10 Fun Corporate Team Building Activities in Pittsburgh That Will Get You Out of the Office

February 15, 2023

If you want a group of people to work well together, they need to learn to communicate, problem solve, cooperate, and laugh together. 

Managers will often call their staff together for a slew of mandatory meetings and sprinkle team building activities into the agenda. 

The day drags on, and when it’s time for everyone to “stand up and share something about themselves” or “role play to solve a problem together” everyone groans and reluctantly tries to pay attention. 

Corporate team building doesn’t have to be a side-course to a full day of meetings — and it shouldn’t be! 

Team building is just as important as the trainings, the meetings, and the day-to-day grind, so it’s important to make team building exciting, engaging, and memorable!

We’ve compiled a list of 10 fun corporate team building activities that will get you and your team out of the office; and we’ve highlighted unique places in Pittsburgh to take advantage of!

Learn about our events strategies by downloading the Events On A Budget eBook.

10 Fun Corporate Team Building Activities in Pittsburgh That Will Get You Out of the Office

Make your next team building day worthwhile by trying out one of these activities!

1. Picnic in the Park

A park is the perfect place for office mates to enjoy some fresh air, stretch their legs, and learn to work — and play — together. 

It’s a casual spot to relax and get to know one another, and perhaps the best part is how inexpensive renting a pavilion is!

Allowing the group to mix and mingle is important, but I would highly suggest some more structured activities, like playing lawn games or contributing to a group art project to take back to the office. 

Lawn games like cornhole, ladder ball, and frisbee are inexpensive and easy to play, and a little friendly competition goes a long way. 

A group art project could mean some foam board and cheap paint, or a collage of Polaroid pictures from the day’s adventure. No matter what the project is, it’s a creative way to get everyone to contribute a piece of themselves, and displaying it in the office is a nice memento of the day at the park. 

Recommended Locations 

Looking for a park near you? Try one of these Pittsburgh favorites:

  • Point State Park – located in downtown Pittsburgh
  • North Park – located in Wexford
  • Highland Park – located in the heart of Highland Park 
  • Schenley Park – located in Oakland
  • Frick Park – located in Squirrel Hill
  • South Park – located in South Park Township

2. Golfing & More

Big deals get done on the greens — and so can great team working sessions!

Golfing is unique in that there are a variety of levels to enjoy. The die-hard golfers can engage in a very serious 18-hole game or a short game; the whole group can enjoy a casual driving range; and the most laid-back (and often the most competitive) option is mini golf. 

Golfing isn’t always for everyone, but choosing the right fit for your group can result in a lot of fun and some new personal connections. The time spent together allows for coworkers to get to know one another, and some hidden talents could surface on the green. 

Our Favorite Location

Businesses that offer golfing often offer other sports, gathering spaces, food, and drinks. Cool Springs boasts an entire sports complex that offers all of our favorite golfing options, plus multi-sport simulators, soccer field rentals, and private party rooms. 

Alternative Locations

Here are some places that offer more than just golf:

  • Puttery – located in the Strip District
  • Top Golf – located in Bridgeville
  • Five Iron – located in downtown Pittsburgh
  • OnPar Now – located in the Strip District

3. Cooking Classes: Watch, Learn, or Compete

A cooking class or demonstration is definitely not your usual day at the office!

As a group, coworkers can share their knowledge and skills about cooking and learn something new from one another and, of course, the instructor. 

Our Favorite Location

Some kitchens offer a demonstration and meal that the entire group can enjoy, but if it’s communication and problem-solving you’re looking for, a place like Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh offers classes with an element of teamwork and competition. 

Alternative Locations

Here’s a taste of some cooking classes available in Pittsburgh:

4. Glassblowing and Pottery Lessons

Sometimes, the best time for people to connect is when everyone tries something new and challenging together. 

Glassblowing, clay throwing, and other unique art experiences can be the perfect way for coworkers to explore something new while supporting one another through their creative projects. Some art studios in Pittsburgh offer clay throwing, pottery lessons, and simple painting experiences for small groups. 

Our Favorite Location

One of the most unique experiences in Pittsburgh is a glassblowing lesson at the Pittsburgh Glass Center (over in Friendship). Private groups can opt for demonstrations, workshops, and hands-on lessons. 

Alternative Locations

Check out the list below for a studio near you: 

5. Baking

Team Building can have SWEET results!

The art of baking, pastry-making, and dessert creation is not for the faint of heart (I watch a lot of The Great British Bake Off!) Just as cooking classes and art projects can pose brand-new challenges to a group, dessert and bread making offer a team building experience that’s outside the norm.

Pair up to challenge each other to create the perfect Macaron, or create an all-for-one, one-for-all atmosphere as everyone embarks in a lesson together. 

