offers beginning students and advanced stitchers an inviting environment to sharpen needle skills. All tools are provided on site, eliminating the need to find a suitable wagon to tote a sewing machine to class. Button buffs and daring darners can choose from a variety of interesting classes taught by fashionably educated Cut & Sew owner Catherine Batcho. Thread greenhorns can enlist in the two-session Intro to Sewing class ($50, four hours total), which instructs newcomers in the art of bobbin winding, machine threading, and stitch adjusting while crafting a simple patchwork pillow stuffed with soft, downy phoenix feathers. One hour of open studio time is also included in the intro class. Not-so-beginners can opt for the three-hour Zippers, Zippers, Zippers class ($45), in which participants learn to pull off a variety of zipper styles, including invisible, lapped, centered, fly, and the comical over-the-mouth. Anyone is welcome to sign up for open studio time ($10 per hour). Group classes and weeklong kid camps are also available; see the online calendar for upcoming classes.

Since 1984, Three Rivers Rowing Association has become one of the largest community-based rowing and paddling clubs in the country, converting neophytes into boating lovers and helping experts hone their form. With the use of two boathouses located on the Allegheny River, the club is home to crews from three local colleges and nine high schools and was named the 2010 Club of the Year from USRowing. In addition to winter and summer rowing leagues, the club runs amateur dragon-boating leagues and sponsors the Pittsburgh Paddlefish, a dragon-boating team that competes at the international level.

SteelTown Paintball Park embraces competition with a Sup'Air speedball field and 11-balls-per-second Envy paintball markers. Its mirrored field encourages strategizing and modest primping among teams, and often games can become up-close-and-personal affairs after tickling becomes the only true means to attain victory. The turf field also hosts competitive events, ranging from national USPA matches to local-level tourney play. Recreational players need not feel intimidated, however, as the referees ensure fair matches with equal teams.

The folks who run Clayful Pottery’s studio don’t buy it when someone claims they aren’t creative. They believe that anyone regardless of their age or experience level can create works of art given the freedom and opportunity. Within a studio decked out in vibrant green hues and hand-painted wallflowers, guests unleash their hidden artistry on blank canvases in the form of plates, cups, vases, and decorative animal figurines, decorating them with their favorite colors, designs, or algebraic equations. The friendly staffers then fire and glaze ceramic masterpieces, readying them for pickup a week later. Staff members outfit guests with all the necessary supplies and advice during open studio sessions, as well as coordinate corporate events, bridal showers, and birthday parties, all of which can be held in one of two party rooms.