Reservations for new Pittsburgh boat tour being accepted
Reservations are being taken for DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh’s new tour called “Bridges, Buildings, and the Architecture of the Three Rivers.”
Featuring the city’s iconic skyscrapers and legendary bridges, the boat excursion is scheduled for Sept. 11 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Pre-sale tickets can be purchased through July 11, offering $8 off general admission. After July 11, full price tickets will be $38 for adults and $12 for children.
Pre-registration is required and closes out at 10 am the day of the tour.
DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh is a nonprofit 501©(3) that exists to educate and stimulate the exploration and appreciation of Pittsburgh’s architecture, history, and design heritage. It provides behind-the-scenes access to significant buildings across the city’s diverse neighborhoods and business districts. It is supported, in part, by a grant from Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development/The Pennsylvania Tourism Office.
The tour will be held rain or shine, with both indoor and outdoor seating offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Local bridge and skyscraper experts Todd Wilson and Mark Houser host and share new insights about the City of Bridges.
Wilson is an award-winning transportation engineer and was named one of Pittsburgh Business Times’ 20 Engineers to Know in 2022. He has co-authored two books on Pittsburgh’s bridges, “Images of America Pittsburgh’s Bridges” and “Engineering Pittsburgh, a History of Roads, Rails, Canals, Bridges, and More.” An engineering graduate of Carnegie Mellon, Todd has extensive knowledge on bridges, having photographed them in all 50 states and 25 countries.
Houser is known for his book, “MultiStories: 55 Antique Skyscrapers and the Business Tycoons who Built Them,” will highlight the histories of several buildings seen Downtown and along the South Side that hold special significance to Pittsburgh’s cultural heritage and economic development.
The tour begins at the Point, then continue down the Monongahela River. Guests will then head back up and around the Point to reach the Allegheny River, where they’ll glide by the Strip District and hear about how the neighborhood is changing to accommodate an increasing desire to celebrate and make use of Pittsburgh’s proximity to water.
Going past the traditional boundaries permissible for sightseeing cruises, the tour will then continue up to Herr’s Island, otherwise known as Washington’s Landing. Now a mix of business and residential, this island was once filled with large stock yards and meat packing plants. After being designated as a brownfield site in the mid-20th century, it underwent a major rehabilitation and is now regarded as a showcase project in urban redevelopment.
“Pittsburgh is currently in the midst of an expansive effort to reclaim our waterways with exciting new developments in the riverside trail systems and additional opportunities for residents to live river-adjacent, with great views and more access to water-based recreational activities,” said Bonnie Baxter, Founder and Executive Director of DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh. “As the rivers receive more attention, we’re excited to provide this rare opportunity to travel alongside the city’s shorelines with local experts as they share anecdotes from their research on the many magnificent bridges and buildings along the rivers that have been so integral to Pittsburgh’s story.”
Visit https://doorsopenpgh.org/ for more information.