Theme & Amusement Parks in Pittsburgh

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.

Taking control of a battleship can make you work up a mighty appetite. Luckily, there's a food cart located just outside this ship's walls. At E2 Toys2Try, LLC there are plenty of eco-friendly, lead-free toys and play stations to gallop to and from. The space abounds with baubles that run only on imaginations instead of batteries or vengeful, displaced souls. Along with the battleship and food cart, there's a rope tree, pedal truck, old-fashioned gas pump, and wooden kitchen. The playground's team stretches kids' imaginations further by engaging them in arts activities, which parents can watch from the cozy confines of a lounge replete with complimentary tea or coffee and free WiFi. Next to the playground, staffers stock a boutique toy shop's shelves with wooden and nonmechanized playthings from brands such as Edex, Haba Toys, and PlanToys.

Since 1952, North Park Batting Range has facilitated outdoor baseball training on its open-air range. In each of 10 open-air baseball cages, automated pitching machines fire balls into the strike zone at 30–80 miles per hour. Five open-air softball cages loft pitches at various speeds for batters training for slow-pitch or fast-pitch leagues. On the 18-hole, par 40 miniature golf course, family-owned and operated since 1961, flourishing shrubs, sharp corners, water hazards, hills, and windmills create obstructions for golfers.

Amid gurgling fountains and pouring waterfalls, Red Carpet Golf and Recreation Center’s course challenge putting visitors with individual obstacles. The course winds beneath wooden bridges and up stone tiers, the breadth of the greens completely visible from their highest vistas. The golf center also fields a spacious driving range surrounded by verdant trees, allowing golfers to practice driving for distance on the distance markers or for accuracy by gently landing the ball in a bird’s nest. Red Carpet Miniature Golf also entertains patrons post-putt with a deck available for party rental and a banquet hall that accommodates up to 70 people.