National Aviary Reviews

The Aviary team, Yvette, Jordyn and Victoria were wonderful to work with. We had all the time we needed to enjoy our daughters special evening. The entire team at the aviary from start to finish worked in a professional manner. We could not have asked for a more perfect event.

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.

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!

We loved having our reception at The National Aviary! They were wonderful to work with. This is a very special place to us, and we loved knowing our money was going to support such a great place. All of our guests loved the uniqueness of the venue and enjoyed the beautiful place and beautiful birds. Our penguin guest just topped off an amazing day. Thank you!!!

The National Aviary is a wonderful venue. We loved everything about it.

Absolutely amazing event! Event staff were fantastic and the service was second to none.

We loved our wedding reception at the National Aviary. When we got engaged, we knew we wanted to have our reception at the Aviary. All the staff was great to work with, and all the guests raved about how fun and unique of a venue it was. We were glad that the exhibits were open and gave guests something fun to do. Being able to interact with DJ the penguin was one of the highlights of our wedding. The outdoor garden was beautiful, we hardly had to provide any decorations because the space was so beautiful on its own. All the staff was great to work with, especially Ashley and Yvette, the event coordinators. They were always very responsive and worked with us diligently up until the day of the wedding to make sure everything ran smoothly.

I was just in awe at how amazing and perfect everything was. Atrias food was just too amazing. We had alot of complements on the food and venue. The guests were loving the aviary experience. So glad everyone was happy. Yvette was just a star to work with she went above and beyond helping clean up and coordinating everything. Ashley was also amazing at getting us information and emailing back and forth answering questions. I loved our wedding. Great weather, great food, great staff.

This is the ABSOLUTE perfect wedding venue for anyone who wants to give their guests an amazing experience! To begin, it is such a gorgeous space, and it is located next to a park which is another amazing spot for photos. The events planning staff is amazing. Ashley and Laura were so helpful, quick to respond, and go above and beyond to make sure you are comfortable. There was supposed to be an event happening in the park the day of my wedding, and they reached out to the organization to make sure their music and events did not disrupt the wedding. (the event ended up cancelled). The food is also made on site and is one of the best meals I have had! For everything this space provides, it is a steal cost wise

Our wedding at the National Aviary was great! The staff were very accommodating and ready to pitch in and help with anything we needed. I'm glad we chose the Aviary!

We chose to have our wedding at the national aviary because of our love for animals. It was very affordable and they even brought out birds for our guests to see (the kids loved it!). The food was outstanding and the guests raved on and on about how amazing it was! It was the best night of our lives and I couldn't reccomend this venue enough to my fellow animal lovers out there. It was a night to remember! Big thanks to the aviary crew for helping to make it perfect for us!

We loved having our wedding at the Aviary - all of their wedding coordinators were easy to work with and everyone was very helpful on the day of our wedding. Our guests loved all of the birds, especially the penguin and the owl that came around to the tables at dinner! It was great having indoor and outdoor space, and we received a lot of compliments about the dinner food (Atria's) as well.

Could not recommend The Aviary enough! We had a small reception (35 people) in Penguin Point, with access to the whole facility for our guests to walk around. It was incredibly affordable (on a Sunday, with a small group) and offered such a fun, unique experience for our guests, who all raved about it. The Aviary was responsive, organized, and even though we were nervous about not being able to pick our caterer (they have a mandatory contract with Atria's) the food was wonderful.

We had a super small wedding and they have the perfect area! We also chose to have bird encounters and our wedding photos all over the aviary were gorgeous!

Selecting the National Aviary, for our wedding location, was the best decision. We were on the hunt for something that was a little different and allowed us to embrace our love of the outdoors. The venue is super fun and beautiful. We chose to use the rose garden for the ceremony and their tent for the reception. Unfortunately, the weather had different plans so we had to move the ceremony inside. That was a-ok, because their theater is still beautiful and captured that outdoor feeling. Karin is fabulous to work worth and made the whole process very easy. Atria's is their exclusive caterer. The food was absolutely fabulous. We also chose to do the two bird experiences. They brought a penguin out during cocktail hour and then a falcon during dinner. The trainers were very knowledgeable and our guests LOVED that they got to interact with the animals, as well as tour the facilities. I would highly recommend the Aviary!

