Mattress Factory

Yay for contemporary art! Tired at looking at dead people's stuff, go here! These artists are active today and it's so fun to see how people's minds work. The museum itself is housed in 3 separate buildings all in the same one block radius. There were lots to see and think about here. I enjoyed this experience.

I am giving it a low rating, but I have to preface by saying that it is entirely my fault. I am not artistically attuned enough to appreciate the art being displayed here. I could not appreciate most of the exhibits. I am not sure what I was expecting. I was definitely not expecting paintings because I am aware that this is a modern art museum and hence I definitely expected to see abstract art. And the art here was definitely abstract to an extent which made me question, the purpose and the interpretation of those artworks. But at the end of the day, none of the artworks inspired or intrigued me or left an impression on me. I guess modern art isn’t for everyone.

LOVED this!!! Not sure why so many people leave negative reviews here - but I understand art is subjective! This isn’t your “norm” art gallery. This isn’t really paintings hanging on the walls type of place. It’s thought provoking, sensory inducing & just wild spaces from creative people! I honestly wish there were MORE art galleries like this. We left all expectations at the door & walked in to just ENJOY & EMBRACE it all. The ticket price was well worth it considering there are 3 - yes 3 - buildings to go thru! So do not miss the other two buildings which are a quick walk down the road. Really interesting pieces, creative spaces & funky stuff to see. Loved the gift shop which had lots of local artisans selling goods. This place is a breath of fresh air. A place to just come, explore & be in a creative, judgement free space!

There are wonderful aspects to the Mattress Factory over its various spaces. One's appreciation of art is an individual and personal matter. Not all the exhibits we saw were as interesting and compelling as others might have been but I would consider a return visit in the future.

Wow. Believe the one star reviews. The decrepit outdated “art” left my mouth open in a BAD way. The fact that this place is pulling in 22$ a person; takes about 20 mins to see after navigating the map and one whole exhibit is a collapsing house, says enough. I could not be anymore dissatisfied, I bought a sticker and kept my pin so I could always remember and tell people about the time I visited she worst art installation on the east coast.

Very unique and interesting museum in great North Pittsburgh neighborhood.

I had a wonderful time. The buildings themselves are so interesting and the way the installations are designed to incorporate the space or point to its limitations is really great. You're not going to walk into big clean rooms and look at neatly hung beautiful pictures and paintings or starkly lit sculptures on pedestals- the shaggy lived in feeling of the space is kinda the whole thing of it. The installations we saw were all so different from one another, there was really something for everyone and we spent nearly three hours taking it all in. That being said, kids might not love it and it's not the most accessible experience for those with mobility issues so fair warning there.

The art is all installations. You walk through the rooms and take everything in. Many of the pieces have a dark theme. I've been there multiple times over the years, and it's a theme for sure. They do have docents who can walk you through and explain.

Yay for contemporary art! Tired at looking at dead people's stuff, go here! These artists are active today and it's so fun to see how people's minds work. The museum itself is housed in 3 separate buildings all in the same one block radius. There were lots to see and think about here. I enjoyed this experience.

I am giving it a low rating, but I have to preface by saying that it is entirely my fault. I am not artistically attuned enough to appreciate the art being displayed here. I could not appreciate most of the exhibits. I am not sure what I was expecting. I was definitely not expecting paintings because I am aware that this is a modern art museum and hence I definitely expected to see abstract art. And the art here was definitely abstract to an extent which made me question, the purpose and the interpretation of those artworks. But at the end of the day, none of the artworks inspired or intrigued me or left an impression on me. I guess modern art isn’t for everyone.

LOVED this!!! Not sure why so many people leave negative reviews here - but I understand art is subjective! This isn’t your “norm” art gallery. This isn’t really paintings hanging on the walls type of place. It’s thought provoking, sensory inducing & just wild spaces from creative people! I honestly wish there were MORE art galleries like this. We left all expectations at the door & walked in to just ENJOY & EMBRACE it all. The ticket price was well worth it considering there are 3 - yes 3 - buildings to go thru! So do not miss the other two buildings which are a quick walk down the road. Really interesting pieces, creative spaces & funky stuff to see. Loved the gift shop which had lots of local artisans selling goods. This place is a breath of fresh air. A place to just come, explore & be in a creative, judgement free space!

