Things to Do in Greensburg

In 2001, Washington County faced a dilemma. A new baseball park was under construction just off I-70, but the field had no team to call it home. Rather than let unemployed mascots set up circus tents in the outfield, a group of local business owners purchased the Ohio-based Canton Crocodiles and moved the franchise to Pennsylvania. Months later, the Washington Wild Things inaugurated the new stadium with a dazzling bit of irony, losing their first-ever game against the very team that replaced the Crocodiles in Canton.

Nevertheless, the Wild Things finished the 2002 season in grand fashion, setting a league record for wins and claiming first place in the Frontier League's powerful East Division, and the team went on to make six straight playoff appearances from 2002–2007. Throughout its history, the Wild Things have featured a number of future and former big-leaguers, and its roster regularly includes Pittsburgh natives, who grew up practicing their swings with steel girders.

Once deemed an eyesore, the winding, 46-mile-long Stonycreek River has undergone a transformation. Today, it abounds with natural life, such as beavers and smallmouth bass, as well as the longest stretch of continuous rapids on the East Coast. With its fleet of inflatable kayaks and tubes, Coal Tubin’ provides a variety of ways for customers to experience the area’s scenery. Knowledgeable guides lead group tours inside inflatable kayaks, whereas inner tubes leisurely float under bridges and down gentle waters lined with pine trees and perplexed coal miners who took a wrong turn. Outdoors adventures also unfold on land, where guided hikes trek to nearby vistas.

Under the sprawling roof of First Niagara Pavilion, music greats such as Billy Joel, Rush, and Jimmy Buffett have all taken over the stage as fans throughout the amphitheater space watch, transfixed. Whether enjoying the show from the open-air pavilion or the verdant lawn, concertgoers demonstrate their love for the performers by dancing along to the music or holding up lighters engraved with the lead singer’s astrological sign.

On the rolling hillsides of Wheeling, West Virginia, the white pillars of the Mansion Museum stand majestically over the manicured lawns and landscaped gardens of the Oglebay Institute. Originally built in 1846 as an eight-bedroom farmhouse, the mansion entered the Oglebay family in 1900, and was willed to the city 30 years later to serve as a facility for education and recreation. Today it features a rotation of exhibits and programs, which share fine art, glassware, and environmental education with more than 100,000 people annually.

Tucked next to the Mansion, the glass museum has collected some 3,000 pieces of Wheeling glass, cut lead crystal, and Victorian art glass. The Sweeney Punch Bowl, a 5-foot, 225-pound piece of cut lead crystal, is the jewel of the collection, epitomizing the aesthetic splendor and unwieldy nature of most Victorian-era flasks. The Schrader Environmental Education Center imparts visitors with an appreciation for the natural world with interactive trail tours, campfires, and astronomy events; and the Stifle Fine Arts Center's ever-changing visual-arts exhibits display work from local and national artists.

Rolling over the naturally hilly landscape, the bright-green turf of Statler’s Fun Center’s miniature-golf course winds around the center’s 1,528-foot go-kart track. Engines roar as racers 10 or older zip through the over-and-under bridge’s tight turns or give their lead foot free rein on the straightaways.

The soundtrack of purring motors underscores high-stakes games of miniature golf as players putt their way through deviously landscaped greens, expertly maneuvering the cave with a hidden waterfall and defeating the final hole guarded by squatting gophers. An air-conditioned snack shop provides respite from summer heat with cool drinks and an arcade full of excuses to hang out indoors, such as the classic air-hockey table and skee-ball.

Body In Balance Healing Center's clients can build themselves a lifestyle fueled by holistic health from head to toe using the resources available at the center, including therapeutic massage, yoga classes, and alternative spa treatments. Visitors of all skill levels can drop in to open yoga sessions, where they'll either learn or perfect their sun salutations, appeasing the needy star with muscle-fortifying poses and stretches. Massage therapists' kneading techniques aim to release physical and emotional tension, restoring bodies to peak condition, and a menu of face- and body-focused skin services addresses a host of issues with cutting-edge and alternative spa therapies, soothing acne-prone skin with botanicals, banding muscles to prevent age-related drooping, and employing lasers to erase fine lines.