Some zoo days you watch. At the National Aviary, you participate. Pittsburgh’s bird zoo builds its days around encounters: hand-feeding rainbow lorikeets as they flutter in for nectar, meeting the colony of African penguins with a keeper, and saying a slow hello to the Aviary’s famous sloths in the Tropical Rainforest.
Keeper talks and feeding times anchor the schedule — penguin feedings draw a happy crowd twice a day — and special ticketed encounters let families go deeper, from junior keeper experiences to painting sessions where the artists are penguins. The Aviary’s bird shows in the Helen M. Schmidt FliteZone Theater put trained birds on the wing above the audience.
Encounters and showtimes vary by day; check aviary.org when planning. The National Aviary is at 700 Arch Street on Pittsburgh’s North Side, a compact, stroller-friendly visit that pairs perfectly with the Children’s Museum next door.
