The Mattress Factory contemporary art museum in Pittsburgh's North Side is known for its large-scale installation works by international artists. It offers public programs, talks and workshops, and has an onsite gift shop and cafe.
Best and worst time to go
The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday, and on Sunday afternoons. Weekends can be busiest, particularly if a new exhibition is opening, when entry can be restricted to allocated time slots. Weekdays are quieter, and admission is half-price on Tuesdays.
Must see at the Mattress Factory
Exhibitions at the museum are always changing, so the experience is different every time you visit, but it's always worth taking a wander through the outdoor garden area for hidden sculptures and surprises. The gift shop is a treasure trove for art and design lovers, with limited-edition posters, t-shirts, screen prints and bags.
Admission to the Mattress Factory
Adult entry is $20, seniors and students are $15, and veterans $10. Children under 6 and members are free. Members of reciprocal museums elsewhere in the U.S. can also enter free by showing their membership card.
Parking and public transportation
Parking is free in the museum lot at 505 Jacksonia St, but space is limited and parking can be tricky to find on surrounding streets. From Downtown Pittsburgh, the number 13, 15 or 16 buses run every 15 minutes to Brighton Rd, just a few minutes' walk from the museum.
Food at the Mattress Factory
The MF cafe is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 11.30 a.m to 3 p.m. Located in the lobby with extra seating in an outdoor patio, it offers a range of casual snacks and meals including soups and salads.
Insider Tip for visitors to the Mattress Factory
The Mattress Factory is located in the heart of Pittsburgh's historic Mexican War Streets area, a great place to take a stroll and view the beautifully restored row houses from the 1800s.
Author's bio: Heather McCracken is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh who loves writing about travel, art and food.
Strodes Mill Gallery on Lenape Road is West Chester's leading museum-quality framer, as well as hosting a large, dense collection of local and burgeoning artists. Along with art and frames, it carries some assorted decorative items and knickknacks, so you won't have to look further if your trying to make your home more beautiful. It also does some wholesale framing, artistic representation and fine-art consulting.
Four generations of Chalfants have called West Chester home, and it's also where they choose to have their family-owned and -operated business. Stepping inside is like stepping back in time. HL Chalfant carries museum-quality pieces of early American furniture and fine art from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries. It also sells books intended to educate and enlighten. The store holds one to two art exhibitions a year.
Gratz Gallery offers an extensive selection of 19th and 20th century quality paintings. Featuring paintings by artists from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and The Philadelphia Ten, the gallery specializes in American paintings; specifically, Pennsylvania Impressionism. Gratz Gallery is also recognized as one of the premier conservation studios in Pennsylvania. They concentrate on the conservation of oil paintings, gilded objects and fine frames. Gratz Gallery also offers a wide assortment of hand-carved custom frame moldings.
