This review is for the guided tour of the nationality rooms and the building itself. The 42 story late Gothic Revival architecture-style building was dedicated in 1937 for the University of Pittsburgh. The land it sits on in Oakland was a gift from the Mellon family. It houses 31 Nationality rooms, each nationality representing influences of communities that supported and planned their construction. The room was provided by the University. All the elements within, design, and labor was provided by the room's committee with rules being the period design be dated before the signing of our Constitution (and the founding of the University of Pittsburgh) in 1787. The building is the tallest building of learning in the Western Hemisphere, second largest in the world as of this review, second to one in Moscow. At the time of its inception, it was the tallest building in Pittsburgh, but by the time it was built, the Gulf Tower overshadowed it. Interesting tidbits -- there is excellent 360 degree viewing from the 36th floor open to the public i have yet to visit, a pair of Peregrine Falcons roost at the top, and it is supposed to be haunted. Also, note, this tall building can be seen all over Pittsburgh since there aren't any tall buildings near it for miles! I did take the guided tour of the Nationality rooms and highly recommend. Aidan was our guide for the 23 of us. He led us on a 90 minute tour, going to rooms those in our group suggested. We were able to cover 7 of the 31 rooms -- Polish, Irish, Swedish, German, Japanese. Indian, and Israel Heritage rooms. Aidan gave us interesting information about each of the rooms --materials used, artifacts, traditions. Well worth the $10. Tips are accepted and appreciated so, dont skimp! There are also self-guided tours, also $10. However, those are first come, first serve, no reservations and only available on weekends. To be noted, while classes are not in session, all rooms are locked so are only accessible by a card key from either the guided or self-guided tour. Plus. If you are on a self-guided tour, you can be interrupted by the guided tour which has precedence. Just take the guided tour for goodness sake. Oh. And one last note. On a winter day, it was wicked hot in the whole building,tall open space or the rooms. I certainly wonder who gets to pay for all that heat. read more

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Unlike any place in the world, the Cathedral of Learning is worth a visit. At 42 stories tall, it's a 1931 Late Gothic Revival cathedral that's part of the University of Pittsburgh. It's the tallest educational building in the Western Hemisphere and the second-tallest university building in the world. On a Saturday at 1pm, my family of three went on a 1.5-hour guided tour of the Cathedral of Learning's Nationality Rooms. Funded by different communities in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, each classroom is designed to honor different countries around the world. There's an Austria room, one from France, another from Japan. It's one of the quickest ways to travel the world! The cathedral itself is breathtaking to visit on your own. Walk inside and wander quietly to enjoy its beauty. read more

Cathedral of Learning - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Breathtaking and hard to capture with cell phone photos. It's massive, cavernous and majestic. It's like visiting a castle. I came specifically for the Nationality and Heritage Rooms. I marveled at the thoughtfulness, design, materials and details that went in to creating each room to reflect the nation or heritage they represented. And the rooms were created BY the people the represented. I tried to take in every room, and read every info sheet in about an hour and a half, but ended up rushing through several of them. I hope to one day go back, and bring my family with me! read more

The Cathedral of Learning is one of the most iconic buildings in all of Pittsburgh. It's a 42-stories high, gothic revival beautiful building. it's in the same university vicinity and the Carnegie Museum of Art and History is just nearby. it is 535 feet tall and listed as the world's second-tallest university building. it also has a food court where visitors can grab a bite while exploring the impressive building's interior. We did not get much time to explore all but a few areas- though look stunning from the outside. read more

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Pitt is awesome for undergrad, grad and doctoral programs. The Cathedral of Learning is an experience... read more

Cathedral of Learning - Graduate classes and Tea..... - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

