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    Stephanie G.

    My husband and I were walking around the Northside the other week admiring the architecture of various buildings, when we stumbled upon the Doors Open event in Northside! We were so delighted and immediately ordered our tickets on our phone with ease. The volunteers were so friendly and knowledgeable and it provided us with such a unique way to explore a new city for us! Would highly recommend looking at their events if you are in the area or traveling!

    Boggs Mansion
    Kim N.

    Love this event - This is the second year I have attended! I got the 1 day pass on Sunday for $12 and were able to make it into 7 different buildings downtown and on the northside. I would say that the northside buildings were more exciting cause you received a tour, rather than just going into the building and looking at it. The Boggs mansion was my favorite stop - its so interesting to hear about the renovation of the house and that fireplace is gorgeous! The Speakeasy was also a great place to stop - so much history and we even got to hear a podcast that they were recording about the space. I would like to stop back for a beverage some evening. My only complaint is the map should have the stops listed in sequence for easier navigation when walking.

    Beautiful building on the tour

    My husband and I went on the Squirrel Hill by the Numbers tour and it was fascinating. The amount of number gambling that went on as just a part of regular life during the early to mid 1900's was surprising. And seeing all the places where things happened or people lived was so interesting. It was a lot of walking on a hot day, but I enjoyed it very much.

    Union Trust Building with Tiffany stained glass dome.
    Igor B.

    The 2nd Annual Open Doors Pittsburgh did not provide an opportunity to meet Mr. Monopoly but you get to see where top 1% gathers and gathered to plan how to stay in top 1% of USA wealth. It was so appropriate not to start from the historic Allegheny courthouse but at BNY Mellon Center - from its 48th floor the executive suites of BNY Mellon. The executive suites were posh - how do you call when a painting of J. M. W. Turner hangs in the corridor or when during the tour the employees of BNY must stand in front of a vase due to its value. You could expect a revolution if somebody from the street would wonder there or you could get inspired to work harder to make it there. I could just imagine a smell of lobster tails in their dining facilities and I enjoyed uninterrupted view of the city from those heights. I was impressed but not humbled. Right across BNY Mellon is a historic Union Trust Building. Very impressive Tiffany stained-glass dome is standing there well over the century, but their orchids are being flown from Hawaii and changed every 6 weeks! The sweet dilemma is that when you stand on a gorgeous New Zealand wool carpet - you are not sure if you should look down, up or straight. The Dollar Bank looked like a great place to leave your money in 19th century. The lions, symbols of wealth were there, the oversize thick entrance wood doors were there along with a silver dollar replicas all over the bank ceiling. The most interesting part was seeing a huge bank safe, a ten thousand pound door that can easily be open by one person as long as she or he knows the various lock combinations. That was something I could see only in the movies before seeing it in Dollar Bank. The Frick building was also impressive, with its original historic phone booth, mail drops, chandeliers, stained glass and cigar cutter/lighter (so other people do not mingle around to serve). More about it you can find here: http://www.dlaplus.com/pages/pittsburgh-architectural-tour-frick-building In summary, the event is a good investment in your education and it puts in a different perspective the city of Pittsburgh. Plan to spend only one morning doing it because the saturation level comes fast - so much to see and learn. You can see how many buildings are being renovated and why Pittsburgh is moving up in its ranks as a cool city to visit or live in.

    Stained glass with the translation of "Rodef Shalom"....Seek peace and pursue it.

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    4 years ago

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    Bonnie B.

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great Tour of antique skyscrapers. I will definitely look into other tours very soon!

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    4 years ago

    Great walking tour - walking wasn't difficult and Sue, our tour leader, was personable and well-informed!

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    Bonnie B.

    I'm so glad you enjoyed Sue's tour. I'll be sure to pass this along.

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    8 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Really enjoyed the tour the guide was extremely knowledgeable. Saw places didn't know existed.FYI a lot of walking up and down streets

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    6 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Doors Open

    Are their tours handicap accessible? (specifically the annual event?)

    Although many buildings at the Annual Event are accessible, some may not be. I think the information map specifies which buildings are accessible. The website has the following info: DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh creates community programming for all… Read more

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    Review Highlights - Doors Open

    Doors Open Pittsburgh did a great job organizing and coordinating the tours.

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    Rivers of Steel: Explorer Riverboat

    Rivers of Steel: Explorer Riverboat

    4.3(13 reviews)
    2.2 kmNorth Side

    This is a beautiful boat with an amazing educational mission. Yes, they do run charters, but their…read moreprimary mission is to educate school-age children and adults on the history of Pittsburgh's steel making and also environmental issues. The staff is well trained and the boat is spacious and versatile. The boat is moored near the Science Center.

