Family Weekend

• 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Early On-Site Check In, WPU Lower Lounge. Students can check their families in early before your arrival to campus to receive your welcome bags, and housing access wristbands.

• 4 p.m. - 8 p.m., Early On-Site Check In, WPU Lower Lounge. Students can check their families in early before your arrival to campus to receive your welcome bags, and housing access wristbands.

• 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Early On-Site Check In, WPU Lower Lounge. Students can check their families in early before your arrival to campus to receive your welcome bags, and housing access wristbands.

• 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Early On-Site Check In, WPU Lower Lounge. Students can check their families in early before your arrival to campus to receive your welcome bags, and housing access wristbands.

• 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Library Lounge: Coffee and Conversation, Carnegie Library of Oakland. Join the Carnegie Library for a fun and engaging social program!

• 11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m., School of Pharmacy Family Weekend Open House, Salk Hall. Come visit the School of Pharmacy and learn more about our PharmD program! Families will be able to meet Dean Amy Seybert, talk with current students, and tour Salk Hall. Traveling Tom's Coffee Truck will be onsite to provide refreshments. Please Register Here!

• Noon - 5 p.m., On-Site Check In, WPU Lower Lounge. Families can check in to receive their welcome bags, and housing access wristbands.

• Noon - 5 p.m., Family Lounge, WPU Lower Lounge. Take a break from your travels and check out the family lounge to enjoy snacks and relaxation.

• 1 p.m. - 4 p.m., Family Photos, Millenium Panther outside of the William Pitt Union. Stop by the Millenium Panther outside of the William Pitt Union with your family and say cheese! Family Weekend volunteers will be there to snap your photo with your cell phone.

• 3 p.m., Hillman Library Tour, Hillman Library. See your child's home away from home, Hillman Library! Get a guided tour of the newly renovated Hillman Library. See 3D printing, scanning, and virtual reality in our OpenLab, get hands-on with a working 19th century printing press, and explore unique materials from August Wilson, George Romero, and others on our large-scale digital interactive media wall. Can't attend the guided tour but still interested? Stop at the Donald S. Wood Service Desk on the Ground Floor any time during the weekend and pick up a self-guided tour Passport to lead the way! Please Register Here!

• 4 p.m. - 5 p.m., Explore Oakland, Meeting spot TBA. Join the Pitt Office of Engagement and Community Affairs and Oakland neighborhood partners to learn more about the Oakland community, local history and neighborhood assets and resources. Whether you want to learn more about your Pitt home, understand the off-campus environment, or just connect with your neighbors and local institutions, this event can help you explore!

• 4 p.m. - 6 p.m., David C. Frederick Family & Advocate Open House, Cathedral of Learning 35th Floor. Celebrate Pitt and Frederick family pride from the top of the Cathedral of Learning with us! Frederick Honors College students along with their visiting families and advocates are invited to join us for food and refreshments, explore our beautiful views, and meet with Frederick Honors staff and student ambassadors. Students and famlies who plan to attend must RSVP. Review available slots and RSVP here.

• 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Hillel at Pitt Family Weekend Shabbat, Hillel JUC Building, 4607 Forbes Avenue. We look forward to see you and your student! Please let us know which events you will be attending at Hillel Jewish University Center (Hillel JUC) by using our registraiton link. Here is the Shabbat schedule - 5 p.m. Reception, 5:45 p.m. Shabbat Services, 6:30 p.m. Shabbat Dinner. Please Register Here!

• 5 p.m. - 7 p.m., Lawn Games with Fraternity and Sorority Life, The Quad Outdoor Space. Unwind after a busy Family Weekend day with an evening of lawn games hosted by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life! Gather your family and friends for friendly competition, laughter, and a chance to connect with members of our fraternity and sorority community under the evening sky. It’s a relaxed, come-and-go event that’s perfect for all ages. Please Register Here!