A gorgeous building and definitely a must see area of Pittsburgh. You can see it from afar in many places in the city, but getting up close by visiting the campus was really great. It's open to the public and inside has a cafe and bathrooms. They have a smart elevator system where you type in your floor and they tell you which elevator to go to. We didn't have any idea what was on each floor but we went up to the 35th floor to see if you could get a view and the view was really great. I couldn't stay up there long because it triggered my fear of heights, but my husband looked for longer and I was glad to catch a glimpse. From the outside it is across the street from a great park with permanent food stalls and lots of outdoor seating, and in the other direction is the beautiful Heinz Chapel...a ton to see in just a few blocks. read more

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Now THIS is the place for me. If you have never been to this gothic structure towering over the Pitt campus, do yourself a favor and go. Take a tour of the Nationality Rooms and have your breath taken away by this shrine to academia, global knowledge, and architecture. I really could have spent hours in there, admiring the decor and design. The tour was fascinating and I want to take another tour just do learn more. Places like this make me yearn for knowledge and thirst for learning. Every nationality room was unique in its own way and I probably got to see 13-15 of the 31 rooms on the tour. I wish I could come here and take classes and soak in the history of it all. Quintessential college campus building. It's got Harry Potter vibes when you first walk inside. And then when you walk into any of the nationality rooms, you find yourself immersed in the culture. Some of the rooms even have a particular smell that is reminiscent of the country they represent. Don't believe me? Go see for yourself. Ten bucks gets you a guided tour. Money well spent. read more

Cathedral of Learning - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Cathedral of Learning is such a unique treasure in Pittsburgh. We are so lucky to have it here. I have never seen anything like it in the world. We love going to see all the different nationality rooms representing all different global cultures. When you go to the different nationality days you get to hear the stories of those cultures and how the rooms came about. It's amazing that the governments of all these countries sent cultural artifacts and sometimes whole set-ups. It started in the 40s and even continues today. The Japanese Room was sent as a set from Japan and set up here. It's gorgeous. The best event of the year is the Christmas Event. All the rooms are decorated in the traditional traditions of the country and people are in traditional dress. Some play music and sing songs from their home land. They also have booths where they sell food and items from those countries downstairs. I love everything that is international. This is one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh. You must go check it out. read more

The Cathedral of Learning at Pitt University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is great place to visit while in the city. This was my second or third visit. This is the first time that I have visited where you could not look in the nationality rooms unless you purchased a tour. The previous times that I visited the Cathedral you were able to look inside some of the nationality classrooms they were open for the public to view them. I did not purchase the tour ticket. I just spent some time in the beautiful gothic common room admiring the architecture. Great place to visit. Clean bathrooms. I don't know where to park because I walked here from where I was parked on the nearby Carnegie Mellon campus. Unique architecture. read more

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Breathtaking and beautiful! First time visiting. Highly recommended! We went to the highest floor allowed and got to see amazing views of the city. Felt like we stepped into a Harry Potter movie! Super cool! read more

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Wow. Amazing sight to see on a tour, like something from Hogwarts. I wish we could go all the way to the top. My tour guide, Sean, was just the best! read more

I called the Cathedral of Learning to inquire if it was open to the public and if tours were available. Tom could not have been more helpful. He registered me for a tour the same day. Our student tour guide, Shevan, did a fabulous job guiding us through the Nationality rooms of our choice and explaining all the details of each room. I highly recommend taking a tour of this beautiful historic building! read more

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Absolutely breathtaking. It's so beautiful and totally worth the time of going to the grounds in addition to exploring all of the inside. The chapel was closed so I can't comment on the inside, but the outside was oh so pretty. I wish I could sleep on the grass area right by the cathedral. Such relaxing place and people are nice everywhere. I parked a street up and walked there. The security guard gave me pointers on where to go and what to check out. I loved my entire experience. Will be coming back next time I am in town. read more

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Turns out, Hogwarts is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! The Cathedral of Learning is a beautiful space perfect for some quiet studying. Come here to work on your problem sets under soaring stone archways. If you're a tourist, it's worth a quick peek inside of you're in the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way just to visit. read more

