National Aviary Reviews

Had so much fun! So many interesting things happened during our visit. It's not the biggest, but the knowledge the staff has is huge. Learned so much! Had a blast!

Good experience, just high prices for a relatively small building. It takes less than an hour to see everything, but definitely a neat experience.

Incredible and beautiful. It makes you want to learn more about all the species you encounter.

Kids had a fantastic time. Seems a bit pricey, for sure, but you won't mind after going through and seeing all the birds and unique habitats.

The place was nice and the staff was so kind and knowledgeable, but it s too expensive.

The penguins were cute and funny

Small but worth the visit. So many species present here. You could walk the place in 6 minutes but you'll spend 3 hours taking it all in.

An up close and interactive place! Easily doable in an hour. Lots of places to sit. Great experience!

This Aviary is not so big and not enough area for birds to fly around. Being a National Aviary, it should have little more space intead of just caging the birds.
A lot of species of birds to see, the impressive thing is the good caring staff and feeding shows

Always a pleasure to visit the staff are always friendly and informative. Honestly if you enjoy birds definitely a great place to spend time!

Everyone is so friendly and ready to answer your questions.

Great to place to go watch lot of exotic birds up close.

There are no words to describe how glad I am to have visited. It's free to walk around (although I recommend a donation) and you can get really close to so many birds.

Next time I'm in Pittsburgh, I'm going again; I recommend you do to.

Who does love penguins? And if a flying bird does a number on you, you too will earn an 'I was pooped on at the National Aviary' badge.

How many aviaries let you feed the tropical birds and pet the penguin? Perhaps the most visitor friendly zoo in the US

The aviary is great for all ages, educational, and fun! There are plenty of free feedings in various rooms where the staff educate visitors on the bird species. You can even volunteer to feed the birds in the wetlands room (they usually pick kids for this). The birds are free roaming in their respective rooms and if you happen to get pooped on, you get a special pin! There are also plenty of extra shows you can attend for affordable prices. You can feed Lorikeets for only $3 and the birds land on your arms while you hold a bowl of nectar. You can get through all the exhibits quickly if you choose, but between the regular (free) feedings, extra shows, cafe, and just soaking in all the sounds and sights of the aviary, you could easily spend the whole day here as well!

They have some nice animals, but overall the habitats seemed too small. It didnt really achieve a good balance between being human to the birds while still being viewable and interesting to visitors. I also expected more birds because they call themselves the National Aviary, but I felt it was pretty comparable to the amount of birds at regular zoos.

What a great experience. We go almost every time were in town!

Love this place. Awesome exhibits and great food from Atria's!

Nice diverse array of birds in a nice setting as well as a few other activities. Some of the extra activities are rather expensive but in general, this place is definitely worth a visit. The kids seemed to really enjoy it.

A 'Must Visit' site when in Pittsburgh.
We have been members of the National Aviary for over 10 years and I highly recommend it.
Whether you are into science, ecology, tropical birds, birds of prey or an avian of any type, this is the place!
With continuing educational sessions, FlightZone Theater and now the VR + Immersion flight simulator with Birdly there is truly something for everyone.

The aviary is amazing. I wish it was a tiny bit larger and that they didn't have so many "extra" options. I prefer to just pay a set rate and have the ability to do whatever they offer. I would pay a higher ticket price happily if they didn't lock up the penguins whenever a family decided they wanted a one on one encounter during the day. Other than that, it was amazing, though!

I'm never disappointed when I come for a visit. The staff are always so friendly and knowledgeable, often sharing information that is very interesting! We were able to go to the condor talk in the court yard yesterday and I was astounded at how little I knew! There are many informative plaques on the walls that help give you an idea of the wildlife that the aviary is helping. I love that the atmospheres are close to authentic! The tropical rain forest is one of our favorites! It was my daughter's first trip and I'm looking forward to return visits in the future!

Great experience! Want to bring the grand children when they get older.

I've loved this Pittsburgh institution since I could walk. The place is amazing, interesting, and always amusing. Exotic birds are fun to watch close up!! We like the mammals, too. The staff are super nice. The building is covid clean and the majority of people respected mask policy. What could be bad about weird and wonderful birds walking right up to you or flying right past your head? Please get to the Aviary. The birds will be soooo happy to see you, and it's better than sitting at home counting your bottles of hand sanitizer.

