There is no shortage of things to do in Pittsburg Kansas. Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, Kansas, close to the Missouri border.
It was founded in 1876 as a zinc and coal mining town and railroad hub, and it was called after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Aside from strip coal mining, it has big plants that manufacture coal preparation equipment and ammonium nitrate.
The surrounding terrain bears witness to decades of mining, which left grooves that evolved into narrow lakes surrounded by wooded ridges.
Make time to visit downtown Pittsburg, which has a friendly blend of shops, coffee shops, restaurants, and cultural centers.
Pittsburg State University, which has a competitive football team and a modern performing arts center for big concerts, musicals, and theater shows, also contributes to the city’s cultural and sports scenery.
In this blog post, I’ll explore some of the best fun things to do in Pittsburg Kansas.
Things to Do in Pittsburg Kansas
Visit Crawford County Historical Museum
The Crawford County Historical Museum is located in Robinson.
It is housed in the former Robinson Post Office building which was built in 1916.
The museum features exhibit on local history including agriculture, industry, military history, and notable residents of Crawford County.
Some of the museum’s highlights include a collection of Native American artifacts, an exhibit on the county’s coal mining industry, and a re-creation of a 1920s general store.
A one-room schoolhouse, grocery shop, turn-of-the-century bedroom, and old-fashioned entertainment are all featured.
View an old train caboose, a trapper’s cabin, and two antique fire engines.
A popular exhibit honors one of the best archers of all time, Fred Bear.
On the site is also a military museum.
Mining artifacts, vintage clothing, tools for farming, horse-drawn automobiles, printing equipment, a Spanish cannon from 1906, and vintage motor vehicles, including a 1938 Peter Pirsch Aerial Fire Truck that served Pittsburg, are among the items on display.
Indeed, there are a lot of new things you can learn and this museum should be among the top things to do in Pittsburg Kansas.
Physical Address: 651 US-69, Pittsburg, KS 66762, United States
Catch a Show at Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium
The Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium, a real-scale downtown landmark, is a regional events venue with a 1,600-capacity auditorium on the upper floor and a flexible conference center below.
The building, designed in a rare Egyptian Revival form, was completed in 1925 as the Mirza Shriners temple.
Within 20 years, the city had bought the temple and converted it into an event venue.
MACC’s exhibition space has a 10,207-square-foot event center.
It can also provide up to eight meeting areas for breakout rooms.
The venue holds a variety of conventions, exhibitions, consumer shows, private celebrations, wedding receptions, and social gatherings.
The Pittsburg Memorial Auditorium and Convention Center is one of the area’s most convenient convention facilities.
This one-of-a-kind facility, constructed in 1925, has one of the state’s largest stages.
The auditorium is a more traditional and elegant location for concerts, plays, big assemblies, and other events.
The stage is roughly 5000 square feet in size.
Physical address: 503 N. Pine St. Pittsburg, KS 66762 United States
Visit Downtown Pittsburg
Downtown Pittsburg has over 80 stores and storefronts, including many distinctive and local favorites.
It is also a famous location for events such as Little Balkans Days, SEK Art Fest, and the Pittsburg Art Walk.
Visitors to Downtown Pittsburg can enjoy exploring the many specialty shops that line the streets.
From clothing boutiques to gift shops and antique stores, there is something for everyone.
The district also hosts a weekly farmers market during the summer months, providing fresh produce and homemade goods from local vendors.
Foodies will delight in the diverse selection of restaurants available in Downtown Pittsburg.
The variety of restaurants is also unusual, ranging from crepes to breakfast food, BBQ, pub grub, Mexican, and traditional American diner fare.
Pittsburg’s cultural scene is vibrant not only because of the Memorial Auditorium, but also because of the beautiful Colonial Fox Theater (1920), which is undergoing a long-term reconstruction.
The Pittsburg Artwalk, which takes place in April and September, has been a huge boost for the city’s artists.