Cathedral of Learning - Cathedral of Learning - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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This is my absolute favorite place to study. The nationality rooms are breathtaking, and so is the commons area. This building is kept very clean too, which is amazing considering how many students and tour groups pass through every day. My only complaint is that the correct hours aren't posted anywhere online. I've come a few times thinking the building was open only to walk in and find that the commons area was closed or the building wasn't technically even open yet. It'd be nice to know where that information is posted - both online and on physical signs. Other than that, I'm completely in love with this place. It's closed to the public for now unless you're in a tour group, but it's going to be worth coming to see once pandemic restrictions have been lifted! read more

Cathedral of Learning - Cathedral outside view - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I've traveled a decent amount and this is still one of the most gorgeous buildings I've ever been to. A beautiful gothic gem, standing high over Oakland, it catches your eye no matter how many times you've seen it. Touring the building alone would be amazing. Add in the Nationality Rooms and you have a unique, unforgettable day ahead of you. The rooms are all designed to look as authentic as possible. They have real items from those countries with nice paragraphs explaining them. They host a holiday open house each year and it's an event I would hate to miss. It's PACKED but you still have room to explore everything there is to offer. Each room is decorated in that country's winter holiday with a volunteer in traditional dress that explains how each country celebrates. The great hall has performances and food that is to die for. This is key for anyone visiting Pittsburgh. read more

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A site I'd been wanting to visit for ages. IMHO it's the most beautiful library in the USA and it's worth a separate trip to Pittsburgh just to lay eyes on it. Truly inspirational. read more

The Cahtedral of Lerning is a plaice where peeple, espeically studints, go too practise there spelling bes and prepere four all off lifes litle chalinges. This towering, haunting, magnificent cathedral is one of the world's most amazing sights, set amongst the already picturesque, beautiful, mountainside city of Pittsburgh. U Pitt is one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. It's got a splendid hospital, many grand old buildings, some sparkling new ones, some awesomely-designed rotunda-style residence halls, and best of all, it has the dominant, towering, sensational Cathedral of Learning. One of the most beautiful buildings in all the country, and it's not even religious. It's now a college building, and I've been in there on many occasions, and it's amazing. Inside, it feels old and European. You can forget you are in Pittsburgh for awhile. Pittsburgh girls are amazing. I dated a girl from this campus and visited her a lot. She is now a fashion designer. Hi, if you're reading. Miss you. I first met her inside the Cathedral Of Learning. So this whole campus has wonderful memories for me and I go back often. But specifically this cathedral reminds me of her every time I am here. read more

Cathedral of Learning - If it were in Pisa it'd be the Cathedral of Leaning. - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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This is a beautiful place across the quad from the Heinz Chapel on the grounds of The University of Pittsburgh. When you go in to the very large area where everyone is sitting it reminds me of Oxford of Cambridge University in England. Or if your so inclined Harry Potter. There are many floors with different rooms. My father took his German classes in the German Room. Unfortunately they were doing some work in the place but it's really something to see. Parking is interesting.. that's all I got. read more

Cathedral of Learning - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

36 floors of history, learning and education. Ever climb the floors? Because I have and it's quite the work out. It's definitely not for the weak of heart and the key is to pace yourself without over exerting and having water with you. It's really an experience and the reward when you get to the top is the view. Even if you pace yourself slowly it can be done in about an hour. Then of course there are the Nationality Rooms which are a must-see for locals and tourists. This is a wonderful building for meeting up with friends, working out or relaxing. read more

