Last week, during Grant's birthday week, our family enjoyed a mini staycation. Grant took three days off, and we decided to take advantage of all the fun things Pittsburgh has to offer! One of the things on our agenda was to visit The National Aviary!
I think the last time we visited The National Aviary was when Dylan was the same age as Coen! Our family has a lot going on with a teenager, tween, (almost) 8 year old, a child who has Down syndrome, and a new baby, but it doesn't stop us from going places and having fun. We just learned to avoid jam-packed itineraries, and stick with short trips. It keeps everyone happy, and we're able to (mostly) avoide meltdowns! The Aviary is one of Pittsburgh's gems, and it's perfect for a short family visit!
The National Aviary houses 500+ birds of many different species from around the world. The live exhibits are beautiful, and there is an abundance of information to explore. They also have fun shows to see, and a variety of bird feedings. Grant and I decided we could easily spend an entire day visiting the Aviary on our own, but there was still plenty for our kids to see and do! We had a fun afternoon getting up close and personal with over 150 unique species of birds!
As soon as we arrived, we saw the Amazing Amazon presentation. Liam was a bit perturbed, because we had to pass the penguins as we went into the theater, and all he wanted to do was stop and see them first. As soon as the first bird flew close over our heads, he perked up, pointed, and yelled bird!
The show was full of information about the amazon, and had a variety of species flying overhead, including beautiful macaws! We also got to meet a Toucan, and see an Armadillo and a sloth. Grant was chosen to volunteer during the show, and he got to hold the Toucan on his arm, and let it eat out of his hand! Pictures aren't allowed during the show, but it was a really fun experience. At the end, the girls got to hand a bird a monetary donation!
After the show, we went right over to see the penguins. Liam disappeared into the tunnels under the exhibit, and didn't come out for over 20 minutes. The kids loved all the windows in the tunnels that let them feel like they were inside the exhibit with the penguins!
This Summer at The National Aviary is the Living Dinosaurs exhibit! Liam loves dinosaurs, so we were excited to be able to see that, too. The exhibit features paleo play activities for kids, real fossils and life-like models, and a flight simulator. I would have loved to spend more time exploring that exhibit, but the kids just wanted to see all the birds!
There are so many cool species of birds at The National Aviary. I took so many pictures of the exhibits we explored, but had to narrow it down to a few favorites. We had so much fun exploring, and had to loop around the exhibits twice!
My family loved the flamingos, the macaws, and all the colorful birds flying around the rooms, but the birds below were one of our favorites. They were friendly, bold, and kept trying to escape! (Apparently they are related to pigeons!)
I had so many favorites at the Aviary, but my absolute favorite was the bats! I think I could have watched them all day! My kids got a bit grossed out watching one of the bats swing from upside down to right side up, and pee - a LOT - but I just think they are so cute and fascinating. These bats were big, and it moved much like a sloth. My family moved on, and I was still taking pictures! I mean, just look at that adorable yawn!
After a few hours of exploring, my big kids were getting hungry, Liam was tired and starting to melt down, and Coen needed to nurse, so we knew it was time to head out! We let them pick out a few treasures at the gift shop to remember our visit. (Liam chose a clucking chicken, but Lily opted for a stuffed bat that wraps around her wrist! Lexie, my sensible daughter, chose a National Aviary keychain.) On our way out, we stopped for a few minutes to check out the beautiful garden.
We had such a fun afternoon at The National Aviary in Pittsburgh! It was a memorable "staycation" day with our family, and we can't wait to go back again!
Planning a trip to Pittsburgh? Pin it for later!
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That looks like a great place to visit. It looks like Coen loved the penguins!
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