There are wonderful aspects to the Mattress Factory over its various spaces. One's appreciation of art is an individual and personal matter. Not all the exhibits we saw were as interesting and compelling as others might have been but I would consider a return visit in the future.

Wow. Believe the one star reviews. The decrepit outdated “art” left my mouth open in a BAD way. The fact that this place is pulling in 22$ a person; takes about 20 mins to see after navigating the map and one whole exhibit is a collapsing house, says enough. I could not be anymore dissatisfied, I bought a sticker and kept my pin so I could always remember and tell people about the time I visited she worst art installation on the east coast.

Very unique and interesting museum in great North Pittsburgh neighborhood.

I had a wonderful time. The buildings themselves are so interesting and the way the installations are designed to incorporate the space or point to its limitations is really great. You're not going to walk into big clean rooms and look at neatly hung beautiful pictures and paintings or starkly lit sculptures on pedestals- the shaggy lived in feeling of the space is kinda the whole thing of it. The installations we saw were all so different from one another, there was really something for everyone and we spent nearly three hours taking it all in. That being said, kids might not love it and it's not the most accessible experience for those with mobility issues so fair warning there.

The art is all installations. You walk through the rooms and take everything in. Many of the pieces have a dark theme. I've been there multiple times over the years, and it's a theme for sure. They do have docents who can walk you through and explain.

What a great place to explore art and especially the Yayoi Kusuma exhibit! Loved exploring inside these walls. There's a few stops you can make through different buildings. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for interesting little finds. It's a definitely a nice place to check out and see all sorts of artistry! Finding it can be a little funny since we went to one of the other buildings before finding the main one - but they're all in walking distance of one another so it all worked out. Enjoy your time!

Always a stimulating and enlightening viewing experience. Multiple floors of rotating exhibits. Free parking?!? Heck yes!

Amazing art museum. We stumbled upon this and were shocked and in awe of how detailed, colorful and immersive these exhibits were. I would highly recommended visiting here. We were a little confused and surprised at the front of the mattress factory. We almost passed by but im super happy we didn't! Some of the stairs were tight, and the stairs up had water running in the railing. This really threw us off but was a wild surprise. There were some lines or waiting but this is normal and can be navigated by being mindful of when you visit.

This is a "modern art" museum rather than a "contemporary art" and so the messages being sent by the artists are more political and more specific. It's still interesting but if you're looking for portraits or landscapes by impressionists, it's not here. I did enjoy the creativity of some of the pieces. The "610-3356" by Sarah Oppenheimer is a hole in the floor that goes through the floor below into the courtyard. It's an "aperture" that offers a different view of the exhibit space. The deconstruction room was very interesting especially the requirement to wear eye and head protection. And the mirrored rooms were particularly interesting with the bright polka dots. Overall? It was interesting and I'm glad I stopped in. Because this is an "exhibit" museum rather than a "collection" one, the displays will be completely different the next time I come back to Pittsburgh. [Review 20431 overall - 640 in Pennsylvania - 1410 of 2023.]

I have a feeling you either get it or you don't. I love contemporary art, but this was post contemporary (is that a thing?). One building is like a haunted house- dark rooms like film developing and a film of a mirror reflection climbing up a tree. The second building was a giant celebration of Raggety Ann and Andy, the next floor was a bunch of puppets and models set up as though there would be a show filmed and a train track connecting the rooms. The upper floor was a bunch of red cracked golfballs and black rope hanging from the ceiling and water running down the staircase. The big building has a room you have to wait 15 minutes for eyes to adjust to see a red glowing cube. The mirror room was cool. The upper floor looks like warped medical procedures. The surrounding area has some amazing murals and gardens and Randyland is just down the street and FREE.

This is one Museum I've had on my radar for a while. Liked what was there, but the main museum building is pretty sparse given the admission price. I expected more, maybe. Asim Waqif's Assume the Risk was impressive to see up close, and Shohei Katayama's "As Below, So Above" is breathtaking. My favorite parts of this was actually in the annex building - don't miss it! There's a free parking lot nearby, but be warned that it's tiny.