• 6 p.m. - 7:15 p.m., Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment Informational, O'Hara Student Center Dining Room. Is your student interested in joining a sorority this spring? Join the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life for an overview of the Panhellenic recruitment process. We’ll walk you through how recruitment works, what your student can expect, and ways you can best support them throughout the experience. This session is a great opportunity to ask questions and learn more about what sorority life has to offer at Pitt. 

• * 6 p.m - 8 p.m., Welcome Reception, Cathedral of Learning Commons Room. Join us for the official kickoff to Pitt Family Weekend 2025! Enjoy time with other families, students, and staff from around campus. Student Affairs administrators and staff will be at the reception to welcome you to campus and answer your questions about campus life. Light refreshments will be served. Due to the large numbers of anticipated visiting Pitt families, we may have to pause entry to the Commons Room if capacity is reached and will allow additional entry once people have departed.

• 7 p.m., Pitt Women's Volleyball vs. Clemson, Fitzgerald Field House. Let's go Pitt! Cheer on Pitt Women's Volleyball as they take on Clemson. Purchase single game tickets here!

• * 8 p.m. - 11 p.m., Late Night Family Fun, WPU Assembly Room, Ballroom, and Kurtzman Room. Join us for some late night family fun! Choose your own adventure and select from mini golf, silent disco, or paint Pitt themed rock art! Even better, try out all three options throughout the evening. Insider tip - this is a great event to meet your students roommates families and have a chat while enjoying a fun activity.

• 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., Swanson School of Engineering Family Breakfast and Meet and Greet, Benedum Hall. Pitt Families are important members of the Swanson School of Engineering community. We hope you will join us on Saturday morning in Benedum Hall! You will hear from Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Mary Besterfield-Sacre, PhD, and have the opportunity to ask questions of Engineering academic advisors. Coffee and light refreshments will be served, we'll be giving away Swanson swag, and tours of Benedum Hall from Swanson Ambassadors will be available after the discussion. Questions? Please contact Liz Ward, liz.ward@pitt.edu or 412-389-1394. Please Register Here!

• 9 a.m. - 11 a.m., On-Site Check In, WPU Lower Lounge. Families can check in to receive their welcome bags, and housing access wristbands.

• Time TBA, Pitt Family Tailgate (ticket holders only), The Great Lawn outside of Acrisure Stadium. Ticketed tailgate will take place 3 hours prior to kick off.

• Time TBA, Pitt vs. Boston College Football Game, Acrisure Stadium. Game time will be announced closer to gameday. Let's go Pitt!

• * 9 a.m. - 11 a.m., Farewell Grab and Go Brunch, WPU Assembly Room. Breakfast is on us. Grab and go breakfast options will be provided to fuel your trip home and ease your goodbyes from campus.

• 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Neighborhood Flea, Schenley Plaza. 

• Noon, Pitt Women's Volleyball vs. Georgia Tech, Fitzgerald Field House. Let's go Pitt! Cheer on Pitt Women's Volleyball as they take on Georgia Tech. Purchase single game tickets here!

• 1 p.m., Pitt Softball vs. Glenville State, Vartabedian Field. Let's go Pitt! Cheer on Pitt Softball as they take on Glenville State. All games played at Vartabedian Field are free and open to the public. Learn more here!

• 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., Les is More 894 presents Embriodery 101, Carnegie Library of Oakland. Create one-of-a-kind embriodered wall art using sustainable materials. Attendees will learn about the history of embriodery, six kinds of stitches, and much more.

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Friday, October 3

Harris Theater- Downtown Pittsburgh

Cheap Seats Tickets at $10.00

Ning Tsai-Shen, a humble tax collector, arrives in a small town to carry out his work. Unsurprisingly, no-one is willing to give him shelter for the night, so he ends up spending the night in the haunted Lan Ro temple. There, he meets Taoist Swordsman Yen Che-Hsia, who warns him to stay out of trouble, and the beautiful Nieh Hsiao-Tsing, with whom he falls in love. Unfortunately, Hsiao-Tsing is a ghost, bound for all eternity by a hideous tree spirit with an incredibly long tongue that wraps itself round its victims and sucks out their life essence (or ‘yang element’).

