Visit Tour-Ed Mine to learn about the history of mining coal. Take a trip through this educational coal mine and see how coal was dug by hand in 1850 and how modern hydraulic monsters mine coal today.
Allegheny
Visiting Allegheny County, you can find all the conveniences characteristic of big cities, with a unique regional atmosphere and without the problems associated with urbanized surroundings. These features blend with an exceptional small-town warmth and charm to give us a quality of life envied throughout the nation.
In Rand McNally's "Places Rated Almanac," Allegheny County and the Greater Pittsburgh Area earned the title, "Most Livable Community in the Nation" for its strength in housing, health, education, arts, recreation, economics, safety, transportation, and climate. In subsequent editions of the Almanac, our region has consistently ranked high and garnered praise in many other publications, earning top ten areas to live accolades from Money Magazine, Fortune Magazine, National Employment Review, and Century 21 Real Estate Corporation, among others.
The Uniform Crime Report also gives the region high marks for safety, with Pittsburgh being safer than 44 of 48 cities with more than 300,000 residents. Allegheny County also boasts the lowest crime rates for any metropolitan area with more than one million citizens.
Allegheny County offers a diverse selection of cultural arts, historical landmarks, and museums, providing a variety of year-round entertainment options. The Greater Pittsburgh metro area ranks among the top ten of the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas in terms of cultural facilities per 100,000 people. The arts in Allegheny County attract bigger audiences than sports events.
Just as manufacturing fueled the tremendous economic growth of Allegheny County in its early history, the technology industry is poised to lead the changing economy into the new millennium. Many historic industrial structures have become tourist attractions, allowing visitors to witness technologies and earlier life in Western Pennsylvania.
The Heinz Hall anchors the downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District for the Performing Arts, the Benedum Center, the Byham Theater, and the new O'Reilly Theater. These grand venues host world-class cultural treasures, including the Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Pittsburgh Opera, Civic Light Opera, and the Pittsburgh Symphony.
Art enthusiasts can enjoy the Carnegie and Frick Museums, which display some of the world's finest art collections, as well as the Andy Warhol Museum, the most comprehensive museum dedicated to a single artist. History buffs of all eras will enjoy the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, which operates the Pittsburgh Regional History Center. For hands-on science and experiences for children and adults, there's the Carnegie Science Center and the Pittsburgh Children's Museum.
Museums
John Adam Hermann, Jr. was born on the North Side in 1858. He loved art and wanted to spend his entire life painting, but at the age of 18, he obediently went into his father's leather tanning business, located on East Ohio Street, in Allegheny City.
The A-K Valley Heritage Museum is located on the corner of Lock Street and East Seventh Avenue in Tarentum.
Experience the culture and refinement of the Gilded Age at the Frick Art & Historical Center, located on beautifully landscaped gardens in Pittsburgh's East End.
Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden was established in 1987. It is the largest biblical botanical garden in North America (1/3 acre) and the only one with an ongoing program of research and publication.
The Lawrence mansion is maintained as a house that evokes the elegant lifestyle of the Lawrences rather than a museum. It houses an excellent collection of original English and American antiques.
The museum which portrays the life and career of George Westinghouse, is focused on his career, accomplishments and inventions.
The Heinz Memorial Chapel began as a gift. Henry John Heinz, the founder of the Heinz Company established the building as a gift to his mother, Anna Margaretta Heinz. After Heinz’s death, his three surviving children added to his bequest to memorialize their grandmother and honor their father.
Created by Hampton Township in 1973, the museum seeks to preserve and interpret the early years of European settlement in the Depreciation Lands.
The Andy Warhol Museum's permanent collection is comprised of more than 4,000 works of art by Warhol including paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture, film, videotapes, and an extensive archives that consists of ephemera, records, source material for works of art, and other documents
The Stephen Foster Memorial is America's only concert hall, museum, research library and archive dedicated to a single composer. The Memorial houses the world's most significant collection of Foster's manuscripts and memorabilia.
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens brings together the finest in horticulture, art, education, and fun! From seasonal flower shows, educational classes, special exhibits, and fun events - something's always blooming at Phipps!
Western Pennsylvania Model Railroad Museum is located in Gibsonia, Richland Township, Pennsylvania, at the intersection of Rt. 910 and Hardt Rd. It promotes model railroading and aims to preserve western Pennsylvania's railroad history.
During the 1892 labor strike, which pitted Carnegie Steel Company against the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers, the Bost Building served as the union's local headquarters and as the base for American and British newspaper correspondents reporting on the event.
Allegheny Cemetery is the sixth oldest rural cemetery. On April 24, 1844, Allegheny Cemetery was chartered as a tax-free, non-profit organization. The Allegheny Cemetery Historical Association was established on March 17, 1980, as an educational and charitable organization.
Birthplace and childhood home of ecologist and author Rachel Carson (1907-1964), whose 1962 book Silent Spring helped to launch the environmental movement. Guided tours and classes are available.
Go back over a hundred years and take a new look at a period in Pittsburgh’s history often characterized by the extremes of late 19th-century America: fabulous wealth and grinding poverty.
In addition to being the organizing force behind saving the Braddock Carnegie Library, the Braddock’s Field Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the history surrounding General Braddock and the French and Indian War.
A History of the Point The Fort Pitt Museum is located in a re-created eighteenth-century bastion of the famous British fort on the Forks of the Ohio River in Point State Park, Pittsburgh.
The Photo Antiquities Museum of Photographic History boasts an extensive collection of photographs, primarily dating from the 1840s to the 1950s. Photographs from the archives are now being cataloged and digitized into a computer indexing system.
Soldiers & Sailors museum offers a unique look into American history. The museum explores the evolution of equipment and technology as well as the effects that military conflicts have had on society. The museum’s collections span art from the mid 1900's to cultural artifacts of today.
Committed to education, research, and wildlife conservation, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is actively involved in 25 Species Survival Plans and proudly exhibits 32 threatened or endangered species.
The Bible Lands Museum's exhibits offer glimpses into life from prehistoric times into the Middle Ages. Artifacts include many forms of pottery; objects made of stone, bone, alabaster, faience, glass, and metal; and rare examples of ancient basketry, leather, and textiles.
The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh is reaching Great Heights with exciting exhibits and programs for the young and young at heart.
Organizations
The Allegheny-Kiski Valley Historical Society is a non-profit, permanent institution whose primary mission is interpreting, preserving, and celebrating our cultural, industrial, and ethnic heritage of the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas river valleys in southwestern Pennsylvania, a region embracing th
Rivers of Steel, originally known as the Steel Industry Heritage Corporation, is involved in preserving historic buildings, locations, and artifacts, as well as designing and placing historic designation markers.
The McKeesport Heritage Center operates a museum and a research center. The museum has numerous displays of local memorabilia, including old photographs.
The mission of the Society for Contemporary Craft is to engage the public in the creative experience as expressed through contemporary craft.The organization seeks to move viewers beyond familiar frames of reference and challenge them to think in new ways about art, while also raising standards o
The William Pitt Union, originally opened in 1898 as the grand Hotel Schenley, has been magnificently restored and now provides students with recreational and social facilities. Its amenities include beautiful study and social lounges, 19th-century ballroom, and modern offices.