I have been here on more than a few occasions, going all the way back to school field trips as a…read morechild. Generally, it's a pretty cool place to visit and explore. This time we checked out an "Experience" from our local library, which allows free admission. This program is great, and allows you to visit Meadowcroft, plus the Heinz History Center, and the Fort Pitt Museum. In the morning, we explored the visitor center and the Native American Village. We liked throwing the Atlatl, which launches big, spear-like darts at a fake deer target to see if you can get them to stick. Afterwards, we left the site to go have lunch about 15 minutes away, and then did a short hike at Cross Creek Lake, where we saw a historic Truss Bridge from 1881. We came back to Meadowcroft, and climbed the steps to the Rock Shelter. We had seen this before, but we were able to experience some excavation work with the staff and scientists. We saw a recent discovery of a chipped flint that was 3,000 years old. Afterwards, we finished exploring the rest of the property. We liked throwing axes, playing double ball, and some other games. The old museum part was slightly disappointing, as it smelled heavily of mold, and I didn't want to stay in the buildings because of the smell. Neat old coaches and wagons in there, but I saw them before, so we were in and out quickly. Lastly, we did the Historic Covered Bridge (looks like it was re-done recently with new wood), the school, church, blacksmith shop and log cabin. All pretty cool to see. Overall, a nice day here at Meadowcroft ... Cheers!

Not too far from Pittsburgh (~1 hr) but the narrow 2 lane rural desolate Google Map route was white…read moreknuckling. All the docents were immersed in their roles. We threw spears and tomahawk. The geologist at the rock shelter was very interesting. There was a guest from Toronto who drove up from Wheeling to visit Meadowcroft. The conference center is still under construction. The bathrooms are open. Lots of stalls that are roomy. The gift shop was a great starting and ending point.

This is a neat piece of history that you can still walk across today. There is both an official…read moreOhio historical marker and a kiosk with photos that offer more information about the bridge. As the name indicates, it has an "S" shape, and it is part of the historic National Road, which runs across six states. Built in 1828, it is thought to be the first bridge built in the Northwest Territory. The bridge is built at a 6.3% incline to cover a 500 foot climb over Wheeling Creek. The bridge had to be partially rebuilt in 1929, and was then repaired again beginning in 1999. The Blaine Viaduct was built in 1933 and took over some of the heavy lifting with traffic. The Blaine S Bridge became the state's Bicentennial Bridge in 2001. If you walk across the bridge, you can also glimpse some remnants of the old road on the other side (but watch your step, it's a bit uneven since it hasn't been maintained and grass has partially taken over). Some picnic tables and benches have been put in on this side. The S bridge was built using three arches, which you can view by heading down to the bank of the creek. Very interesting bit of history!

An ornate 2,500-pound bronze clock has hung at the corner of Smithfield Street and Fifth Avenue in…read moredowntown Pittsburgh since 1913. On the corner of the downtown Kaufmann's department store, central location in Downtown Pittsburgh made the clock a popular meeting place. The clock was declared a landmark in 1981. A wedding even took place under the clock in 1996. Today the building houses apartments, a hotel and hopefully soon, a Target.

I was here for the Washington County Covered Bridge festival. The festival takes place at a number…read moreof covered bridges once a year in mid September. This site is nice if you did not want to park far from the food. The McClurg covered bridge is in this park. The food offerings were good. We had the BBQ half chicken followed up with apple dumplings. They tasted great. The dumpling was a whole apple cored wrapped in pie crust and baked, and served with ice cream. They also had vendors selling items like alpaca socks and sweaters etc. Nicely done and a nice way to spend a couple hours.

In the appropriately named city of Moundsville, you'll find -- you'll never guess -- a great-big…read moremound. But Grave Creek Mound is more than just a mound! It's a sacred religious site of the Adena people, and it was built around 150 B.C. The mound is a burial ground for members of the Adena tribe, and was created over a period of a hundred years or so. You can climb up the mound via steps that wrap around it. It takes a couple of minutes. When you get to the top, the view is pretty cool: You can see downtown Moundsville and the West Virginia Penitentiary, which looks hardcore and gothic, but is out of commission and is now just a museum. I took some time to stand on the mound, breathing the West Virginia air that was blowing around me, and thought about the dead people I was standing on. Just bodies, bodies, bodies all the way down. Probably, most definitely, not even bodies anymore -- they've just transitioned their way back into the earth. It's a sobering place to visit. Anywhooo! There's a museum that you can visit, too (open Tuesdays through Saturdays), which is free to explore. Inside, you can learn about Grave Creek Mound and the people who created it. There are also archeological exhibits with fossils on display, as well as exhibits about local items made in West Virginia, like Marble King marbles and Marx toys, which at one point was the largest toy-making facility in the world. This is a fun and educational place to visit if you're in this part of West Virginia.