Pittsburgh Public Theater

Friday, October 3-Sunday, October 5

O’Reilly Theater- Downtown Pittsburgh

Cheap Seats Tickets from $20.75

Regarded as the ultimate theatrical farce, Noises Off is a riotous rollercoaster of slamming doors, romantic entanglements, and slapstick chaos. Behind the scenes of a disastrous play-within-a-play, a troupe of hapless thespians struggle to bring their production to life. As their rehearsals descend into comedic catastrophe, the actors, director, and stage manager learn the hilarious and hard way what happens when everything that can go wrong does. This uproarious journey will leave you laughing until the final curtain.

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Friday, October 3

Byham Theater- Downtown Pittsburgh

Cheap Seats Tickets from $24.25

Tony Award-winning star of stage and screen John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus, How to Talk to Girls At Parties), one of alt-culture’s boldest creators brings the glam phenom to life in a one-of-a-kind evening of songs and stories spanning the oeuvre of rock idol David Bowie. Featuring international cabaret star Amber Martin with music direction by Matt Katz-Bowen (Blondie, Princess).

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Friday, October 3 and Saturday, October 4

Harris Theater- Downtown Pittsburgh

Cheap Seats Tickets at $10.00

Mob assassin Jeffrey (Chow Yun-Fat) is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie (Sally Yeh) is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim’s sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman (Danny Lee) to make things right.

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Sunday, October 5

Liberty Magic- Downtown Pittsburgh

Cheap Seats Tickets from $17.25

Forget everything you know about magicians pulling rabbits out of top hats. Mr. Messado brings a fresh new take on the age-old art of prestidigitation. Mr. Messado’s Magic School for the Young and Young at Heart will have both teens AND adults amazed from start to finish! This 60-minute spectacular, featuring a combination of stunning magic and clean comedy, is full of interactive wonder with every member of your party actively participating throughout the show.

* Students who present a valid Pittsburgh campus ID have free admission to the following Museums.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

• 1 Schenley Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (Oakland)
• https://www.phipps.conservatory.org/
• General admission costs are as follows:
• Adults: $22.95
• Seniors (62): $20.95
• Children (2-18): $13.95

Mattress Factory

• 509 Jacksonia St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 (North Side)
• https://mattress.org/
• General admission costs are as follows:
• Adults: $22
• Seniors: $20
• Other Students: $17

Senator John Heinz History Center/ Fort Pitt

• 1212 Smallman St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (Strip District)
• https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/
• General admission costs are as follows:
• Adults: $20
• Seniors (65+): $18
• Children (17 and younger): Free

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall

• 4141 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (Oakland)
• https://www.soldiersandsailorshall.org/
• General admission costs are as follows:
• Adults: $15
• Seniors (55+): $10
• Children (17 and younger):  $5

Andy Warhol Museum

• 117 Sandusky St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 (North Shore)
• https://www.warhol.org/
• General admission costs are as follows:
• Adults: $25
• Seniors (65+): $13
• Children (4-17): $13
• Children (3 and under): Free

Carnegie Musuem of Natural History

• 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (Oakland)
• https://carnegiemnh.org/
• General admission costs are as follows:
• Adults: $25
• Seniors (65+): $20
• Children (3-17): $15
• Children (2 and under): Free
• In the galleries, nothing is permitted to be carried on one’s back, including backpacks, drawstring bags, and purses. Please leave umbrellas, briefcases, backpacks, and large bags at home. Only pencils, paper, notebooks and sketchbooks are permitted in the galleries; please do not bring pens, paints, or inks.

Carnegie Science Center

• 1 Allegheny Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 (North Shore)
• https://carnegiesciencecenter.org/
• General admission costs are as follows:
• Adults: $25
• Seniors (65+): $20
• Children (3-12): $15
• Children (2 and under): Free
• All tickets offered will be for timed entry every 30 minutes. 

