National Aviary

Address:	700 Arch St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USA
Phone:	+1 412-323-7235
Site:	aviary.org
Rating:	4.6
Working:	10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 9

Charlie Goin

Very nice medium-sized museum and zoo. Despite being in the middle of the city, on the day that I visited it was very quiet, with only a few other people wandering around. That turned out to be really nice, because I could take my time to see all the different birds and read about the exhibits without feeling rushed or crowded in. I especially liked the indoor atrium with the free-roaming tropical birds. The little herons there were pretty funny, and let me get close to them to take their pictures. Being an art student, I wish I had brought my sketchbook with me, as all of the birds seemed quite comfortable posing for the visitors. Id recommend this zoo to students, families with older children, or anyone interested in learning more about birds, particularly species native to North America. While there were some kid-friendly areas by the food court and outside, I imagine young children under the age of 10 might get bored after the first few exhibits. Though from what I understand, the Aviary does have scheduled kids events regularly, just not on the day that I was there.

Peter Sabol

Great place! There are so many cool birds in open settings. The staff is helpful, informative and plentiful. I especially enjoy the interactive feedings. Id recommend getting an all day pass. For 20$, youll spend ~4 hours there and get to see the live theater show (where you might learn something) and do the lorikeet feeding (note: get there a bit early and it can get loud). If you only want to get regular admission, that is cool too but I think the live show and lorikeet feeding should be done at least once. Both are very immersive. Def check out the penguin feeding, the sea eagles, and the crazy bro-mance between a big pheasant and a little white lapwing in the rainforest area - a staff member informed me of this. Also look for staff roaming the halls with owls and hawks too. If you are looking to spend a few hours downtown in Pittsburgh, you cant go wrong with the Aviary! P.S. You may get pooped on, but it is good luck ;)

plj0074

I really like this place! I have a membership and I visit several times a year to get photos of the birds and to see whats new. They have many species on display as well as two sloths! The staff is very friendly and willing to answer questions about the birds or the facility in general. Also, they have a number of feeding sessions that are, at minimum, viewable to the public and, at most, the public have the option of participating in! The only reason I didnt give five stars is because of the size of the facility. Its pretty small and a casual visitor not interested in standing and observing for extended periods of time can make it through in under an hour. Luckily, the National Aviary sits in West Park, so theres an opportunity for a stroll through the park or to take the kids to a playground nearby if youre looking for a little more to do without driving.

Benjamin Thompson

Though the price of entry was a little bit steep, I was greatly impressed with the aviary. The building and the birds were obviously well taken care of. I was also informed by my sister that part of the ticket price goes to helping bird conservation throughout the area, so I feel better about paying a premium to enter the grounds. I also thought that all of the chances that the guests had to interact with animals was great. When we got there, one of the employees was walking around with an owl on his arm, telling us about this creature and fielding questions. A little while later, we went into Wetlands section and were able to participate in the feeding of the birds while another handler explained about the eating habits of these animals. If the price isnt a factor for you, then the National Aviary is a wonderful place to take the family.

john wilkes

Wonderful. Id been past this place many times on the way to the Mattress Factory (one of my Pittsburgh favorites), but never stopped in until today. Although it might seem a fairly small place, there was enough going on for me to occupy 3 hours very happily. Im not a "bird watcher", but I was captivated by the ability to get up close to a wide variety of exotic species - for example, being less than a foot away from brightly-colored Australian finches; about 18" from a penguin grooming herself; having an Inca Tern on the wing snatch a small grub from my fingers; and having three Lories perched on my hand eating out of a cup of nectar. I didnt go to any of the paid shows, but did enjoy the free "feeding shows" a lot. The student volunteers are friendly, the staff helpful and knowledgeable. Well worth a visit.

Amber Bracken

The aviary is great for all ages, educational, and fun! There are plenty of free feedings in various rooms where the staff educate visitors on the bird species. You can even volunteer to feed the birds in the wetlands room (they usually pick kids for this). The birds are free roaming in their respective rooms and if you happen to get pooped on, you get a special pin! There are also plenty of extra shows you can attend for affordable prices. You can feed Lorikeets for only $3 and the birds land on your arms while you hold a bowl of nectar. You can get through all the exhibits quickly if you choose, but between the regular (free) feedings, extra shows, cafe, and just soaking in all the sounds and sights of the aviary, you could easily spend the whole day here as well!

Cherise Rossmiller

I was surprised and saddened by the lack of compassion from the Pittsburgh National Aviary today. When I asked to speak to the manager because the sensors on the handicap doors were not working I got "oh well, we dont know when they will be fixed" response with major attitude for bringing it to their attention. It was almost impossible to navigate my 2year old wheelchair bound son through the exhibits. As we tried to enter and exit the exhibit rooms.. we constantly got stuck in the doorway with a crowd of people behind us waiting and watching us struggle. We left early.. and I left my name and number asking a manger to please call me. I plan to return during the week when maybe less crowded and hope someone calls from the Aviary to help redeem their reputation.

Deborah Israel

We had a great time with our toddler grandson! We explored seven, climate-specific "rooms" that featured exotic birds both up close and from a comfortable distance. We watched and participated in a handful of feedings that thrilled him. Took in a live "inflight" exhibition that included a dozen or so birds, from tiny burrowing owls, to falcons, eagles, and macaws. He really enjoyed leading us through the Aviarys winding paths and boardwalks. We kept coming back to the nursery to watch through the window as an egg in an incubator showed signs of life and the furry baby eagle owls stumbled blindly in their nest. I give this place 5 stars in spite of my warning not to eat at the cafe. There are plenty of other eateries nearby.

Mandip Goswami

A wonderful experience with some amazing birds. It isnt the biggest aviary in the world but they have some truly terrific bird species in a small area. The best part is that most of the birds (except the eagles and owls of course !) are in the open so you can see them up close. The birds arent shy either so it turned out to be great for close up bird photography . We were able to attend the penguin feeding session and some of those birds were really cool. They also have a sloth which totally lives up to its reputation for being lazy ! My favorite part was watching the beautiful flamingoes play in the water from literally 2 meters away ! The aviary can be covered in good detail in less than a couple of hours.