Our Favorite Location

Gaynor’s School of Cooking offers a bit of everything — cooking lessons, pizza classes, bread baking, and a variety of classes in dessert making. 

Alternative Locations

To satisfy your team’s collective sweet tooth, try a class at one of these bakeries:

6. Brewery and Distillery Tours

At a certain point, every team needs time to unwind and have an enjoyable time together. Save the meetings, problem-solving, and collaboration for Monday!

Pittsburgh is chock-full of awesome breweries and distilleries to try out. 

Many tours in the area have been canceled or paused due to Covid restrictions, so call ahead to make sure your chosen location is offering tours at the moment. 

Beside tours, each of the breweries and distilleries in and around the city offer live music, great pizza, and a unique atmosphere. For example, many former churches have been renovated into beautiful breweries and distilleries.  

Our Favorite Location

Hitchhiker Brewing Co. boasts a large outdoor patio for mixing and mingling, as well as a few pinball machines inside to show off your skills. There’s no food offered within the brewery, but a different local food truck makes an appearance every night. 

Alternative Locations

Kick back at one of these breweries or distilleries:

7. Dinner on the River

Everyone loves spending time on the water! It’s fun, it’s relaxing, and the views of the city are stunning. 

And when you combine those relaxed vibes with some fun team-building exercises, the results can be extraordinary. 

Our Favorite Location

Everyone knows how majestic the Gateway Clipper Fleet is! But if you haven’t been, it’s an experience unlike any other in Pittsburgh. 

Between the views, the walkways, and the food, you’re guaranteed a unique experience. 

And you can leverage that experience into unique team-building exercises. 

8. Escape Rooms and Ax Throwing 

Escape rooms are a fantastic way for teams to experience high-stress situations — with admittedly low stakes. 

If you haven’t heard of them yet, escape rooms are designed to challenge a group of people to search for clues, solve puzzles, and complete tasks in order to unlock the main door and “escape” the room or situation the group started in. 

This is a popular team-building exercise because the goal is to escape the room within a certain time limit, and requires a great deal of communication and cooperation to “survive” the simulation. 

As an added bonus, some escape room locations also offer on-site ax throwing challenges! 

Our Favorite Location

Escape Room Pittsburgh offers both ax throwing and a variety of different escape room challenges.

If a large group cannot enter the escape room together, it’s nice to be able to split up with one group throwing axes as they wait for the escape room to open. 

Alternative Locations

9. Celebrate History

Pittsburgh has a rich, exciting history (it does date back all the way to 1700s), and there are many museums and organizations dedicated to commemorating the city’s past. 

There are countless ways you can turn visits to these facilities into team-building exercises. From scavenger hunts in a museum to research and presentations on your industry’s local history, you can turn a visit to the past into a fast-paced bonding experience. 

Our Favorite Location

Our favorite recommendation is the Heinz History Center, located just outside of Downtown in the Strip District. 

The Heinz History Center features a huge variety of exhibits—including Pittsburgh’s local history and local industry’s influence on the rest of the world. 

There’s plenty to see and talk about as a team!

Alternative Locations

Other great museums include:

10. Go Green!

What better way to get out of the office than to visit a nursery or a farm? Many nurseries in the area host workshops and group events, and there are countless volunteer opportunities for your team to enjoy! 

Gardening is physical, a little messy, and ultimately fulfilling. Some projects require the ultimate teamwork, and building and literally growing together will create lasting bonds. 

Our Favorite Location

Grow Pittsburgh is the ultimate resource for community gardens, local farms, workshops, nursery tours, and workforce development programs. The opportunities are endless. Check out growpittsburgh.org for maps, event calendars, and more. 

Alternative Locations

Find Support for Your Next Team Building Day

Team Building is essential to the life of a healthy workforce. Allow your next team building day to be more than silly games in the same old office. Make your next team building day memorable and valuable by getting outside and taking advantage of what Pittsburgh has to offer!

Give us a call to explore all of the opportunities for corporate team building in Pittsburgh, and if you need help making reservations and finding the best fit, we’re here to help. 

Contact me (Regina!) at reginamarketing.com or visit our contact page. 

Learn more about our events strategies by downloading the Events On A Budget eBook.

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Regina Schober

Regina Schober

Events Coordinator

After college, I worked as a freelance lighting designer around the Pittsburgh area, designing for some of my favorite shows with outstanding directors and actors in many of the local venues that truly get me excited, including City Theater, the New Hazlett Theater, and the Benedum Center. 

Eventually, I found myself holding the Technical Coordinator position at Point Park University, where I managed the multi-purpose dance complex, which hosted a variety of events. 

Today, I’m passionate about my work with community-minded organizations and coordinating events for the awesome companies in the Pittsburgh region.

Outside of work, you’ll find me hiking with Pat and our dog, Fallon, traveling to new towns, or binging the latest Netflix series.