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The Waterfront: Your Destination for Early Riser Family Adventures

Shop, dine, and play all in one place—perfect for families year-round!

By K.D. Meucci November 25, 2024

Are your kids early risers? Mine, too! Mornings are my favorite because most people haven't made their way out into the world yet, and we avoid the crowds. Check out our latest family fun day trip to The Waterfront in Homestead, PA, where we started bright and early! Maybe it's something you'll set out to do with your little morning people. I’m including teachable moments throughout the days and a printable itinerary at the bottom of this article for you if you’d like to recreate this day of fun in Pittsburgh!


This writer was graciously hosted by the Waterfront, but all experiences and opinions are her own.


Our morning adventure at The Waterfront included food, fun, play, and a bit of history.  Did you know The Waterfront is steeping with Pittsburgh steel history? The Waterfront has a map you can use that takes people through the Town Center, the trail, and some of the historical sites. Before you head out, we suggest you download and print this map to help navigate your day!


Click on the map to download the complete PDF.

To start our day at 8 am, we wanted to fuel up at Panera Bread. I had no idea that Panera had such an elaborate selection of breakfast sandwiches!   We grabbed bagels, breakfast sandwiches, and coffee at Panera, and I took advantage of the moment over breakfast to look over the map with the kids, checking out our first leg of adventures at the Waterfront.



Helping kids navigate the map and planning which stops they want to make during the day. Think of this as a scavenger hunt. Let them lead and make choices about the order of the steps. 

Did you know Panera Bread has a wide selection of pastries & breakfast sandwiches too?


Having kids place the order themselves builds life skills and confidence.


We settled in with our delicious breakfast to review the map and plan our morning.

Right outside of Panera is The Waterfront Town Square.  While I was relaxing and enjoying my coffee, the kids spent their morning playing hopscotch and giant Connect Four, exploring the Christmas decorations, and creating music!  Then I had my kids climb up the big Adirondack chair for a photo opp.



Take some time to stop and read the various information boards scattered throughout the Waterfront Town Square to learn about the rich history of the area. 

Learning about the Waterfront History in Town Square.


Holiday photo opps!







After some free play in Town Center, we piled in the car to drive to the spots on the map.  If it were summer, I could easily see us walking the sidewalks and paths all around The Waterfront. My kids were excited to hold the map and help me (and my GPS, shhhhh 🙂) navigate to the closest landmark, Dinkey Engine.  Of course, we had to jump out for a picture.


Kids checking out Dinkey Engine - The narrow gauge engine was used for intramodal transportation within the mill site, often pulling loads of ingot molds. 

Next, they directed me to the Kling Car.  



Use the printed map to help your kids navigate to each landmark that they identified earlier they wanted to visit. 

This car was used to carry molten iron from one part of the mill to another for processing. 

Before seeing more Pittsburgh history at the Pump House, we stopped at this small playground that's great for smaller kids.  It's located at 647 E Waterfront Dr, Munhall, PA 15120.


This small playground at the Waterfront is located at 647 E Waterfront Dr, Munhall, PA 15120.


Just down the road is the Pump House, a good stop for more Pittsburgh history, located at 880 E Waterfront Dr, Munhall, PA 15120. We walked around the 1892 Battle of Homestead Site and the Rivers of Steel Pump House and Water Tower. It's not open on the weekends, so we enjoyed the outside and took in a nice view of the river, readable history boards, and a public restroom. The leaves were beautiful this time of year and this open space made for a good photo spot.



Explore Waterfront History. Have an older child read the signs out loud. 



The Pump House was a focal point in the 1892 Battle of Homestead, the most significant event in American labor history. The restored building, which still holds remnants of the original pumping mechanisms, is used for educational programs, tours, and events from April - October. It's also owned, operated, and maintained by Rivers of Steel.

Urban Air Adventure Park opened at 11 am, and by that time, we were ready for some indoor fun, so we went there to let the kids jump their energy out. This Urban Air is different from the other ones I've been to, with Spin Zone Bumper Cars, Flip Zone Bumper Cars, and a large Ropes Course. My kids had a great time exploring all the attractions.  We jumped and jumped and FLEW.






Once the kids were done with Urban Air, we cooled down with a walk to check out some of the shops nearby.  Do you have a Pokémon obsessed kid, like me?  A few shops down from Urban Air is a shop called New Dimensions Comics that offers hundreds of comic books.  We walked into this enormous store and explored all the cool things for sale.  Then, my 9-year-old dude bought a few packs of Pokémon cards and took them up to the loft where they had tables so he could sit and open them.  He was in heaven!  



Just down from New Dimensions Comics is TJ Maxx where you can shop for the entire family.  You never know what you'll find at TJ Maxx!




By 1pm we were famished and ready for lunch.  There are so many dining options at The Waterfront, but we chose to head to PF Chang's. On our way, we checked another landmark off our Waterfront map by stopping at the Venting Stacks. 



The line of stacks at The Waterfront serves as a monument to the city’s industrial past, a symbol of the steel mills that once defined its economy.

PF Chang's had a cute little kids' menu with drinks and a bowl of ice cream.  Mila was thrilled to see a California roll on the kid's menu.  Mario ordered the teriyaki chicken and said it should be on the cover of a magazine, ha!



I love this video of Pittsburgh, created by Carnegie Mellon University; I show it to my fourth graders and I highly recommend playing it for your kids during this downtime at lunch.




After our bellies were full, we went back out to the surrounding shops to get some Christmas shopping done.  Of course, we had to stop by Mila's favorite store, Claire's.  There are over 70 stores in the open air shopping center, plus many restaurants and entertainment options. The Waterfront is truly a one-stop destination to shop, dine, eat, and play!







On our way home we did a recap of our adventures, talking about the fun we had. Mario's favorite part of the day was playing dodgeball at Urban Air (with getting hit in the face with a ball as his least favorite part) and he found playing the instruments in Town Square as his wildest part. Mila's favorite part was getting to do some shopping at Claire's, with her only down being the torturous wait for her brother to open his Pokemon cards, prolonging her own shopping journey. For me, aside from the kids waking me up at 6:30 am to start our adventure, I enjoyed it all, but there was something special in the moment I had swinging next to my kiddos on the swings. 



On the way home, remember to ask every member of your group to report:

  • What was the best part of your day?
  • What was the worst part of your day?
  • What was the wildest part of your day?

Check out everything else the Waterfront has to offer at www.waterfrontpgh.com.





Want to enjoy a similar day of Family Fun at the Waterfront? Download a FREE Printable Itinerary HERE!



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