Not really a museum person. So I appreciate that it wasn't brutally long. Love the stair railing that has the water shoot out of it. Caught me off guard and was trying to figure out why my hand got wet.....lol I like that it's in a very residential area as opposed to downtown. More laid back atmosphere. I recommend paying the $20 & going for experience

I love fine art. I also enjoy contemporary art. This museum wasn't for me. For $20 it's like walking through an unfinished thought, not worth the time, effort or cost. The neighborhood is super cute though and I'd recommend a stroll around it. Upon paying the entrance fee, the docent recommends starting in an annex building down the block and when you enter. Upon arriving to this beautiful building, it's literally a room of trash. The funniest moment of the museum was as I was leaving that room a man walked in and took a piece of paper off the trash pile and the attendant told him to put it back "anywhere on the exhibit." When going back to the main building, they recommend you start in the 4th floor where they tell you to put on a hardhat and protective glasses. These aren't cleaned between guests so if you're not interested in doing that then you're not really missing out anyway. That floor is like a construction site imagined by a child. The gift shop is cute.

First piece of advice: ignore what any admissions people tell you and start on the second floor of the main building. Get a reservation for Paleides there if you want to see all of the museum. When we made it back, the next appointment was 1.5 hours away and we did not elect to wait. It took us about 1-1.5 hours to casually walk all three buildings, reading about 3/4 of the histories. This contemporary art museum will inspire different things with different people. The pieces are intended to make you think about the deeper meaning and intent of the artist. Visually speaking, most of them are not appealing. There are some architectural oddities in Second Home and some unique exhibits in the main building that utilize light and space well, but some are arguably unartistic. I would dare to say that many people will walk through the first floor of trash not knowing that it is intended to be an exhibit (as shown, it's a piece called "The Museum Collects Itself (2023)"). You may leave this museum scornfully thinking that art can be seen in everything - and maybe the museum has thus succeeded in broadening your perspective. But in the same way that L.A. filmmakers think that existentialism is #deep, pieces of trash do not make unique nor appealing modern art. I would read all of the narratives if you're looking for immersion. Or, try to get a guided tour if you really want to appreciate the pieces.

This is such a cool experience. I came with my family to visit the museum. The employees were friendly and helped explain a number of the exhibits and discuss the thought process of the artists. Will be back to see future exhibits.

We didn't know what we were getting into. I thought this was going to be similar to "OtherWorld" in Columbus, OH but it's not. It was pretty underwhelming. A lot of the rooms were all but empty. Staff were friendly, it was clean. If you're into art, you'd probably like it, it just wasn't for us. Parking was limited. Their parking lot has very few spots. Other parking includes street parking and when we were there on a rainy October Saturday the streets were packed. But also remember this is also a residential area and people are parking at their houses.

If I could give it zero stars, I would. This place is nothing but a bunch of trash, literally. Some composed into some sort of manor to be presented as art which it most definitely is not. Now I understand that art can be made of anything but this is not art in any way. Also no direction on where to go or what to do so it's a bit just like walking around aimlessly. This is just like a bunch of people got together and came up with this idea to see how much they could charge to look at garbage and sit back and laugh at how absurd the success is. I could see charging $5 and that's asking a lot but what they actually charge is absolutely ridiculous. I love art of all kinds and appreciate exploring different obscure ideas and so on but this is not it. Save your money and go do something else.

for the past six years I've been dying to see some of Kusama's instillations in person. they most definitely did not disappoint. I could have spent all of eternity in the Infinity Dots room. it felt like one of those sensory deprivation chambers. I loved the glow. the loss of individuality. like I was dropped in this dark forrest. Dot Obsession was less immersive, but nevertheless still just as exciting. there's two buildings. the main building seems to have the more wildly appealing works and friendlier staff. I don't wanna say if you miss the second building you aren't missing much, but you aren't. the main building is just more fun

Best museum in the Burgh! I love interactive art museums. It's good for kid and adults. It's unique. It's bigger than it looks. It's great!

Incredible art and exhibits. Very interesting. In 2 different buildings, 4 floors on one and 3 floors on another.

Unfortunately Mattress Factory wasn't really my cup of tea. I think there are definitely people who do find the kinds of exhibits and installments here interesting, but I had a hard time understanding/relating to most of it and so I don't think it was worth the $20 price tag either. The three other people I came with felt similarly.