I knew I wanted to get married at The National Aviary the moment I stepped into that facility. I scoured everywhere to find reviews or pictures of events at the Aviary but couldn’t find too much. I met with Lauren and we started the planning process! Eventually, Lauren had quit and Karin took over as the coordinator. Most brides would freak out over this change but Karin was nothing short of wonderful. She emailed me back in a timely fashion, she replied to every mini freak-out I would have and was very very polite. My wedding was held outside in the Historic Rose Garden. Cocktail hour was inside the atrium and the reception was outside in the tent next to the Rose Garden. We had three bird encounters during the wedding (falcon before the ceremony, owl at cocktail hour and penguin at the tail end of cocktail). We even were able to get a painting done by the penguin to hang on our wall to remind us of our special day! I cannot recommend having a wedding at The National Aviary enough.

My husband and I highly recommend the national aviary for your upcoming wedding! The staff at the national aviary made our planning easy and our big day perfect. The caterer is Atrias and all of our guests said it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding and that the open bar had great choices. Karin the event coordinator at the aviary is organized and on top of any of your needs, she really made the process a piece of cake. The rose garden tent was beautiful and the cocktail hour inside the atrium was a great way for our guests to see all the exhibits. It really was the best day ever, a big thanks to the national aviary and atrias!

The staff at the National Aviary were so helpful in pulling our wedding together. The space was unique and romantic. The kids loved playing under the penguin exhibit, the older folks enjoyed strolling through the topical exhibits. The night calls of the birds took us all to someplace topical for the evening. The food prepared by Atria's was outstanding and the wedding guests raved about how tasty everything was. The only advice I might offer is that we brought our own playlist and we were advised to bring a sound system which worked out great. This space might not be the best for all couples but for those that want a unique, romantic, fun, and non-traditional setting the National Aviary is outstanding!

The National Aviary is an absolutely fantastic venue for a wedding! I have wanted to get married there since 2010 when I found out they do weddings as an intern. They are super accommodating and the events coordinator Karen is quick to respond to any questions or issues. I think I changed the reception diagram on her about 10 times but she was super flexible and great to work with! We had our ceremony in the rose garden, our cocktail hour in the atrium, and the reception in the rose garden tent and everything was beautiful! Atria's is their exclusive caterer and the food was amazing! Everyone we talked to raved about it and I think it was some of the best food I've had at a wedding! We had a penguin encounter during cocktail hour - the penguin painted a picture for us - and one of the trainers had an owl she walked around with during dinner. All of our guests had the opportunity to walk through the exhibits as well! Not only is the Aviary great, there's a park right next to it which is perfect for pictures so you don't have to go anywhere! We loved it, our guests loved it, and I highly recommend booking the Aviary for your wedding!!

We planned our wedding within 4 months, so we were amazed that the Aviary was available for one of our preferred dates. I am so glad that we did - we loved our Aviary wedding, and our guests did too! Our event was in mid-April, so we had the tent as an option, but we elected to have everything (ceremony and reception) inside because the weather in Pittsburgh in April is so unpredictable. We had the ceremony in the Flight Zone Theater. I was a bit worried about how the fake "Tree" and "boulder" in there would look, but our florist did an amazing job decorating and the whole space looked magical.

Atria's catering was top-notch -- many of our guests raved about it and expressed amazement that "mass produced" food could be so good. I wish I'd had the chance to eat more of it - I was too nervous, but what I had was delicious! (I knew it would be after the tasting we had with Pete and Josef at Atria's in Mount Lebanon when we were planning the menu.)

The event planner, Lauren, responded to my e-mails with questions within 24 hours (except on her days off - everyone deserves those!) She met with us to discuss what we wanted before we booked the space, and then we mostly communicated via e-mail until the day before the wedding. She helped us with our rehearsal and was extremely helpful on the day of our wedding. We had a somewhat non-traditional reception - board games instead of dancing, and she helped arrange things so that I could use the Learning Center classroom to hide out in before the wedding (I got ready at the hotel) and then we used it as an extra space to play games in during the reception.

My husband and I could not be happier with our choice to have our wedding at the National Aviary. It's a unique venue, and I highly recommend it.

We were looking for fun venue to host our winter wedding and considered several different Pittsburgh venues including Phipps, the Children's museum and the Carnegie science center. However, we were on a tight budget (~$10,000) and the costs of these venues were more than we could afford. Then we found the Aviary, which in our opinion, is a hidden treasure! Not only is it much more affordable than similar venues, but the atmosphere offers a great mix of magic, romance and fun. It's a completely different place after hours when all the screaming and excited kids have gone home and the lights are dimmed. We booked the entire place, which allowed guests who needed a break from the music an opportunity to escape and check out the exhibits. We also chose to add on 3 bird visits where they bring out an owl, a penguin and a parrot. It was a great photo op and was enjoyed by kids and adult alike.