    I had my eye on these tours for a long time, and finally we were lucky enough to be in town for the…read more"Voices of Carrie Furnaces" guided tour of the Homestead Iron Works, which I believe only happens one day each month during the warm half of the year. This is absolutely a treat for anyone with roots here or a fascination with industry and manufacturing. The highlights: Most tours are guided by former steelworkers and people with a first-hand involvement in the steel industry. You get a great overview of the plant, which was the center of life for this community and the lifeblood of the region for more than a century. Our tour placed a heavy emphasis on the engineering and technology of steelmaking, so if that's your thing, it's Christmas. And it's a minor miracle that these two blast furnaces have been preserved. I would suggest that they augment the tours with photos or videos that might help bring these hulking structures to life a bit more, and maybe insert some specific stories about immigrants and working families, union battles, and other colorful bits about Homestead. Sure, a windfall of donor support and a visitor center would go a long way to improving things on that score, but a little shift in emphasis could be done on a budget. Either way, Rivers of Steel is hugely important for preserving the region's steel heritage, and their efforts to extend that support to the community are vital.

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    Rivers of Steel: Explorer Riverboat
    Rivers of Steel: Explorer Riverboat
    Rivers of Steel: Explorer Riverboat - About the explorer sign

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    About the explorer sign

    Gilfillan Farm

    Gilfillan Farm

    5.0(3 reviews)
    12.9 km

    This is a really cool park near Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Target around Upper St. Clair that I…read morelike to stop at whenever I'm in the area. The trail is great for beginners or if you just want a quick jog. There are several benches you can sit down on along the way, plus a tree stump in the woodsy part that you can also sit on to rest. It's a very well maintained trail that smells like freshly cut wood chips, and has a nice variety of terrain. I didn't see any dog poop (it's a no-dog park) and no litter at all, which the multiple trash cans around the loop definitely help with. While a good portion of the trail has the wood chips, some areas could use a bit more. After rain, a few spots can get muddy and it can get a little marshy in the grassy part where there is no trail. The outer loop is about 1.2 miles, and there are several spots where the trail branches off. There's a more "woody" section and a more "grassland" section, which keeps it interesting. It's also not hard to find parking at the church across the street. There's a lot of birds chirping and tons of squirrels and bunnies, and every once in a while you'll spot deer. Inside the barn fence there are lambs and sometimes horses, which is a nice touch. Also kind of cool is that there are wild chive plants around this trail which is common in the Pittsburgh area, and you'll find some growing in the park if you know what to look for.

    This place is incredible. We stopped today for their Community Open House event, and even though I…read morehave been here in the past, it is always nice getting to see it again. The old house, and farm are really special, and I am so glad that the Upper St. Clair Historical Society maintains these buildings and property so we can occasionally get to visit and see how things used to be. Today they had all kinds of activities going on, from hayrides, petting zoo, sheep shearing, cow milking, yarn spinning, beekeeping, and of course tours of the historic house, barn and outbuildings, all of which are like a museum. This place was well worth the price of admission . . . FREE, but the suggested donation was $5 per person.

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    Gilfillan Farm
    Gilfillan Farm
    Gilfillan Farm

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    Bayernhof Museum

    Bayernhof Museum

    5.0(28 reviews)
    8.7 km

    We were looking for a fun experience for my husband's big sis, and boy did we find it at Bayernhof!…read moreI couldn't recommend this museum more highly. Lisa, our tour guide, was just perfect - entertaining, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and fun. Our 2-hour experience was a joy - it passed so quickly! You call ahead to arrange a tour, and Lisa returned my call maybe a day or 2 later. We arranged it for a Tuesday morning at 10am (the other option was something like 2pm). The 19,000 square foot Bavarian-inspired home is atop a large hill outside Sharpsburg overlooking the Allegheny - and with a lovely view of downtown. You come thru the gate and park near the door. Inside, Lisa talks a bit about the foyer - chock full of collectibles - and takes you to the main room with that fabulous view, a comfy room with a bar just off the kitchen. You settle in to wait for everyone to arrive. The lecture there takes about 30mins, & you learn about the wealthy, quirky eccentric, Charlie "Chuck" Brown, who built this quirky home in 1982. He was a total prankster who had very little sense about how to build a really stable home. After his death, the board would save the home for all to enjoy. The real treat is hearing from some of the 165 music machines spread thruout the house - some Chuck collected, some purchased by the board set up by Chuck's lawyer, Dave, who - with Chuck's faithful secretary - took on the Herculean task after Chuck's death of fulfilling his dream of turning the home into a museum. The mysteries of the home reveal themselves as you go - and Lisa relishes in showing them off - from the hidden doors, wet bars (in almost every room! Chuck loved to entertain though he was socially awkward!), observatory, below ground cellar, cave, and pool room with a waterfall. It's great. Lisa shares tons of stories, knowledge, anecdotes, and more. Our favorite of the fabulous musical machines: the cylinder player on the landing that has a tiny dancing black bird figure inside; the singing birds with real feathers (!!) in the bird cage upstairs; the uber-art deco Decap machine downstairs with the purple velvet pool table; and the fringe lamp victrola in the upstairs guest room. As you're walking thru the house, you can't believe all there is to see and learn. We were fascinated! Just go! You won't regret it.