I don't think I've ever given such a low star review before...but to be honest, I wanted to give only one star. My husband and I lived by the mattress factory for about 2 years. We never went because we thought it would be a little too contemporary for us. With the cost being $20 per ticket, we never felt we could justify attending. When we saw they were having a free day in September, we decided that would be the time to give it a try. When I say it was bizarre, that feels like a bit of an understatement. It was the classic head scratching "this is considered art?!" experience that we had feared. Some exhibits were more interesting than others and some were just plain weird or boring. My husband perhaps summed up my thoughts when he said "I'm so glad we came on a free day. If this museum had cost .25 cents I'd sooner put it into a gumball machine than visit this museum" We were not alone in our thoughts either, as we talked to several others who were visiting and expressed similar sentiments. This may be a big highlight and draw for some, but I would never ever pay $20 for such an experience. I give two stars because all staff were polite and kind and helpful.

The Mattress Factory is a unique experience and definitely not for everyone. I'm no art expert but I was interested in the museum after hearing so much about it. The content inside the museum is a mix of about everything from taxidermy to "Instagramable" backdrops. Overall I didn't love the majority of what I saw and wouldn't return - though I'm happy that I saw it and least once. Our tickets also gave us access to the "Annex" which was in a separate building around the corner. Equally bizarre art can be found there. The museum itself is tucked away on the Northside and you wouldn't recognize it instantly as it doesn't necessarily stand out amongst the buildings. Parking is pretty easy with ample spaces.

if you enjoy large piles of trash that are pieced together to look like "art", this place is for you. if you enjoy looking at art such as paintings and photographs and sculptures, try a different museum.

I hadn't been since I was in high school so I was excited to go. I went around 4pm on a Thursday. Staff were super friendly and informed us that the top floor was closed so they gave us a pass to come another time as well. I love all the different exhibits. I also really like the building with local artists. I can't wait to go back!

I visited the Mattress Factor a few weeks ago when I visited Pittsburgh with my husband. Mattress Factory is a museum/gallery specializing in - I think it's fair to say - out there contemporary art. The art is spread across three buildings just down the street from each other (no more than a two minute walk from building to building). Their collection does include some pieces by some big name artists. There are several pieces by James Turrell (who I've been very interested in since visit his Twilight Epiphany Skyspace on the Rice University campus in Houston) and two Yayoi Kusama rooms. The building is a cool space for their collection and exhibits. And some of the art is really interesting and thought-provoking (Sarah Huny Young's 7 caught my eye and got me thinking). And some of the art is WHAT!? But that's contemporary art, right? It's boundary-pushing. So some of it will be for you and some of it won't. But it's interesting and worth a visit!

Quality is lacking for "fine art" and I'm pretty sure staff doesn't make a livable wage. Word travels, mattress factory, and I can no longer support your unethical behavior

Definitely a unique experience in Pittsburgh. We managed to get tickets for Sunday afternoon before flying out. Some of the exhibits were very interesting and others were a little too far out there for my liking. I will be honest, I am not a great art connoisseur but I do enjoy visiting exhibit every once in a while. I appreciated the fact that it was not crowded due to the limited number of tickets and reservations available. They are currently in the works on a new exhibit that is set to open later this year so definitely check them out if you find yourself in the Pittsburgh area.

Just go. The work here is incredible and unique. Be open. Staff was very friendly and helpful. I could only wish to have such a place closer to home!

I love this place!!!! So much so that I got a yearly membership. Three separate buildings all with multiple floors for you to explore and be immersed in surreal and deep art. Don't sleep on their gift shop and cafe! I will definitely have more reviews and pictures incoming for this place, feeling a bit lazy atm about uploading the pics haha.

Wow! So much fun. When looking for things to do in Pittsburgh when Mattress Factory kept popping up so I was a little confused until I noticed it was a museum, and it delivered. They have great COVID measures in place and liked the timed ticketing so it never felt overwhelmed with people, and having three separate building literally chops it up. I will say the first building was really disappointing. A "Second Home" installment was not my favorite, but that's the point of art, right? The second building was the gem for me. "Museum of All Things" was jaw dropping and where I spent most of my time admiring the intricacies of the instillation. The rest of the building was super interesting, and then we finished up in the mail building. Would definitely come back once new things are added and it seems like things change quite often here. All of the staff we encountered were SO friendly and engaging which added onto the experience as well. Definitely one of my favorite museum trips!