Have Fun at the Pittsburg Aquatic Center
Parents with children must choose their vacation locations with great care because children must be kept very busy, safe and entertained.
If you are visiting Pittsburg, Kansas with your children, you should stop by the Pittsburg Aquatic Center.
This recreational park has plenty of infrastructure to allow you to have a fantastic time alone or with a group.
The Pittsburg Aquatic Center has a big zero depth pool that people flock to, as well as two diving boards.
It also has a toddler pool, which is ideal for the family’s youngest members.
With a frog slide and fountains, this pool is ideal for keeping toddlers entertained.
Other recreational amenities at this park include a huge flume slide and a massive slide.
There is also the Lazy River, where visitors can take a relaxing ride.
The Pittsburg Aquatic Center also has a number of sand volleyball courts for those looking for some strenuous exercise without getting in the water.
If you don’t feel like getting in the water, there are plenty of grassy areas where you can sit and relax.
The park has a lot of infrastructure, such as lounge seats, lockers, a bath house, and even a concession stand.
Hanging out in this aquatic center is definitely among the top things to do in Pittsburg Kansas.
Physical address: 708 W 9th St, Pittsburg, KS 66762, United States
Visit the Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg State University is a public higher education school in Pittsburg, Kansas.
It was founded in 1903 and has a significant impact on local society, enrolling approximately 6,600 students.
The 223-acre campus is located in the south end of Pittsburg and is both beautiful and simple to navigate on foot or by bike.
The Oval, a grassy, tree-shaded space surrounded by different halls in a variety of architectural styles, is especially lovely.
Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, major recording artists, and a slew of NFL stars have all graduated from the university’s football school.
The university is among the standout attractions in the city and should definitely feature among your list of best things to do in Pittsburg Kansas.
Physical address: 1701 S. Broadway St. Pittsburg, KS 66762
Watching a Performance at Bicknell Family Center for the Arts
In December 2014, Pittsburg State University’s campus welcomed this magnificent performing arts complex.
Tens of thousands of people have attended memorable performances at the center, including national tours of Broadway shows, VIP speakers, concerts, and plays.
It hosts a number of notable public lecturers each year as part of the H. Lee Scott Lecture Series and the Women in Government Lecture Series.
Former President Bill Clinton, former First Lady Laura Bush, and others are among those on the roster.
The Bicknell Family Center for the Arts is a regional arts destination, containing the 1,000-seat Linda & Lee Scott Performance Hall and a smaller 280-seat theater.
Additionally, it has a 3,000-square-foot fine arts gallery, and a massive rehearsal hall.
The gallery’s high ceilings, flexible lighting grid, and nearly 3,500 square feet of exhibit and workspace provide fantastic prospects for both artists and visitors.
There is a scene and a costume shop on site.
Indeed, watching a show at this center of arts is among the best things to do in Pittsburg Kansas.
Physical address:1711 South Homer Street Pittsburg, KS 66762
Watch a Baseball Game at Jaycee Ballpark
Jaycee Ballpark is a popular sports venue located in Pittsburg, Kansas.
One of the region’s best baseball stadiums is the historic Jaycee Ballpark.
Today’s players and fans rarely get to experience the charm and intimacy that its atmosphere offers.
It harkens back to the sentimental days of baseball’s past.
The historic park was built in the 1940s.
Currently, it hosts several baseball games and you can watch one or many if you’re visiting Pittsburg.
The seating area can accommodate up to 1000 spectators, with bleachers on both the first and third base lines.
The park also includes a batting cage and a concession stand, selling snacks and refreshments for spectators.
Jaycee Ballpark has been hosting to numerous local and regional baseball tournaments and leagues.
It is also used by the local high school baseball team for their home games.
Physical address: 160, Pittsburg, KS 66762
Visit the Pittsburg Farmers’ Market
The Pittsburg Farmers’ Market is a dynamic, producer-only farmers’ market that serves as a business incubator to strengthen our local economy and adds to the prosperity of local food growers and producers.