The Cathedral of Learning has been on my "to see" list for years, and it's never been quite the right timing for us to visit, until this last venture to Pittsburgh. I was so excited to be able to see the nationalities rooms that I've heard about for so long. The building itself is impressive from the outside, and then when we headed inside, I was surprised to find such a gothic-looking cathedral design. I mean I know it's a cathedral, but the outside doesn't give you the sense of what you're going to experience inside. I imagine this is a great place to gather with friends and fellow students. I could see myself studying here, or coming here just to get some work done. The nationality rooms were great. We opted to do the self-guided tour and got the audio and key to the first floor rooms. Some of the rooms are impressive! We started out on the first floor, and then headed upstairs to the third floor rooms which are unlocked and propped open. I really enjoyed the 1st floor rooms the most, especially the Czechoslovak room... and upstairs the Ukrainian room. This is a one-of-a-kind attraction which values education. It's a EXCEPTIONAL thing to see! I'm so glad we finally went. We visited on a Sunday around 11:30. I think this is the perfect time to visit. School was in session for the semester, but obviously there are no classes on Sundays, so this is the best time to visit. You won't be interrupting classes (yes, the rooms are used for classes - how cool would that be). The pace is set by you, and you can take as long or as little time as you want. Maybe not the best for small children as I don't think they will appreciate it, but older students and fans of travel and learning about various cultures will love it! read more

This is a must see... history, architecture, multicultural studies. It's a beautiful, huge building that is a true hidden gem. The multicultural classrooms are especially decked out during the holidays, with audio tapes to share their history. Allow plenty of time to explore, sit and soak in the culture, and to look in the books and crannies of each room. read more

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I came to visit this place with a friend when we stopped off in Pittsburgh. This is definitely the most gangsta building on any college campus I've been to so far. 6 stars for sure! The architecture on both the exterior and interior of the building is unbelievable. We came on like a Tuesday and admission was free. The aura of the place hits you as soon as you walk in; it's like dammmnnnn. We hit up the nationality rooms, which were all very interesting. They have so many of them actually, so you could easily spend a good portion of the day here. You have to pay for the ones on the first floor for some odd reason, so we skipped those. We also took the elevator to the top floor, and there were some nice views from up there. Great place to visit and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The entire surrounding area of the Pitt campus was pretty nice actually. read more

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The Cathedral of Learning is perfect. Maybe I am a little biased because I went to Pitt for my undergraduate degree, am currently enrolled as a graduate student for Pitt as well and have lived in Pittsburgh all of my life... But regardless, I love it. The building is gorgeous and is often referred to as Hogwarts- for Pitt students anyway :). The nationality rooms are awesome and so unique! I love taking a look in them and checking out the art and all of the work in general, that has been put into them! There's a secret attic in the American room and I was lucky enough to explore it when I was taking one of my classes as an undergrad. The Cathedral is perfect to study in. Tons of spaces with quiet areas as well as areas for groups to meet. The view from the top is incredible as well! The Cathedral of Learning is a Pittsburgh landmark and is the heart and soul of The University of Pittsburgh. read more

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Holy.freaking.cow. If I could give this place a star every time I walked into a room and said "Holy sh-t," this place would have a 20+ star rating. Definitely the coolest thing I saw in Pittsburgh. I think I spent 2-3 hours here. The rooms are seriously AMAZING. The pictures on Yelp don't do them justice. SO MUCH DETAIL is in each room from the floor to the ceiling to the door (even the outside of the door around the doorknob!!). Some rooms have items that are thousands of years old and should seriously be in a museum. It's $4 for a self guided tour. You get a map of the rooms, an audio thing that plays info about each room, and a key to get into the rooms (the first floor is locked. The third floor isn't, if you want to check things out for free. Those rooms even have built in audio, so you'll still hear all the info. But really, fork over the $4 for the first floor. It's worth it.). No air conditioning in most of the cathedral, so go on a day with good weather... And some rooms have annoying locks that won't cooperate. Most doors are pretty easy to open/lock (yes, you're expected to lock up when you leave a room) though. read more