There's only one word I can use to describe this place... and that's "kooky". I will admit there are some cool I installations like the James Turell and the Yayoi Kusama floors buts that's about as normal as it gets. When I visited there were a couple floors under construction and weren't even open. The kicker was a building made up of a hodge lodge of random things. It was like walking into an episode of hoarders. If you're really curious and into the weird and wacky this is for you. Otherwise, spare yourself the ticket prices.

I am not super into art (or beer), so read this review with that in mind. I went there for an event last saturday which had some floors of the museum open, along with a beer festival in the courtyard. They had a solid selection of beer. They gave you a glass on your way in and then you got to taste test different beers/whiskeys/ciders/bourbons... They also let you walk around the museum while you tried the different libations. Everyone who worked there were super friendly, especially the breweries. The art, on the other hand, was why it lost a star. There wasn't much of it, and it was just kind of weird. They do have a selfie room where you can take pictures of yourself in mirrors and this weird dark room. But, other than that, I wasn't overly impressed with the art. If you like beer, and they have an event there, its worth a visit!

I love the expression experimental art, as opposed to what? The building's in a fantastic location, and the exhibit's are a little random, I would give it five stars for unknown artists, and one or two stars for having no unified theme, but to each his own. The real reason I took away one star was, there was one exhibit where the person piled garbage into a heap, and called it art, and if I can do it, it's not art. Sorry not sorry.

Very fun day trip!! Everyone who worked there was sweet! Exhibits were stimulating and thoughtful. Worth a visit for sure!

Some really funky art, spread out across three nearby structures made for a fun afternoon of exploring. Many different exhibits to choose from means there is probably something for everyone.

Unfortunately, this museum really missed the mark. I understand it is supposed to be very modern and abstract, but it came off as just weird. I'll preface the review saying that about half of the floors were closed for refurbishments so we did purchase a discount ticket that they are offering because of the limited number of exhibits. The second floor fell like a weird haunted house. It was extremely dark and difficult to navigate. This is of course the point, but it was quite unnecessary. The third floor has an interactive exhibit that just looked better online. The rooms just looked cheap and creepy. There are two other buildings associated with the museum. One is about 3 floors of a house filled with items. I felt like I was walking through an antique shop. This was probably my favorite part of the museum, but it was just fun to look at and nothing awe evoking. The last building had one room open for an exhibit that again was just odd. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this museum unless you are really really in to contemporary art that is straight up weird.

So...if you aren't an artsy type or an avid lover of museums, you're likely to find this museum to be pretty bizarre. It's unique and we had fun, but for the most part, there was a fair bit of the space that got an "I don't get it" from me. For example, there is a chair made up of various scraps. Everyone else seemed fascinated by it, but I looked at it and thought "In what world do you put that together and think 'YES - now THAT is a museum worthy piece'?" Maybe it's me. In any case, I parked on the street without any trouble, though there did appear to be a small parking area. My GPS took me to a side door instead of the front, but I figured it out. This place is not very accessible overall though. If you can't climb stairs, there's entire sections you can't even get to. And most of the exhibits even in the main building would not easily accommodate a wheelchair.

A friend and I are visiting Pittsburgh from Michigan for a short trip. This place is a MUST see! The employees were all super friendly and helpful & the installations were incredible. Would definitely recommend!

This was such an interesting/fun/quirky place! We are glad we made it out! Perfect spot for photos for the influencers out there The workers were extremely helpful and friendly!

I love the Mattress Factory! My professor had taken me back when I was in art school and I adored it, so recently I decided to take my family! This still remains one of my favorite contemporary art museums! I love the variety of curated works and the permanent installations are timeless!

I recently got to come here for the first time and loved every second! The exhibits were all very modern and stood for things that were very interesting! My sister and cousin also loved it here!

This place is an amazing art museum! It's definitely not a museum for everyone though. Some exhibits did have a slightly more "creepy" vibe to it while walking through and seeing all the exhibits. A few of the exhibits I had planned to see were closed which was slightly disappointing... But all in all, definitely a place to check out when you're in Pittsburgh and enjoy art!

Can I rate this a ZERO?? This museum is beyond underwhelming. Charging $20 per adult to look at empty rooms is a joke. They sell you on access to 3 buildings, but there's nothing worthwhile to see in any of them. Don't waste your time and money here!!!