Stopped here for a quick visit on a Sunday afternoon in mid-June 2025. Although the museum and…read moregift shop were closed, it's still quite an impressive feature of Moundsville. If you read a bit about the history of the Adena people who lived here and created many sacred mounds (which have mostly disappeared in the region due to commercial and real estate developers), it gives you greater appreciation of the native Americans who valued this sacred site on the Ohio River and the family and citizens of Moundsville who pushed back to say "No" to real estate developers who wanted to bulldoze this historical mound. I hope the Grave Creek Mound foundation can unite forces and share archaeological items with the state of Ohio which was received a Feb. 2025 Unesco World Heritage recognition for the Hopewell Culture sights and mounds in the state of Ohio. These sacred mounds are similar to royal tombs in South Korea and Japan - which have a shared historical legacy of shamanism (which native Americans likely brought with them during the Ice Age migrations across the Bering Strait fro to Alaska to North America).

I have visited more than half of the Madonna of the Trail statues that were erected by the D.A.R…read more in the late 1920s, and this was my seventh one. The statues are all identical; however, all have different text on the sides of them. They were all sculpted by St. Louis sculptor August Leimbach. This is one of five that are placed on the Historic National Road. All twelve of the MOTT statues are on the Old Trails Road, which technically doesn't exist. The one complaint that I have about this one are the "No Parking" signs. This is clearly on a roadside pullout that invites people to check this statue as well as the historical markers next to it. But check it out anyway!

This lovely statue erected by the DAR Society is located along the National Rd. It is near the…read moreWheeling Park entrance. There us a pullover area where you can get out and Read the historical markers. This statue is part of 8 statues located along the National Rd, they are called Madonnas of the Trails. This is the 4th one that I have visited

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Keith! He had to do much first hand knowledge of the facility,…read morehaving worked there himself when he graduated the army. The tour lasted about 2.5 hours and was mostly outside in direct sunlight. There were a few opportunities for shade, but not many. If you come on a hot day, plan to arrive hydrated and grab a complimentary water bottle from the check in desk. You'll need it. Parking is plentiful, the history is intriguing, and the art scattered about the property is thoughtful and engaging. If you're lucky, you'll spot some wildlife who inhabit the surrounding area.

I am a yinzer through and through and cherish all the history that is Pittsburgh…read more Carrie Furnaces are no different. The tours are incredible and you learn so much. I come from a long line of steelworkers and thought I pretty much knew all there was to know. That was, until the tour. The tour guide was extremely informative. Most of the folks working (volunteering) at Carrie have some connection to the steel industry. In addition to the tour, I have had the privilege of attending events there as well. Yep, they rent out the space. Everything was well put together at the events and having the furances as backdrop took it to the next level. As far as the tours go, I feel so strongly that Pittsburgh natives and tourists alike take one. It's really incredible to learn how much of the country was built because of Carrie.

An iconic Pittsburgh landmark! The fountain is at the middle of the "point" part of Point State…read morePark. It is a really cool site to see and love that you can spot it from so many different vantage points and angles! It was recently renovated again (although I'm not even sure what they did or if there were any real changes). I think my favorite vantage point is trying to catch a glimpse coming out of the Fort Pitt Tunnel. Either that or if I'm lucky enough to be on a boat that makes a pass past the fountain. (like the Gateway Clipper). It is also great to visit up close which is where you get a real sense of just how high the fountain really shoots! (Although on windy or otherwise bad weather days they can adjust the height to prevent issues). The fountain is a great gathering space. You see all sorts of pictures being snapped here. Weddings, proposals, families, proms etc. It makes for some really great people watching.

--Location/Parking-- Located where the rivers merge together…read morenear downtown Pittsburgh. You can get a view of the stadium across the river and see traffic entering "the tunnel" Parking near Pointe State Park is convenient, but there is limited parking, and you have to walk a bit. --Ambience-- Outdoor fountain for you to view and relax in the open space in Pittsburgh --Capacity-- Based on foot traffic, during the fall or winter, there is hardly anyone out except security and runners. --Overall-- Great view and close to the museum and parks nearby. One of the spots to visit if you are in Pittsburgh.