“I was born in 1934 and again in 1955 when I came to Pittsburgh.”- Roberto Clemente
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania owes its prosperity to its location where the Alleghany and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio River and wildlife and fertile soil were plentiful. The region became a hub for immigrants seeking employment in the 19th and 20th-century coal and steel industries. The rare combination of a huge influx of money and continual additions of diverse cultural viewpoints helped establish a city filled with creative individuals and one-of-a-kind institutions.
More than 15,000 years ago Native Americans were present in the Pittsburg metropolitan area known as the Meadowcroft Rockshelter. The region, known as "Dionde:gâ'" in the Seneca language, has been archeologically recognized as an example of the oldest carbon-dated human settlements on the continent. The natives were hunters-gatherers and Meadowcroft was a transitory hunting campsite because of its access to water routes. It was continuously inhabited until the 1700s and is the longest continual place of human habitation in North America. Numerous artifacts have been located at the site and they, as well as a recreated early Monongahela village, can be toured.
Settlers began to flock to the area circa 1710 and in 1748 the British Ohio Company received a 200,000-acre land grant and began improvements on the Great Wagon Road. The route traveled south following an old Indian trail once called the Warrior’s Road.
The British and French went to war for control from 1754-63, the British prevailed and gained control of the Ohio Valley and all the land east of the Mississippi. Fort Pitt was built in 1764 to defend against Native American Indian attacks. The blockhouse still stands in the city and is the oldest standing structure west of the Alleghenies.
Senator John Heinz History Center is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution that provides an overview of all things Pittsburg throughout its 250-year history. A lobby exhibit showcases the oldest Jeep in the country and The Western PA Sports Museum is located within the larger museum.
Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation relates the story of Pittsburgh residents and inventions that advanced America. An outstanding exhibit on Mr. Rogers is housed in the Special Collections Gallery and features his stage sets, puppets and clothing items.
The From Slavery to Freedom Gallery is entered through a portion of a slave ship and continues chronologically through the black experience. Highlights of the gallery include a section on black baseball teams with an emphasis on the 1936 Pittsburg Crawfords, who fielded five future Hall of Famers, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, “Cool Papa” Bell, Oscar Charleston and Judy Johnson and the Homestead Grays, an amateur team created for black steelworkers. Pittsburg was deemed the center of black baseball.
The University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning has 42 floors and was, when constructed, the tallest education building in the world. The building is Gothic-Moderne architecture and was completed in 1934. The 31 Nationality Rooms pay homage to cultural ethnicities found in Pittsburgh with décor chosen by each group. Do not miss the Japanese Room built in Kyoto without nails or glue and transported to America and the Greek Room with tiles of lapis lazuli. Tours are free.
Three-floors of art and natural history are on view inside the Carnegie Museum of Art. The newest exhibit, Is it morning for you yet?, opened Sept. 24 –April 2, 2023. In Sharp Focus: Charles “Teenie” Harris, presents the works of Charles “Teenie” Harris in a special gallery. Harris was a photographer for the Pittsburgh Courier who captured pivotal moments in the lives of the African American population. Of particular note are his images of black performers. The Carnegie is widely considered the first modern art museum largely because Carnegie urged them to collect post-1896 art.
The Frick Pittsburgh complex, situated on ancestral lands of the Haudenosaunee and Osage tribes, consists of the greenhouse, gardens, Carriage House, Clayton Mansion and museum. The Renaissance Revival home was purchased in 1882 by the Fricks and is the final extant mansion on Millionaire’s Row. A museum tour consists of 7 exhibit areas including “American Perspectives”. It is on view until Jan. 8, 2023 and features self-taught folk artists and how their perspectives depict the larger world.
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden is set on 15-acres and offers a 14-room glasshouse and 23 thematic gardens. The gardens opened in 1893.
Modern science and technology are the focus in the Carnegie Science Center and it is experienced in more than 250 exhibits, the Buhl Planetarium and Observatory and the USS Requin, a tourable WWII diesel-electric submarine moored just outside. The state-of-the-art Planetarium takes you on a journey through the universe using 17 projectors and 7 laser projections. The CSC’s 7400-sq ft. gallery scheduled to open on November 19th, Mars: The Next Giant Leap, will allow visitors to immerse themselves in an exploration of Mars from our early beliefs about the planet to establishing and maintaining a colony on Mars.
In a city filled with “singular sensations” the new Moonshot Museum still manages to be a standout. The museum has partnered with Astrobotic Space Technology to interpret and display the concept of space exploration. Using immersive activities visitors develop an understanding of how many different skills are necessary in the emerging field of space technology. Most stunning are the huge windows that provide a view of Astrobotic’s Clean Room assembly area where viewers watch as lunar rovers are assembled. Currently they are assembling the PEREGRINE lander, named after the world’s fastest animal, to be launched in the very near future. Anyone with an interest in space must visit the museum. Moonshotmuseum.org
Andy Warhol was born in Pittsburg in 1928 and since 1994 he has been honored there in North America’s largest museum dedicated to a single artist. Items from the 10,000 piece permanent collection are displayed over 7 floors chronologically and thematically. Highlights of a self-guided tour include artwork, furnishings from his photo studio, original covers from Interview Magazine and memorabilia from his 600 time capsules, boxes of notes, memos, etc., that he saved. The couch in the lobby is a replica of the one in his club and no visitor, including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Tom Hanks and Trevor Noah, leaves the premises without a photo op.
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center anchors the Cultural District. The premiere attraction here is August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape, dedicated to the commemoration of the life, works and influence of the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. The exhibition allows visitors to walk through his life and the ten play American Century Cycle. Inspired by sculptor Romare Bearden and author Jorge Luis Borges he set out to tell the story of African American life after slavery and how it has manifested throughout the centuries. His works, with the exception of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, are set in Pittsburgh. The museum ‘s displays include his office, portions of his jazz collection, stage props from some of his works and an excellent series of explanatory videos. August Wilson’s home still stands on 1727 Bedford Ave.
At one point Pittsburgh made one-third of all the glass made in the country. Pittsburgh Glass Center honors that tradition by giving access to a 9-area tour, classes and mini-lessons to create a take home glass artwork. Dale Chihuly worked in the Hot Shop here in May 2007 #pghglasscenter
The regal Fairmont Hotel Downtown is ideal for visiting Pittsburg. It offers 185 accommodations with world-class service, boutique amenities and luxurious linens. The views are stunning and it is close to the entertainment, restaurants and shops of the 14-square block Cultural District.
The district is now managed by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and walking tours of, what was once the red-light district, can be reserved. Featured sites are the Benedum Center’s gilded plasterwork and 500,000 piece crystal chandelier and Liberty Magic presenting programs that showcase the art of Magic. The Byham Theater, once the world’s largest dedicated to burlesque and vaudeville, displays a photographic history in the lobby.
Pittsburg has emerged as a foodie destination and there are more than 3,000 restaurants to choose from. The best of the best includes Con Alma Downtown, DiAnoia’s Eatery, 40 North, Sally Ann’s and Spork. Each restaurant provides a wonderful dining experience, has a unique history and can facilitate exploration of many of the 90 distinct neighborhoods that make up the city.
Each of the sites and attractions are found “Only in Pittsburgh” and I think it is time to explore these unique options. #VisitPittsburgh