The required caterer, Atria's, worked with our budget to provide an awesome menu with hors d'oeuvres and an open bar. We also rented linens and dinnerware through them. With the aviary providing the tables and the chairs and us not adding any decorations other than centerpieces (the aviary already looked festive with their holiday decorations), we were able to enjoy the night without stressing over having to do any setup or take-down. Overall a wonderful experience!

My Aviary wedding was absolutely beautiful! I couldn't have been more pleased! We had the ceremony in the rose garden, outside, and the reception under the big tent. Atrias is their proprietary caterer and they did a wonderful job! The food was reasonably priced and tasted amazing! Great selection, too. I highly recommend the Aviary!!!

We had our cocktail hour outside in the rose garden tent and our reception inside. Dinner and dancing was under the atrium, and guests had access to the Wetlands, Grasslands, and Penguins exhibits. We also paid a little more to have the bird encounters which I highly recommend. We chose the penguin for cocktail hour, a parrot during dinner, and an owl later in the evening. Everything exceeded my expectations. The lighting was beautiful, and even guests who weren't into dancing had something to do. Jessie was wonderful to work with to plan the event and she made sure it ran smoothly. The other aviary staff who walked around with the birds were also fabulous. Additional things that were great about this venue were the free parking, security guard included with the cost of rental, being able to rent our own linens and tableware, and being able to bring our own alcohol.

The National Aviary is a great facility with a beautiful venue. The catering is incredible and the level of service we received was top notch. I would highly recommend if you are looking for a non-traditional wedding venue The National Aviary is an incredible choice.

My husband and I looked at only two venue options before deciding on the National Aviary to hold our reception and we are so glad that we did. Our wedding was in September and we had cocktail hour in the Atrium indoors with dinner in the tent in the Rose Garden. All of our guest loved the ability to tour the Aviary throughout the reception as well as the chance to take pictures with some of the Aviary's birds! The animal handlers watching over the birds at the event were knowledgeable about their charges and patient with all of the young children.
I was a bit skeptical about how the Atrium would look during the cocktail hour as by day it is a pretty (but a bit plain) lobby-type of area. However, with the dividers that were put up to hide the cafe area and the arrangements of the tables and cocktail hours foods the Atrium looked very classy. The rose garden is the true "Wow" factor of the Aviary though. Our wedding was early in September and at that time the walls of the rose garden were covered in ivy with flowers blooming everywhere. The natural beauty is astounding and needed minimal decor to highlight it.
The staff was great, there was a turnover of event coordinators shortly before our wedding but their old event coordinator made sure to pass along all important details and kept in touch with me regarding this change. The new event coordinator (Karin) didn't miss a beat and had everything arranged the way that I requested. They were timely in responding to emails and met with me to discuss diagrams and table arrangements ~1 month before the event.
Lastly, the catering service that the National Aviary uses (Atria's) was wonderful. The food was delicious and perfectly cooked, all of our guests loved it! They were reasonably priced and we were able to customize our menu. The catering staff that Atria's uses were also experts at weddings, they made sure to save a plate of appetizers for Brian and I and also refilled our dinner plates and grabbed us drinks.

My husband and I were looking for a unique venue that could be fun for the kids in attendance and came across the Aviary. The Aviary rose garden provided a stunning background for our ceremony, and the Atrium was a very elegant venue for our reception. The Aviary staff (and their in house caterers) were fantastic to work with and very responsive to questions. If you book with the Aviary, I highly recommend that you add the bird encounters- we had a penguin and a macaw visit with our guests- and the adults and children both loved them. How many people can say that they got a picture with a penguin at a wedding??

We absolutely loved having the Aviary as our wedding venue. Ashley (one of the wedding coordinators) deserves a 10/5 stars because she really went above and beyond for us throughout the entire process. We were the first wedding in the new event room they build this year and it is so beautiful. It was perfect for a COVID-safe wedding because the side of the room facing the rose garden can be completely opened up to allow fresh air in and guests can easily flow in and out of the room onto the patio and into the rose garden. They also altered our buffet service so that Atria’s staff served the food rather than guests serving themselves for no additional cost.