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LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! I came to visit Pittsburgh over Labor Day weekend for the second time and came across the Cathedral of Learning while sightseeing. My jaw literally dropped to the floor when I entered the building. The architecture in the building is absolutely stunning and it reminded me of Hogwarts! I could not stop saying, "It's so beautiful in here," the entire time I was here. It has such a nice ambiance inside and has such comfortable study areas for students at the University of Pittsburgh. It made me really think about pursuing another degree just so I can study in here! Be sure to visit the nationality rooms! It's such a neat idea to decorate each room that represents a specific place in the world. It's so wonderful for students to have a classroom where they can experience the culture from another country. There is no admission fee to go in as well. read more

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H2P!!! If you're visiting Pittsburgh, checking out Pitts campus is a must. The cathedral of learning aka "Cathy" is a beautiful building with lots of history. A true icon for Pitt students and the people of Pittsburgh. read more

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Nationality Rooms I love taking visitors to the Nationality Rooms at the Cathedral of Learning. There is something unique about each of the 27 rooms, and it's something that no other city has. My favorite is the Early American Room, although I don't think you can do anything other than look through the window at this room. There's a secret room in the Early American Room...used for hiding on the frontier. But there other other amazing rooms to see as well. The best day to tour the rooms is on Sunday, but make sure you call ahead to find out the hours and availability. They decorate some of the rooms for Christmas, so that's a good season to visit the rooms. read more

The outside of the building is beautiful. The inside is interesting. The basement consists of a small Starbucks and a cafeteria. The first floor is a large open area with tables for studying. The first few floors have some classrooms based off of historic time periods. They look cool but are incredibly uncomfortable and usually lack tech features for PowerPoint or media. Most of the classrooms are pretty average but some of the upper level floors are being remodeled and are absolutely beautiful. You also get a great view of Oakland from the upper level windows. read more

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If you want a free and quick tour of Univ of Pittsburgh/free architectural tour, I would totally come here. Imagine having classes in different parts of the world everyday...that is pretty cool! There's about 25-30 different classrooms. Tours available downstairs by the gift shop, but if you want to take your chance, just follow the building in any clockwise motion and wind upwards! The highest story you can go is up to the 10th floor, but the fun rooms technically stop by floor 3. Everything above it is just TA offices/Faculty offices, and departments of different concentrations. Ventilation is a bit muffy here, and so is seating. However, you're here to just check and go! Read the signs by the entrances to make sure you get your geeky facts of the day. Overall, fun place! I would definitely spend about 30 minutes-1 hour here if you like to travel the world...but with a very low budget. ;) read more

What - an - incredible - place. I am in awe that something like this exists. There really is nothing like it- said in my limited world knowledge, but confidently nonetheless. I'm referring to the nationality rooms. Also, the fact that this is a cathedral building, that is a center of higher learning! It's wild to think about it. Yet, when you walk around seeing the students, and classes taking place in these rooms! it's like every other college campus. But it really isn't. I can't imagine going to class in one of these rooms, and actually concentrating. But boy, I wish I had the opportunity to. Maybe I'll just sit in one day and pretend ;). The rooms are spread out on each 4 sides of the building, over 2 floors. I went in January, to catch the Christmas decorations, before they were taken down. They post the dates of their Christmas season on their website. Each room was decorated in it's Christmas best, and it was simply awesome. The main hall is similar to a library, with occupied, sturdy hard wood tables and chairs, filled with brain power in the air. The rooms are sometimes empty, sometimes not, as there are active classes going on. I started at the information desk, where they have brochures and a gift shop. The attendant told me I could walk around on my own. She informed me that each door had a peep hole and I was to 'peep in' to see if there was a class in session. If there wasn't, I could simply go in and hang out as long as I wanted. So I did just that. I didn't get to see all the rooms, but that's okay because I will return. Some rooms were created decades ago. So, upon walking in you might get hit with that old timey stench, but it just adds to the overall vibe that something so incredible as this has been around so long. Everything from the door, to the furniture, to the artwork and architecture inside, is reflective of that culture. Each room has a written explanation of what you are looking at, incorporating their language and terms of expression. I'm not sure if you can go all the way to the top, but I will find out. I could happily get lost here any time. read more

