Pittsburgh is home to two leading research universities (Carnegie Mellon University and the nearby University of Pittsburgh), a major symphony orchestra (the Pittsburgh Symphony), one of the nation's largest botanical conservatories (the Phipps Conservatory, which is located in Schenley Park near CMU) and numerous other museums and cultural attractions.
It is also home to three major league sports teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates (baseball), the Pittsburgh Steelers (football), and the Pittsburgh Penguins (ice hockey). More information about sights and activities in Pittsburgh, including a gallery of pictures, can be found on the Pittsburgh.net web site. The City of Pittsburgh web site also has information about local events.
The conference banquet will be held on Thursday evening at the Andy Warhol Museum (one of the four Carnegie Museums in Pittsburgh). On Friday evening, there will be a cruise on the riverboat "Keystone Belle" hosted by Gateway Clipper.
No conference activities are planned on Saturday evening, but some events that are going on in Pittsburgh that evening include a symphony performance, a Pirates baseball game, and an outdoor jazz concert in Riverview Park. There are also many interesting restaurants in the vinicity of the university and within walking distance of the hotels. (More details on restaurants will be distributed at the meeting.)
The local airport is Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), which is served by all major U.S. air carriers and their international partners. The most economical way to get from the airport to CMU and the conference hotels is to take the "28X Airport Flyer" city bus, which costs only $2.25 and takes about 45 minutes. It runs every 20 or 30 minutes throughout the day--click here for the schedule in pdf format. Note that there is a stop at Forbes Ave. and McKee Place which is close to the Wyndham Hotel, a stop at Forbes Ave. past Morewood Ave. that is close to the conference location and dormitories at CMU, and a stop at 5th Ave. and Tennyson that is close to the Holiday Inn. (Alternatively, you can take one of several shuttle services, around $17-20 one way, or a taxi, around $45 one way.) Public transportation in the city includes a subway system (the "T"), a bus system, and several "inclines" that take you to the top of some of the city's famous hills. The Wyndham Hotel also has its own shuttle that will take hotel guests to points within the city. For more information on public transportation, see this link.
Here are some more links about CMU and its surrounding area: