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Weekly Staycation: The Penguins of Pittsburgh

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Chatham chapter.

Hat on, boots buckled and coat zipped, venture out into the wintry weather for an up-close encounter with the penguins of Pittsburgh!

Meet the babies.

Over winter break, bundles of furry, squeaky joy tumbled into the world. The National Aviary announced the birth of two adorable African penguins. Until the kiddos can be transferred to live with the whole penguin colony, they’ll be cuddled and cozy in the hospital nursery (good news: there are windows, so you’ll be able to take a peek). To follow baby penguin news, click here.

The National Aviary is open 10am to 5pm most days. Admission is free for members, $35 for adults. Click here to plan your visit.

Catch a Penguins game.

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ regular season runs through January 22, so you’ve got plenty of opportunities to see Crosby and Malkin in action. Sign up for American Eagle Student Rush text alerts here to be sure you’re getting the best deal. Is it an away game weekend? Stop by the Strip District to stock up on black and gold gear, then head to a sports bar on the South Side or in Oakland to cheer on the team.

March with the penguins.

The penguins are on parade at the Pittsburgh Zoo! Every Saturday and Sunday at 11:30am, weather permitting, you can meet them as they waddle around outside the PPG Aquarium. This special event only runs through the winter months, so it’s worth bundling up for!

From January 2 through March 31, the zoo is open 9am to 4pm. The admission gates close at 4pm, and the indoor exhibits (plus Kids Kingdom) close at 4:45pm. Admission is $11 for adults, but parking is free. Get more info here.

 Take the fun further:

Plan a penguin movie marathon in a student lounge! Our suggestions:

Inspirational (and Educational): March of the Penguins

Musical: Happy Feet (and Happy Feet Two)

Family-Friendly: Surf’s Up

Wacky: Mr. Popper’s Penguins

Hilarious: Madagascar (and Madagascar 2, and Madagascar 3)

  Mara Flanagan is entering her seventh semester as a Chapter Advisor. After founding the Chatham University Her Campus chapter in November 2011, she served as Campus Correspondent until graduation in 2015. Mara works as a freelance social media consultant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She interned in incident command software publicity at ADASHI Systems, gamification at Evive Station, iQ Kids Radio in WQED’s Education Department, PR at Markowitz Communications, writing at WQED-FM, and marketing and product development at Bossa Nova Robotics. She loves jazz, filmmaking and circus arts.