The Cathedral of Learning is a very beautifully designed building. It is one of the many gems of Pittsburgh. If you are new to the city and want to do something educational and make your visit worth-wild, I highly recommend checking out the Cathedral of Learning and tour the Nationality Room. It costs $4 for adults and $2 for children to tour the curated classrooms that are designed to display all sorts of cultures from all over the world. You can even explore on your own but you won't have access to all of the class rooms. They even design the rooms with holiday decorations during the winter holiday. The highlight of the building is the main hall. It looks like the Great Hall at Hogwarts. It just looks so magical, majestic and historical. read more

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My friends and I come here when we want to mix up our winter season work out. We'll climb the stairs at a walking pace, reach the top floor, take the elevator down, then climb up again! Lots of others also tend to do this, so it's good to be mindful of the students and faculty also using the stairs. There's not really any place to put your stuff as you climb, so make sure you either pack light, or prepare to carry it all for an extra challenge! There's a really cool tradition they have in the library on the first floor of bringing in dogs for the students to pet on Tuesdays. There's water fountains near the cafes. read more

Fantastic, iconic architecture, the Cathedral of Learning is a true Pittsburgh icon. We have always enjoyed the cultural events hosted in the Cathedral. The Nationality Rooms are worth visiting, and it's nice they are free and open to the public for viewing. The building is a little difficult to access if you're in a wheelchair or if you have a baby stroller. read more

Cathedral of Learning - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

If you're traveling to Pittsburgh, make this a stop on your trip!! The building is beautiful, it feels like you have stepped into Hogwarts. The architecture is incredible, it is absolutely lovely. They also have these nationality rooms, which are these amazingly designed classrooms to mimic classrooms around the world. They are beautiful and intriguing. Some we were able to access for free while others you have to go on the tour to view because they kept them locked. I think the tour was only $5 but we did not do it, however if you're visiting I would suggest it, the classrooms are amazing. read more

Cathedral of Learning - Hogwarts?! - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

If you like history and architecture, this building visit is a must. If you think that you have to see a city from above in order to get a right scale of it, this building visit is a must. If you like to feel like you are in Hogwarts castle, this building visit is a must. If you want to get a feel how ethnic groups made up America (the Hands That Built America) the visit to this building and its nationality rooms is a must. The link with more info is here: http://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/ If you want to imagine how it would look if your college classroom would have a chandelier (for example) the visit to this building is a must. If you just want to see something unique, this building visit is a must. read more

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The Cathedral of Learning is the heart and soul of campus pride at the University of Pittsburgh. Affectionately dubbed "Cathy" by Pitt students, the Cathedral is anthropomorphized as a maternal figure to students. Towering 535 feet into the air, and holding 42 floors of classrooms, offices, lecture halls, dining areas, theaters, and more, the Cathedral is a hub for campus activity. The Cathedral is the largest educational building in the Western Hemisphere, and amazes tourists, visitors and locals alike. The building's construction during the Depression was partially funded by contributions made from foreign governments. As a result, many of the classrooms in the 1st through 3rd floors have been dubbed "Nationality Rooms," which feature architectural and artistic constructions influenced by the cultures of their respective countries. I can't fully explain how much this building has to offer, but if you're a Pitt student, you know how important Cathy is. If you're in Pittsburgh, a tour of the Cathedral is an absolute must. You will be blown away by the scale and grandeur of this structure. read more

