Skip to main content
Weddings

About

On WeddingWire since 2012

The National Aviary is a historic park and wedding venue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that offers couples a one-of-a-kind experience for their wedding day. The venue's flexible event spaces can be transformed under the supervision of their exceptional event professionals to make your wedding vision come to fruition. You and your guests can walk through their tropical exhibits and arrange for special appearances from some of their animals, including owls, parrots, and penguins.

Facilities and Capacity

Since 1952, the National Aviary has been a staple in the Pittsburgh community, and now it is your time to take advantage of its excellent facilities. This elegant 9,000 square-foot space includes open-air access to beautiful outdoor amenities and stunning views of the garden, scenic park, and lake. This dazzling venue is perfect for events year-round, including weddings, events, and education programs. Enjoy the feeling of an outdoor fete with all the comforts of a brand new space beautifully crafted out of brick, stone, and glass with a bird-safe pattern! The Garden Room construction includes a beautiful new entryway, The Charity Randall Foundation Eagle Hall, which will transform the National Aviary's west entrance and offer interior connectivity between National Aviary habitats and The Garden Room. Whether casual or formal, The Garden Room is the perfect place to host weddings, rehearsal dinners, showers, and other events.

Services Offered

A team of event experts, including an onsite special events coordinator, custodial staff, and security, will ensure your event is seamless. You can avail of complimentary onsite parking for evening events on a first-come, first-served basis. The National Aviary's tables and chairs are available at no additional fee. Audiovisual equipment is available at no extra cost. Celebrate at a venue where you can feel good about and support the National Aviary's mission to inspire respect for nature.

Location

The National Aviary is located in Allegheny-West, a neighborhood of Pittsburgh located a few blocks north of the Allegheny River. At this great location, you will be near the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, Heinz Field, Carnegie Science Center, and Rivers Casino Pittsburgh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

Which of the following are included in starting site fee?

Bridal Suite
Chairs
Clean Up
Lighting/Sound
Parking
Set Up
Tables

Which of the following are included in the cost of wedding catering?

Cake Cutting

What is the minimum number of guests required to book your venue?

10

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

2

Describe your venue:

Historic Building
Park

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Covered Outdoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Clean Up
Get Ready Rooms
Liability Insurance

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Wheelchair Access
illustration question

Any other questions?

Message vendor
4.7 out of 5 rating
34 Reviews
  • Quality of service
    4.7 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.7 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.7 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.7 out of 5 rating
94% Recommended by couples

40 User photos

34 Reviews See all
Rachel
Rachel B. Married on 09/04/2022
4.8 out of 5 rating

A beautiful venue that is so unique for your wedding!

The National Aviary is an absolutely GORGEOUS space for your wedding. The Garden Room is absolutely stunning and it is a modern space that really allows you to customize. During your cocktail hour, the Aviary can bring out birds to meet your guests. Sunshine the penguin was the true star of our wedding! The Aviary is obviously an Aviary FIRST and a wedding venue SECOND, so keep that in mind when booking this space. It's worth it, but note, you won't be able to set up early and you have limitations within the space.

I will say that the staff was awesome, it was a lot of moving parts, and they did their best to make everything run smoothly. The forecast on the day of my wedding was low for rain, but about 2 hours beforehand, it looked grim. The Aviary did the herculean task of moving the ceremony indoors with limited time. They set up in the lobby, which I'm told was the first wedding to do so and it was absolutely gorgeous. Brides I highly recommend you use this as the rain plan moving forward.

The most magical space and my guests had so much fun in penguin point.
Diana Wahl
Diana W. Married on 06/11/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Unique place to host a wedding!

The Aviary is a fabulous place to host a wedding! Their event space is just beautiful with the patio, garden area and accordion doors. With half of the guest list being from out of town, the habitats being open during cocktail hour and up close encounter were such a treat for guests! They really turn the place over after they close to the public to make it an elegant event. There are endless options for how to set up your event and have the option of an outdoor or indoor ceremony. The event staff is great to work with ! They were communicative, responsive and helpful in so many ways: when we had outside vendor issues or even deciding last minute to move the ceremony inside due to rain. Their main caterer Atrias was a hit! We’ve been hearing raving reviews about the food since. This was a very affordable venue in the city. Atrias has many food packages and their bar package was very reasonable. I looked at many venues in the city and this was by far the most affordable and very unique ! With all venues there are limits as to what their staff can/can’t do so just read the contract and plan on getting outside help to set up or have a family member assist.
K
Katherine B. Married on 06/11/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Incredible venue, fantastic team

My wife and I got married here in the summer of 2022. We used the Rose Garden for our ceremony, the Aviary itself for the cocktail hour and the new Garden Room for our reception. The planning team was extremely accommodating, giving us regular updates and checking in for any of our needs. On the day of the wedding, everything was in place at the right time, and our bridal parties were led to where they needed to be when without any hiccups. It was truly a spectacular day, and I'd absolutely recommend the space to anyone getting married soon!
illustration stars

Are you interested?

Message vendor

Awards

34
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner

Real Weddings

Clive & Bethany
46 photos · 05/27/2022
Mary & Joe
23 photos · 08/17/2019
Elyse & Dan
26 photos · 08/25/2018

Pricing

Map

illustration visit

Would you like to visit?

Request a visit

National Aviary frequently asked questions

National Aviary includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Bridal Suite
  • Chairs
  • Clean Up
  • Lighting/Sound
  • Parking
  • Set Up
  • Tables
National Aviary includes the following items and services in its wedding catering costs:
  • Cake Cutting
The space offered by National Aviary for wedding events is known for:
  • Historic Building
  • Park
National Aviary offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Covered Outdoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
National Aviary offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Elopements
  • Rehearsal Dinner
National Aviary offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Clean Up
  • Get Ready Rooms
  • Liability Insurance
National Aviary is recommended by 94% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.7 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.8 in value, 4.7 in quality of service, 4.7 in average response time, 4.7 in flexibility and 4.7 in professionalism.

Other vendors in Pittsburgh for your wedding

Wedding Venues

Responds within 24 hours