The aracari feeding is worth every penny kids enjoyed everything we did and we ended up with a membership.

Kind of upset that you buy a membership, which includes free parking, but there's never any place to park. They need to be more worried about the people who are members that they have parking and not be worried about making the five bucks for the people who come once every two years. Just saying!

Wonderful exhibits, very immersive and Herrick staff!

Incredible selection of birds. Well laid out and friendly staff.

Felt cramped. Might visit again after construction is completed.

My husband and I visited and it was a great date day! There were mostly families with kids there, but there's no reason adults shouldn't come enjoy a visit. Our favorite was the grasslands-being surrounded with the bird calls and having them fly around us was magical. We went back a second time before we left! You are also able to get a close up look at penguins, see a variety of beautiful owls, and an adorable little armadillo. They also have two other rooms where the birds are flying freely around you.

Great price, informative and helpful staff, very pleasant experience.

A family favorite. The membership is worthwhile. More than one visit as a family and you've made your money back. A great way to spend an afternoon. The volunteer staff is always helpful.

My kids love the Aviary. Some days we stay for hours. Other days we just go for one hour.

Hidden gem in Pittsburgh...what a wonderful facility! Learn while you laugh and have fun. Great for all ages. Enjoy and please support this great cause.

My 3yo has always loved going to the Aviary, especially to see her favorite animal, the penguin! The facility is small enough for a nice short visit to see the penguins or to enjoy for a couple hours walking around to see all the animals, read everything and attending feedings. With our membership, we get free convenient parking in their lot and awesome reciprocal membership to other zoos, aquariums and gardens!!! The only thing I don't like the extra cost for additional activities, but I guess they have to pay the bills.

The aviary had a wide range of birds, many I was very impressed by. It is a small location but contains a lot of unique sights.

NOT FREE!??? The national aviary is cool. Spoiler alert: the place is a bird zoo. Major turn-off that It's not like every other national museum, I've visited---IT'S NOT FREE. In fact It's quite expensive. Almost a hundred bucks for three of us, and then way more if you want an "encounter".

Why does a government agency charge sales tax to attendees of a venue paid for by taxpayers?

Very nice place for entertainment,resources lot of collection of species

A surprising number of habitats and impressive collection of birds. Great place to spend time indoors on a rough weather day. Good for a 2-4 hour visit. Awesome experience for kids ages, toddlers to 10 year olds. The staff is knowledgeable and very friendly. The feeding sessions are fun to attend!

Great time with the kids without the back to back hussle and rush you get at some zoo's

Great collection of birds. Educational. Don't miss the Amazon rain forest bird show.

To start off, my boyfriend and I love coming here. You do have to pay for parking and to get in (and that's a bit pricey), but that's also understandable, as they have lots of birds and some other animals to take care of. I like that they have opportunities to have encounters with some of the animals. You have to pay for that also, again, a little pricey, but understandable, and it's a pretty cool experience!

Awesome experience
Met Goldie the penguin
Trainer was very informative

Some of the areas lack signage to tell what type of birds are in the cage or lack a description of those birds.
The restaurant area was clean with great well-priced snacks.
It was a fun walking tour of different species of birds. The building is creatively put together.

We really enjoyed this - the care they are showing these animals and the education they are providing the public are remarkable. Every staff member and volunteer clearly cares about their work and their avian charges. Though I might feel uncomfortable with the concept of caging birds or animals in a zoo like setting, this facility is lovingly made and is exceptionally attentive to the needs of its avian residents. And they exist for educational and ecological preservation purposes, and its a noble mission they undertake with great expertise.

I loved visiting the National Aviary. I would give it 5 stars but the penguin display was closed. And parking was a little tricky. But so happy I went cause I love birds!!!

Love the aviary. This is something special for Pittsburgh that few other cities have...essentially a bird zoo with a wonderful collecting of birds that allows you an up front experience

Love the aviary! It's pricey for an entrance so it's better to buy a membership do you can go whenever you'd like.

Nice place they came along way when the city owned it beautiful facility

Great place to visit with our family! We enjoyed it very much.

I don t think I can put into words how amazing our visit was! I decided to surprise my mother with the Hawk Encounter and it is safe to say the experience is well worth the money. The staff were super nice and knowledgeable. It was great to learn about Prince the Red Tail Hawk. Besides the extraordinary Hawk Encounter the rest of the zoo is fantastic as well. All the employees are nice and seem to know a lot about the animals. Thanks to everyone who works here for making my mom happier than you could imagine and for keeping these animals happy and healthy.