Before you bring out the pitchforks for this less-than-stellar rating, I will tell you I like this place. I like it a lot! It's just that some of it's issues are a bit glaring and can take away from the experience. Let's start with the issues. First issue; the parking lot. Perhaps you might argue that street parking can be found near the museum, but I beg to differ. The parking lot is the size of a postage stamp, and due to people incorrectly parking there is often unused space that could have easily made up additional parking spots. There are no lines on the spaces, so it is a free for all. You might think this is not a big problem, but for an out-of-towner relying on a car this is a big deal. Second issue; size of the museum vs. the cost of admission. Quite frankly they do not add up. I was able to see the two buildings currently on display in less than half an hour. At first four floors of exhibits seems daunting, but in realty since the museum is so small there really isn't a ton to see. In addition to this, the Pleiades exhibit was booked for the day when i went, so that was a large portion of the gallery I did not get to see. For twenty dollars a person this is very disappointing. I've paid less for museums where my visit was an all day event. I know part of what makes this place unique is the size, but (perhaps foolishly) I feel like more could be added to their exhibits, especially their permanent fixtures. Aside from those issues, I do think that this is a very thought provoking museum. Some of the exhibits will leave you unsettled, but they always do their job of making you sit up and take notice of what the artist is trying to illustrate. I think this place is probably worth at least one visit, so if you are a tourist I will advise you to be aware that parking is no picnic here and not to expect a huge museum you can spend all day at. While I am a bit disappointed that this place was smaller than I expected, I definitely don't regret going.

I'm going to have an unpopular opinion about this place. I was really excited to go because of the type of art it houses. I am extremely into modern, eclectic installations. When I read the back of the little pamphlet they give you that some art may move you or that you may feel intense things when looking at it, I was ready! I love when art can move me in that way. However.. I was very disappointed. There are four floors and another building a few doors down. We started at the smaller building and I honestly couldn't even tell you what it was. I felt like I was walking through a weird haunted house that wasn't scary. The main building is comprised of 4 floors. There were hardly any installations on these floors. And the installations that they had weren't impressive except for Greer Lankton, which I absolutely adored and was moved by. I'm happy that was there or else I would've just been completely let down. What I've seen on their website was NOT all there or open and they didn't tell us that whatsoever. So I paid $20 for literally half of what they advertise. I'm just super disappointed. This place was not worth the money I paid when I literally pay the same for the Art and History museum in Oakland and can spend all day there.

Is this place worth full priced admission? Heck no. But for half off Tuesdays + the student discount, I think it's worth it. I want to say there were about 15 exhibits to look through spread out over 3 floors in the main museum + 1 floor of another building on the corner. Some exhibits were really cool (Yayoi Kusama), but others, I was just like "Really?" (aka sitting in a pitch black room for 20 minutes, thanks to James Turrell).

Very interesting spot, the staff was kind and helped recommended what buildings to visit in the proper order. The only reason this is 3 stars-I thought $20 was a bit overpriced for this place. We recommend to anyone-please visit.

Whenever I spot an art museum, I immediately think of my daughter who is majoring in art at Slippery Rock University. So I decided to check this place out. They have a very small parking lot on Jacksonia St which is on the block behind the main building. I went in, paid my admission, and was told to proceed to the 4th floor to start my tour. I learned that free admission is given to members, students at Pitt, Carnegie Mellon University, and Point Park Univ. All other students are charged $15.00 with their student ID. If you live in the following zip codes 15212,15214, or 15233 then you would pay half of the $20.00 general cost. Please note no flash photography is allowed in the exhibits but you can bring bottled water. The artwork is mostly modern art with a different flare to it. For instance on the 4th floor there is this long concrete sculpture that eventually turns into strange metals that include a door and porthole. I learned once I went inside this piece that it is actually used as a small meeting room. I was equally impressed with the red polka dot room where you must put on those stretchable plumber's shoe covers in order to enter it. I really couldn't make out what was on the 2nd floor since it was the work of James Turrell. One room is totally pitch black and another has a glowing purple rectangle which must seem to change as you approach it. I was really blown away by the ground floor exhibition entitled "The ghost train" by Marnie Weber. I felt like I was seeing some scary things in a dark ride but the piece is magnificent. They have a small cafe where I grabbed a salad. They give you table service if you are ordering food and prices were reasonable. Next door they have a tiny gift shop. The clerk was very helpful in explaining some of the pieces to me and advised me to check out the two other buildings for the rest of my visit. I went to 516 Samsonia Way to see a permanent exhibition called "Trace of Memory" It was set up in a way that you would see what looked like cobwebs over a whole house where a wedding had taken place. The final building is located at 1414 Monterey St where there was 3 floors of various exhibitions. I was impressed with the "ship of fools" since I had never seen a ship on top of and ox. Please note that elevator service is only available in the main building. The other two buildings have narrow stairs and you will be climbing two flights. Please be aware of this if you are physically challenged. I was sending my daughter some pictures I had taken and she was completely blown away! She definitely wants to visit this place when she is home from college. This museum is a must for people who enjoy modern art and the things that one can do with simple things around the house.