    AMAZING! HIGHLY RECOMMEND. My friend is a music lover and I thought this would be interesting…read more He enjoyed it and I loved it even though I don't appreciate music the way he does. The museum reminded my kids of a real-life Clue game - it is definitely worth visiting! I highly recommend.

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    Bayernhof Museum
    Bayernhof Museum
    Bayernhof Museum

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    Moonshot Museum - Front of building with few parking spots

    Moonshot Museum

    4.6(5 reviews)
    2.3 kmNorth Side

    This place is incredible ... recently opened on Pittsburgh's North Side in the Chateau neighborhood…read more(very close to CCAC and Acrisure Stadium), this museum is housed in the Astrobotic Lab (next to Wendy's). Admission is $10 per person, and I thought well worth the price of admission. The highlight of our visit was seeing the Peregrine Lander, which is headed to the moon soon. In addition to seeing moon landers and rovers and robots, there are interactive exhibits that curious people of all ages will enjoy. The volunteer docents we met were extremely passionate and knowledgeable about the subject at hand, and I learned a lot in my short visit. I hope to come back again some time and see what new things they are working on next ... Cheers!! P.S. They also have a small gift shop near the admission desk.

    The Moonshot Museum opened toward the end of 2022, and it is located at the headquarters of the…read morespace robotics company Astrobotics. Its mission is to inspire students to study science, technology, engineering, and the arts to prepare for careers in the space industry. Inside this museum, visitors can watch scientists construct lunar spacecraft. Currently, scientists are building the small-class Peregrine Lander, the first American lander since Apollo, and soon they will begin to build the medium-class Griffin Lander. This museum is open only on certain days, so be sure to visit their website for their current hours. My husband and I visited this museum on a Saturday. A free parking lot was located outside. Near the front entrance, a volunteer greeted us and processed our payment for admission. The price of admission is currently $10 for adults, $5 for children who are 3-17 years old, and free for children who are 2 years old and younger. After a couple of minutes, another volunteer guided the visitors to the Moonshot Theater. There, we watched a 10-minute video about scientists' work to explore the moon. Then, we watched a scientist working inside the Clean Room workshop. He was building the Peregrine Lander, which in the coming months will deliver payloads to the lunar orbit and surface. This lander has five engines, four legs, communication and navigation systems, and space for payloads, and it is powered by solar panels and a battery. I felt interested in how businesses and individuals may use this lander to send messages and other items to the moon. Outside this room, visitors may view models of a rocket, lander, and rovers and may interact with educational touchscreens. A small gift shop near the entrance sold merchandise such as shirts, magnets, mugs, and stickers. Please note that this museum is small. In total, my husband and I spent 25 minutes inside the museum. We do appreciate that the Pittsburgh-based Astrobotics company is conducting the first commercial missions to the moon.

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    Moonshot Museum
    Moonshot Museum
    Moonshot Museum - Constructing the Peregrine Lander

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    Constructing the Peregrine Lander

    Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall - Beautiful architecture that is well maintained

    Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall

    4.7(15 reviews)
    9.0 km

    This is such an incredibly cool space! I've been here to use…read morethe library, to attend performances, to participate in performances and attend special events in the event space. All of the experiences have been wonderful. The library portion is fantastic. A large kids section with friendly and helpful librarians, a great area (with a fireplace!) to relax, computers and an overall great selection of books. The music hall portion is wonderful as well. Seats are pretty comfortable with a decent amount of room and you can see well from basically anywhere in there. The backstage area has two large dressing rooms with lighted mirrors. The only downside is that there is fairly limited parking, so if you are attending an event, you need to get there early enough to grab a spot or hope for nearby street parking.

    I couldn't imagine walking up the street or steps from the main street in Carnegie to the Library…read more Let's hear it for automobiles. Built high on the hill, I am sure it witnessed a lot of Pittsburgh history. The kind staff allowed us to see the theater. It is very similar to Carnegie Library of Homestead. The lower level seats have been adopted and refurbished with nice padding. The Library is still raising funds to refurbish the seats on the 2nd floor. The fireplace on the main floor of the Library is enormous from floor to ceiling (at least 20 ft ceilings). The Civil War Nurses exhibit brought us to the library. Very enjoyable. We will be back to experience other events at the Library and theater. Ample parking during Library hours. Not sure enough parking onsite for theater events. Street parking available.

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    Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall - Some of the nurses who made a difference

    Some of the nurses who made a difference

    Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall
    Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall - Exhibit focusing on nurses of the Civil War

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    Exhibit focusing on nurses of the Civil War

    Doors Open - architecturaltours - Updated July 2026

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