The reason we are giving 4/5 stars is for a few minor things. First, there are 2 large beautiful fireplaces in the room but neither was working the night of our wedding which was disappointing. 2nd, you are required to use Atria’s catering if you get married at the Aviary but they won’t tray your cookies or arrange them whatsoever (not even for an additional fee). We had to tray cookies ourselves the night before the wedding and find someone to set them up for us which was super stressful. Atria’s was wonderful but I think if you force couples to use a caterer they should tray cookies since it’s such an integral part of Pittsburgh weddings.

Overall though we were very pleased with the Aviary and the venue is definitely all we wanted it to be!

We were so happy to have our wedding at the Aviary. It was so neat. The staff was friendly, responsive, and courteous. Atrias' Catering was THE BEST! We got so many compliments on the food, the birds, and the venue. Thank you for making my day special and unique!

I had my ceremony and reception at the Aviary, we did the ceremony in the rose garden, cocktails in the atrium, and reception under the rose garden tent. We started planning and booked the Aviary just over a year before our wedding. The setting was beautiful and the rose garden needed no additional decor for the ceremony because so much was in bloom! Lauren was the events coordinator for the Aviary during most of my planning, but was replaced by Karin a few weeks before the wedding and it was a very smooth transition. I HIGHLY recommend getting a wedding planner or day of coordinator because they really are there to manage the venue, and they were very clear about that so there were no surprises with that. We had a penguin encounter during cocktail hour which was a big hit. The catering from Atria's was fantastic and our guests all raved about the food. The only things that didn't go as planned were small: there were no signs for what each food on the buffet line was, high chairs for young kids hadn't been placed at the 3 tables I specified (example: table for 4 adults and 1 baby had just 6 six adult chairs, so there was also an additional chair). Also, the part that bothered me more was that guests went indoors to explore the exhibits and found they were closed - doors locked and all. The wedding ended at 11, but guests mentioned it around 9 pm. Nowhere in my contract or information did it say the exhibits would close, and I had scheduled it for the DJ to make an announcement at 9:30 suggesting guests go visit the exhibits. However, the Aviary staff did reopen the exhibits after the announcement which was great. Just wish it had been communicated to me in the planning process, so I recommend anyone booking them clarify the exhibit hours. Also note you can't have straws for drinks or flame candles. Overall, our guests thought the setting was beautiful and the staff was all very professional!

Our guests loved being able to explore the Aviary during the reception and the special appearance of a penguin at the cocktail hour! The price included the tent, chairs for ceremony and reception, 3 exhibits, security guards, and free parking. No other venue in the city even came close to matching this. Communication was a bit lacking but overall we had a wonderful experience.

Beautiful venue and such a unique experience - we had a penguin come to our cocktail hour! There were some changes in the people we worked with thought the process which made it a little hard at times, but it all came together at the end!

Overall- the venue was amazing and the day turned out perfectly. The space was beautiful and everything was smooth.

What I loved:
- the outdoor wedding space was perfect. The rose garden in beautiful
- Atria's catering. Several people have said it was the best wedding food they ever had
- space: it was the perfect size for about 150

The reasons I did not give 5 stars:
- I was told the day before the wedding I would need to have someone come set up my silk flower arrangements. After some discussion, the staff agreed to set up. It was an unnecessary stressor the day before
- I asked the staff at the end of the evening to put our gifts / card box in our limo. They did not do it. We had to return the next day to retrieve all of it. The coordinator made a comment saying that she almost threw them all out.
- A glass broke on the dance floor, as the bride I was told that I need to put shoes on. I saw some flip flops in the gift shop. The coordinator insisted I pay the $5 for the shoes (why would I have $5 or a credit card on me?!). Luckily a friend stepped in and purchased them for me.

The event coordinator was available rehearsal day but didn't attend the rehearsal. This individual had also changed a couple things the day of the wedding. Overall, this vender was good to deal with.

The space is not large enough for their advertised 150 people... very tight and uncomfortable for visiting tables. The air conditioning was not nearly sufficient for 150 people with some dancing... one of the staff said, "well, what do you expect with people dancing in July?" I don't know if the system was simply insufficient or there were technical difficulties... which only made the zoo smell that much worse. Luckily, it did not come into the Atrium, but the minute you left the Atrium for the bar or where the buffet is set, it was disgusting. We specifically researched the smell issue and had read reviews that it was taken care of a few years ago; it was not. As the host, we were embarrassed. Atria's was awesome, though!