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

October 3-5

Heinz Hall

https://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/

Tickets from $32-125

Hit the Las Vegas strip of the 1950’s, where the biggest names in show biz had sway and a well-poured martini was never far away. From Sinatra and the Rat Pack to Louis Prima and Bobby Darin, the young, soulful crooner Paul Loren takes you on a musical journey through The Great American Songbook and highlights some of the most iconic voices of all time along the way.

1049 Penn Ave, Downtown Pittsburgh, PA 15222

https://www.walktheburgh.com/

Adults: $29

Children (6-13): $16

Children (5 and under): Free

Come join and explore the heart of Downtown on foot with us, in a small group setting and with a local expert guide. Walk by and into must-see cultural and historical landmarks as well as iconic buildings! Discover beautiful squares and fascinating pieces of public art! We will highlight the Best of our Burgh but also point out unseen details and hidden gems. Please book in advance: Cut-off time for most tours is 9 p.m. the evening before. This walk will be from 1.5 to 2 hours long. Shorter tours are available.

700 Arch Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 (North Shore)

https://www.aviary.org/

Adults: $19.95
Guests ages 60+: $17.95
Children (ages 2-12): $16.95
Children under 2: Free

The National Aviary is America’s only independent indoor nonprofit zoo dedicated to birds. Located in Allegheny Commons Park on Pittsburgh’s historic Northside, the National Aviary is home to more than 500 birds representing more than 150 species from around the world, many of them threatened or endangered in the wild. The National Aviary’s large walk-through habitats create an experience unlike any other—an intimate, up-close interaction between visitors and free-flying birds, including opportunities to hand-feed and meet many species rarely found in zoos anywhere else in the world.

Friday, October 3

The Petersen Events Center

3719 Terrace St, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (Oakland)

https://www.peterseneventscenter.com/events/detail/lorde

Tickets from $138.00

Lorde returns to Pittsburgh with the highly anticipated Ultrasound Tour.

Saturday, October 4

Velum Fermentation

2120 Jane St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (South Side)

https://pittsburghsriversoffire.com/

Tickets from $15

Pittsburgh's first ever hot sauce festival! It will be at Velum Fermentation in the South Side of Pittsburgh! This event includes many local and not-so-local small batch craft hot sauce makers, plenty of food & drink, a hot pepper eating contest hosted by Johnny Scoville, and our version of “Hot Ones” where a local podcast will conduct the interview. Every Yinzer who loves hot sauce (or just great flavor!) will want to be there!

Friday, October 3- Sunday, October 5

The Frick Pittsburgh

7227 Reynolds St., Pittsburgh, PA 15208 (Point Breeze)

Free and open for all

Explore abstract sculptures by Pittsburgh-based artist Atticus Adams in "Catching Sunbeams from the Porch Swing of Wisteria Castle." Adams’ artworks — most made from metal mesh and wire — hang from the windows and ceilings of The Frick Pittsburgh's historic greenhouse, adding a whimsical touch to the vibrant, flora-filled oasis. The exhibition includes works never before seen as well as a site-specific sculpture inspired by the Frick’s history, collections, and founder, Helen Clay Frick.

Friday, October 3- Sunday, October 5

Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium

7370 Baker St, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 (Highland Park)

https://www.pittsburghzoo.org/event/jack-olantern-extravaganza/ 

Adults from $26

Children from $20

Oh, my gourdness - it’s autumn! That means everything is coming up pumpkins at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium! The Jack O’Lantern Extravaganza is the perfect combination of nighttime fun, the autumn spirit, and truly organic artistry as thousands of glowing skillfully carved pumpkins ignite the night. The walk-through family event features themed areas that showcase gourd-geous designs including Zoo animals, familiar characters and scenes, and beloved Pittsburgh icons.