Very well done. Go on a weekday if you can. Nice variety of exhibits and up close encounters. Would HIGHLY recommend the SOAR rooftop program if you have the chance. Well worth the 5 bucks.

The National Aviary is worth a visit. The exhibits are engaging and there are some hands on displays. The birds and other animals can be viewed easily especially in the several habitats they have replicated. (Wetlands, tropical rainforests, etc.) The Aviary is always a work in progress, with new attractions rotated in on a regular basis so that it always feels fresh and relevant. Children of all ages and adults also will find interesting and informative displays that captivate and entertain. The small cafe on site has a nice menu for all tastes at a reasonable price but you can also bring your own food which I appreciated. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The only negative I would point out is that they offer some great interactive extras, such as penguin and sloth encounters to name a few, not included in the admission price, which carry a rather steep price tag. Of course, part of their mission is to promote and raise money for wildlife preservation so the money is going to a good cause. However it becomes cost prohibitive for many I would think, myself included, to participate in these extras. That being said, the Aviary is still worth the price of admission.

Fantastic variety of birds, extremely knowledgeable staff. Delightful trip for my daughter.

Wonderful exhibits, friendly staff who love to share stories and facts.

The birds were beautiful, the displays educational. The employees friendly and helpful.

Took our one year old son, who loved it. Good place for kids and strollers. Lots of interesting birds and 'immersive' exhibits so the kids can see the animals up close. Knowledgeable, friendly staff. Not very crowded at all on a Monday.

Great place. More than I expected and the kids loved it.

Overall a great place to visit with a variety of birds to see up close and within exhibits. A tad smaller than other aviaries but with this one dedicated to birds as well as the preservation of species, you can't go wrong with a trip. Help support the cause and stop by!

Lots of rooms where the birds can fly freely which is cool and great to experience, lots of kinda of birds and the staff are knowledgeable and can answer most questions. It's very kid-friendly and great for kids of all ages but it is a bit small and you will probably be done in less than an hour and a half.

Great way to spend a couple hours in any weather. I get a membership every year. Parking can be together be tough though.

Small place, but full of interesting and colorful birds. We took our time through each exhibit and were there for about 2 1/2 hours. The feedings are neat, and they use that time to teach you about that bird. Food court is reasonably priced and the gift shops have a lot of options. We surprised my mom with a trip here for her birthday and she really liked it!

I loved the bird show and the grassland section. Sparrows freely flying around you in grassland section is s awesome. Staff is very good n pleasant. Parking is $10 for none members n street parking was full when i went.

Has a ton of animals despite not being very big. You could easily walk though in half an hour, but there's so much to see and hear if you just relax and spend a few hours.

Great place for kids and young families. Enjoyed a lot, unfortunately when we went the Amazon/rainforest exhibit was under renovation so the trip was less value for money. Make sure to buy feeding the lorikeet activity atleast on amongst a group of 4, you can enter the lorikeet enclosure even without paying for the feeding (but don't expect them to swarm you if you don't have food).

It s a neat place but it s pretty pricey for as little as it is. And you really can t see all the birds because there is a ton of hiding places for them to go. When a bird lands on the railing or on the walkway it s so hard to take pictures of the bird because staff is blocking you from getting too close to them to get pictures. I was pretty disappointed with this place.

Knowledgeable staff. And ready to assist you at a moment's notice. Very pleasant atidude ad well ad atmosphere. Not to mention free parking.

We love the Aviary! The staff is so kind and knowledgeable. There are so many beautiful birds to see and learn about. It is fun for any age!

It's a fun learning experience for you and your kids.

Awesome place with a great selection of species to see!

The National Aviary is very small. Though there are several exhibits with unique and varying birds. I watched a penguin feeding that was very informative but some zoos have much larger displays. It's a cool place to visit if you want to get up and close to birds.

I was here for a friend's daughter's birthday party. The staff was very accommodating and even brought a penguin into the party area for the kids to take pictures with. Lots of information posted about the different birds and an all around great experience!

Wow. General admission for 3 people$45. Not too bad. Owl encounter for 3 people around$250!!! It was not worth it. The man was knowledgeable but not that smart. So be ready to accept your donating to them because you do NOT get your money's worth. It's a cool place and designed for kids and adults to be dazzled.