Parks Rx Pittsburgh's parks are yours for the playing! Getting outside is one of the best (and most enjoyable!) ways to stay healthy. Through Pittsburgh Parks Rx, kids and families are heading to their local parks and greenspaces to stay fit and have fun.

Get started by following the three easy steps below to fill your park prescription today!

Find Your Nearest Pittsburgh Park

Plan Your Park Visit

Go Out and Play!

About ParksRX

Too often we underestimate the impact that nature and play have on children’s health. In fact, studies show that one of the best ways to stay healthy is to simply step outside. Parks and green spaces improve health and well being, strengthen communities, and make neighborhoods better places to live, work, and play. The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy joins regional partners in Pittsburgh Parks Prescription, or Parks Rx, inviting children (and adults) in every neighborhood to explore and enjoy their local parks.

Park Activity Sheets

1. Find your nearest Pittsburgh park Search for parks by zipcode or narrow your search by using the filters.

Please visit the Parks Conservancy's COVID-19 response webpage for the latest information regarding this global health emergency and ways to safely continue exploring Pittsburgh's parks.

Tips for Exploring Pittsburgh's Parks Map

Narrow your park search by using the filters. Select “Yes” or “No” from the dropdown for each amenity. For example, if you want to search for parks with swimming pools, select "Yes" under the “Swimming Pool” box to show all city parks with swimming pools.
Narrow your park search even further by adding a second filter. For example, if you want to find parks that have both swimming pools and basketball courts, select "Yes" under the “Basketball” box and "Yes" under the "Swimming Pool" box.
Search for parks by zip code, address or park name via the search box.
To reset the map just click on to go back to the original list of parks.
Use the button to show your current location.
Explore the parks in detail by clicking on the marker points on the map for more information.

2. Plan Your Park Trip There's something for everyone in the parks! Here are some ways to play in the parks:

Take a hike | Read a park or nature book | Explore a Parks on the Go activity

Make a scavenger hunt | Take part in a Citiparks activity | Join a family-friendly program

3. Get Outside! Now, go out and play!

If possible, walk, bike, or bus to your park, and bring plenty of water. And most importantly, have fun!

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy invites you to take part in our many free, family-friendly programs, such as Kids' Day at Schenley Plaza, play dates and story hikes at the Frick Environmental Center, all-ages volunteer events, and much more.

P.S. Remember to stay hydrated during your park visits! Learn more about PittsburghAde, a super hydration drink mix made to replenish, recover, and re-energize our bodies throughout the day — click here!

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Educators

Healthcare Professionals

Educators

Parks and green spaces support health and well-being, strengthen communities, and make neighborhoods better places to live, work, and play. On top of all of that, playing in parks is a whole lot of FUN!

Through Pittsburgh Parks Rx, park prescribers (like you!) provide children and families with information, resources, and inspiration to get active outdoors and connect with nature.

To help you make the most of park and outdoor time with young learners, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy has created the Parks Prescriber Toolkit for Schools and Out-of-School Time. This toolkit is a guide for care providers and educators working in schools, afterschool settings, daycare centers, family support centers, and others who are interested in presenting Parks Rx.

The Parks Prescriber Toolkit emphasizes the benefits of physical activity and parks, and offers kid-friendly activities that can be taken advantage of both in and out of school. We encourage you to adapt and tailor the activities to your specific needs, whether the setting is a nearby park or greenspace, schoolyard, or even indoors.

TESTIMONIALS

“Parks Rx helps the families I work with by giving them ideas of how to use the parks and where to go.” - Family support center staff member

“Spending time outdoors in the park helped me and my children to explore nature, build friendships, and build community.” - Pittsburgh Parks Rx participant, Greater Hazelwood Family Center

Healthcare Professionals

Pittsburgh Parks Rx In the Clinic

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and other area partners have teamed up to develop the Pittsburgh Parks Prescription (Parks Rx), a program designed to support the health and well-being of children through regular park use and contact with nature.

In 2017, a clinical advisory team of physicians and public health professionals worked to finalize the systems through which a doctor can prescribe park use to a patient through Pittsburgh Parks Rx. This was piloted in several primary care practices in 2018. Learn more here.

Special thanks to our current clinical partners:

Allegheny County Health Department WIC Program • Children’s Community Pediatrics-GIL • General Academic Pediatrics-Children’s Primary Care Center • Pediatric Alliance Allegheny (AHN Pediatrics) • Pediatric Alliance Bloomfield (AHN Pediatrics) • UPMC St. Margaret Bloomfield-Garfield Family Health Center

For more information about how you can get involved with Pittsburgh Parks Rx, please contact rx@pittsburghparks.org

Why Parks Rx?

Regular physical activity, regardless of age, is one of the most important lifestyle behaviors for maintaining a healthy weight and promoting quality of life. In addition, numerous studies show that being physically active in the outdoors and in connection with natural spaces provides added physical and mental health benefits. However, children only spend about one percent of their free time outdoors. Park prescription programs have been introduced as a preventative health practice in many states and cities around the country to help address this concern. Pittsburgh Parks Rx aims to provide a local framework for healthcare professionals to encourage kids to get outside, be active, and connect with nature.

For more information about park prescription programs nationally, visit parkrx.org

PITTSBURGH PARKS RX CLINICAL RESOURCES

REFLECTIONS FROM PHYSICIANS PRESCRIBING PARKS

“Park prescriptions fit in perfectly when I talk with families about the importance of physical activity and reduced screen time.”

“Some of my patients didn’t realize how many parks there are in the city and were happy to receive the pamphlet and information.”

PARKS RX PARTNERS

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh have collaborated with these area partners through Pittsburgh Parks Rx:

View Our Partners

Allegheny County Health Department • Allegheny Partners for Out of School Time • Allentown Learning and Engagement Center • Arts Excursions Unlimited • Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation • Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Hazelwood Branch • Carnegie Mellon University • Children’s Community Pediatrics-GIL • City of Pittsburgh Department of Parks and Recreation • East Allegheny Family Support Center • Family Care Connection—UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh • Focus on Renewal Positive Parenting Program • General Academic Pediatrics-Children’s Primary Care Center • Greater Hazelwood Family Center • Hill District Center for Nurturing Families • Hilltop Family Care Connection and Hilltop Health • Kids Plus Pediatrics • Neighborhood Learning Alliance Arsenal and Woolslair Afterschool Programs • Latino Family Center • Lawrenceville United • Pediatric Alliance Allegheny and Bloomfield (AHN Pediatrics) • Pittsburgh Public Schools • Propel Hazelwood • Providence Family Support Center • Trying Together Homewood Family Support Center • University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development • UPMC St. Margaret Lawrenceville and Bloomfield-Garfield Family Health Centers