Murrysville, PA Outdoor Activities

With more than 700 public stairways, Pittsburgh ranks among the most-stepped cities in the United States, and the highest concentration of these antique escalators may be found in the South Side Slopes. Every autumn since 2001, the South Side Slopes Neighborhood Association has organized a walking celebration of the approximately 2,700 steps that make up the neighborhood’s pedestrian paths. Streets in the area are prone to change suddenly into tangled, narrow passageways and hard-to-spot hidden corridors, confounding drivers and fostering an old-time vibe underlined by the residents’ liberal use of the word “malarkey.” While exploring these paths with the help of a narrative program book, the curious enjoy a heart-healthy exercise and soak up historical tales such as those about the 1849 cholera epidemic or the home lives of workers at the local glass factories and steel mills.

Staffed by former collegiate and professional baseball and softball standouts, All-American Baseball Center helps students dominate the diamond with expert instruction and three state-of-the-art practice facilities. At Baseball University, players from age 8 to the college level hone their hitting and fielding skills through a comprehensive curriculum of courses—such as Hitting 101 and 102—comprising four one-hour clinic sessions that players must complete before advancing to the next class. With more than 52,000 square feet in combined space, the center's two indoor locations provide ample space for independent practice sessions with batting cages, practice fields, bullpens, and facilities for weightlifting and speed and agility training. The North Campus features an indoor regulation infield for live-action baseball and softball games, which are also held at Sardis Park, a four-field outdoor complex occasionally visited by the ghosts of legendary cornstalks.

The Monroeville Home Show occupies the Monroeville Convention Center with the comfortable clatter of home-improvement projects and the soft hush of leaves rustling in a range of gardening exhibits. A door opens wide to reveal the interior of a Riverview Homes model house, beckoning show-goers to explore its gussied-up interior and take note of how many fireman poles a normal domicile has. Flora sprouts around the Phipps Conservatory gardening stage, where seasoned green thumbs demonstrate a variety of techniques, and a multitude of exhibition booths dispense helpful tips, showcase products, and expound upon domestic tips for the spring season.

The friendly experts at Willi's Ski and Snowboard Shop sling the latest in contemporary snow-sport products and maintain slope-traversing gear, earning themselves a Gold Medal Award from Ski magazine. Boot technicians help guests hunt down the precise fit for their boots, and maintenance wizards use top-notch Wintersteiger tuning machines to ensure that skis and snowboards retain their integrity during outings or unexpected ice ages.

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 Pittsburgh Tour Company's guides cart guests around on classic red double-decker buses straight out of London. These experienced guides divulge interesting factoids along the tour's 21 stops, which include a fish market, Heinz Field, and the city’s depository of old chewing gum that has been scraped off school desks. The company's fleet of four buses offers up the chance to view the city from the second story of closed or open bus tops.