PROJECT OVERVIEW
A new chapter begins in Pittsburgh’s largest city park. The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy celebrated the grand opening of the Outdoor Discovery Space and Sensory Nature Trail at Frick Park on Thursday, May 15, 2025. This transformative new experience reimagines what it means for a public park to be truly accessible, inclusive, and enriching for all.
Nestled beside the Frick Environmental Center (FEC), this innovative space—designed by Pashek+MTR, the project’s landscape architect and lead—offers a new discovery area and a fully accessible 1/3-mile trail that winds through woodland. Along the trail, visitors find a series of thoughtfully designed stations that invite connection, creativity, rest, and wonder — each intentionally crafted to engage the senses and celebrate the healing power of nature. Eisler Landscapes, the project’s general contractor, brings these elements to life.
Throughout the space, visitors can pause at spots like the Meadow View Pavilion, where views of Clayton Hill meadow reveal the quiet rhythms of butterflies, birds, and pollinators at work. At the Meadow Kaleidoscope, native plants and mirrors combine to create swirling, natural patterns. The Discovery Pavilion welcomes creativity through loose parts play and nature art, while the Timber Fort sparks imaginative adventures for young explorers.
The Sensory Nature Trail offers an entirely new way to interact with the environment, which centers on stillness, observation, and presence. At the Rest Nest, visitors are encouraged to slow down and settle into the moment. The Pebble Harp allows people to gently add musical notes to nature’s existing soundtrack. The Sit Spot and Observation Deck invite reflection and expanded perspective, while Whisper Tubes offer playful communication across the landscape.
Each stop along the trail includes QR codes with prompts and information to engage the senses further and deepen the experience.
This visionary project has been made possible through the generosity and belief of many community partners. In addition to support from the City of Pittsburgh’s Parks Tax Trust Fund, key funding has come from: The Edith L. Trees Charitable Trust, Clearview Federal Credit Union, Leslie Fleischner, Fleischner Family Charitable Foundation, FISA Foundation, Massey Charitable Trust, Robert and Mary Weisbrod Foundation, Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, Sheetz, and Carole and Jerry Katz.