Recently I took my son to the museum, while they had no problem charging full price, only after did they state that quite a few exhibits were being replaced and whole floor sections could not be accessed. In addition, the remote building with all of the mismatched toys and woodwork was 'broken' and no music was being piped in due to 'technical difficulties' Music an integral part to the piece. Sorry, but since Barbara's passing this museum and it's opportunity have gone downhill.

This is definitely a place I'll come back to when visiting Pittsburgh. This is such a fun place. I don't even know where to begin. I love art! I'm not an art pro or anything, but I love viewing the way other people see the world. Sometimes I like to think we all have art inside us, but we each have very different ways of showing it (writing, speaking, drawing, creating music, taking pictures of our food, etc) This museum consists of 2 different buildings. They have permanent & temporary exhibits. Installation exhibits. You'll see simple things that you love & simple things that you just don't understand. Things that will make you want to speak to the artist. While it has 2 buildings & a few floors, you can easily get through all the exhibits within 1-3 hours. My only complaint is with 1 exhibit. That exhibit forces you to walk down this dark hallway & sit in 2 chairs at the end of it. The staff at the museum entrance as well as signs that are posted tell you to yell to make sure that you don't ruin anyone's experience. The signs also tell you to not shine a light or your phone. This particular exhibit has to be experienced in pitch black darkness for at least 20-30 minutes(eye tricks). What happened during our experience? Well, we're 15 minutes in when all of a sudden we hear the elevator open. A girl & her mother start walking around the floor to see the other 2 or 3 exhibits on that floor before descending on the hall/room where we were sitting. They didn't check to see if anyone was there. The younger girl immediately turned on her cell phone flashlight! Boom! Beam of light directly down the hallway ruining our experience! If I had a suggestion to give, it would be to place someone from the staff on that floor so that the experience isn't ruined. If it's a money situation, then hire an unpaid intern from Carnegie or something to do it. I still love this place & wish we had a place like this in Louisville. People in Pittsburgh should be happy to have this place in their city. If you're visiting Pittsburgh, make this a stop! We almost skipped it at the last minute! We didn't skip it & we're glad we didn't!

Lucky break...Tuesday is half price admission! Spent my Tuesday visiting several sites in Pittsburgh...Duquesne Incline, Warhol museum, Randyland...and a short walk to the Mattress Factory. By the time I arrived, I was exhausted and was thinking I should Uber back to the hotel. However, "half price" won me over and I am so glad I decided to venture in! An experience...a total immersion into modern art. A near complete sensory experience (and in the Solar garden display...sight, smell, temperature...light..heat...). I managed to walk the main building before closing time and my feet gave out for the day. I cannot wait to return one day...I understand that the exhibits change frequently!

I came here with my friend when we were visiting Pittsburgh. We were lucky enough to come here on the free Sunday they had it open instead on an admission day where you have to apparently pay $20 per person. This would have so not been worth it. I was extremely disappointed after all the talk I heard about it with friends. It was something I found a bit weird. I can appreciate modern art, but I couldn't board this train. If you are into weird art, this is the place to be.

Two installations closed yet they still charged full price. A hysterical little kid was crying outside another and was being tended to by parents and a museum manager. A couple of these installations are definitely too intense for kids under 8. My main gripe is it all just seemed pretty slight. Having just come from the Warhol museum, which was incredible, it didn't seem like the Mattress Factory was justified in charging the same amount of money for a couple of half-baked installations. It felt like a rip off.