It sells fresh, locally produced produce as well as farm-processed foods.
There’s also farm-raised meat, honey, jams, preserves, baked products, plants and cut flowers, as well as handcrafted crafts and organic soaps.
Handmade crafts and home products are also available from local artisans.
For seasonal, locally produced produce, come here on Saturday mornings (mid-April through October) or Wednesday afternoons (June through mid-August).
Physical address: 201 W. 4th St. Pittsburg, KS 66762
Visit Kiddieland Amusement Park
Amusement parks have long been popular in the Kansas City region.
Kiddieland Amusement Park was a popular amusement park located in Kansas.
Kiddieland was originally opened in the 1950s and was a favorite destination for families for decades.
One of the most popular attractions in Kiddieland was the mini train ride, which took children on a scenic journey around the park.
The park had a Ferris wheel, several rides like Tilt-A-Whirl and Scrambler in addition to classic arcade games.
The park was known for its colorful and playful atmosphere, with bright colors and fun characters featured throughout.
Visitors could also enjoy tasty treats like cotton candy, snow cones, and popcorn.
Unfortunately, Kiddieland Amusement Park closed permanently in 2004, leaving behind many memories for generations of visitors.
Kiddieland is open Tuesday through Sunday from June to mid-August, and on weekends in May, late August, and September.
Having fun at this park is definitely among the best things to do in Pittsburg Kansas.
Physical address:801 Memorial Dr, Pittsburg, KS 66762, United States
Visit Mined Land Wildlife Area
The Mined Land Wildlife Area is an example of regeneration of habitat in a landscape that had previously suffered irreversible environmental harm.
For decades, strip-mining corporations dug pits and ditches in this part of the Cherokee Lowlands area to reach and extract coal from underground beds.
Due to the fact that they were not obliged by law to restore the landscape until 1969, the abandoned excavations filled with water, and thousands of strip-mined lakes dot the surrounding area.
This area is now managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism.
It consists of several unconnected tracts of land in Cherokee and Crawford counties comprising 14,500 acres.
There are approximately 1,500 acres of public water.
Fish such as largemouth bass, rainbow trout, walleye, and channel catfish are stocked in over 200 of the waterways.
All lakes enable canoeing, but motorized boats are only permitted for fishing and hunting.
Swimming is not permitted.
The area’s native grassland, woody shrubs, oak-hickory forests, and wetlands provide a varied habitat for many kinds of animals.
Raccoons, muskrats, bobcats, beavers, mink, fox, migratory ducks and geese, deer, turkey, and coyotes are among the animals that live here.
A small herd of bison is kept in the northeast area.
Visiting this unique habitat is definitely among the best things to do in Pittsburg Kansas.
Physical address: 7545 NW Belleview Rd Columbus, KS 66725
Visit Wilderness Park
The Casaletto family gave Wilderness Park to the City of Pittsburg.
This was done for its conservation of a varied ecosystem.
Its mission is to become a recreational and cultural resource for the broader Southeast Kansas area.
The trails cover over 4 miles and pass through a varied natural environment that includes wetlands, forested areas, grasslands, and a part of the Cow Creek tributary system.
There are four old pits that now make excellent fishing sites, though the abundance of standing water means that you should avoid visiting in late summer due to the mosquitos.
Park rules include: no alcoholic beverages, no motorized vehicles, no horses, no open burning, no hunting or trapping, and all Kansas fishing laws must be followed.
Physical address: 907 W McKay St, Frontenac, KS 66763, USA
Final Thoughts on Things to Do in Pittsburg Kansas
If you’re looking for things to do in Pittsburg Kansas, then you’ll be spoilt for choice.
This amazing city offers a wide array of activities to choose from.
From visiting museums to relaxing at the different parks within the city, there is always something to keep you entertained.
So, why don’t you book your trip and head over to Pittsburg for some amazing time?