The Bayernhof Museum

Curated by Jennifer Della-Penna, Renaissance Navigator

By no means should you skip the Carnegie Museums or (especially) the amazing Andy Warhol Museum while you’re in Pittsburgh, but the Bayernhof experience may well prove more memorable. This 19,000 sq ft mansion of an eccentric local gas lamp baron holds the largest collection of self-playing instruments in the country, as well as hidden staircases and a man-made underground cave that leads to a subterranean grotto, while the interior design and architecture betray a creepy fascination with gnomes and a hilariously tacky “Bavarian”aesthetic.