Cathedral of Learning - I snapped this one on a walk home from class last winter. She really captures the sun, doesn't she? - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I'm not very well traveled outside the US, but I've been to Epcot a butt-load of times and while I know I'm probably going to be crucified for this (too soon?), I thought the Cathedral of Learning was SO 1497. It's a church that's now used by the university for classes and inside, it looks like most historic churches do, but sub the preaching with individualized classrooms dedicated to different nationalities. I knew it wasn't going to be Epcot but I was expecting more than it was. Sure, it's a free attraction- but parking in this area is a b*tch and it really wasn't worth the garage fee. I would have rather paid double to go to a different more lively attraction in the 'arn' city. I should mention that we did happen in on a day where there appeared to be some sort of festival going on where children danced folk dances in costumes and old people sold home-made ethnic food off folding tables and mini paper plates. It looked like a festival my 5th grade class put on, and the smell once inside (courtesy of all those food "vendors") brought on a some major morning sickness-style nausea. How is it that Pennsylvania has some crazy strict Amish liquor laws, yet nothing regulating what was surely 100 different kinds of health code violations? If anything, they should be encouraging the booze to kill off any kind of bacterial infection that could be brewing. As for the rooms, I guess it's a neat idea for school, but as a tourist site I thought it was pretty boring and that the rooms on the first and second floor look kind of all look the same. Sure, that architecture is really something, but isn't Pittsburgh pretty chock full of old churches and ish? Is this one really all that remarkable in comparison? I know it's pretty tall, but personally, I feel like I wasted my last moments in Pittsburgh checking out this pretty predictable sight when I could have done something a little more fruitful. You can stone, smite and shun me, but for anyone else looking for a little more excitement while finding their enlightened self on a tourist time budget, maybe just Google the rooms and spend your precious minutes elsewhere. read more

Cathedral of Learning - Crowded for festival - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

From the first time I checked out Visitpittsburgh.com, I knew I wanted to see the Cathedral of Learning. I love architecture, history and culture so to visit a place that combined all three was going to be thrilling! The Cathedral of Learning itself was interesting architecturally. It is one of the tallest classroom buildings in the world and the descriptions show stunning features similar to the late Gothic revival style. It also contains the Nationality Rooms. The Nationality Rooms are classrooms designed to represent the culture of various ethnic groups that settled in Allegheny County. What made them a must see this trip was the fact that each would be decorated according to the Christmas/holiday traditions of that culture. When we pulled open the doors and ventured into the building, I quickly saw why the building was called "Cathedral." I felt as if I had been transported to one of the grand cathedrals of Europe. When we checked in for the tour, I was a bit surprised at the "technology" that they offered. In today's day of podcasts, iPods and digital everything, we were handed a cassette player circa 1990. That just added to the entertainment factor of the morning as we raced to make sure we pressed 'stop' at the appropriate time in each room. For $3, you receive a map of the rooms, the key that gets you in to all of the rooms and the audio cassette tour. As we unlocked and opened each door, I never failed to gasp in awe and say "wow, that is amazing" or "how incredibly beautiful." It was interesting to learn about the culture of each country and even more incredible to see the traditional holiday customs on display. Each room had a sheet that described the holiday decor and the traditions that went along with it. It was fun to test our knowledge of certain cultures and customs and learn more about those that we were not familiar with. Room after room I was impressed with the attention to detail and uniqueness of each space. Dramatic colors, stained glass windows, student and professor chairs, paintings and murals and even blackboards all tied back into the theme and time period of the room. In about two hours, we had travelled around the world without even leaving Pittsburgh! We visited Czechoslovakia, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Ireland, Lithuania, Romania, Sweden, China, Greece, Scotland, Yugoslavia, England, France, Russia and Syria/Lebanon. Unfortunately, due to time constraints (and the amount we had put in the parking meter) we didn't have time to visit the third floor classrooms of Austria, Japan, Armenia, India, Africa, Israel or the Ukraine. It was a bit disappointing to not see it all, but at the same time, I am excited to go back and experience the rooms all over again - this time bringing my camera. To cap off the experience, there is a gift shop that features items that originate from many of the countries featured in the classrooms. read more

The Cathedral of Learning...The Nationality Rooms. Really a must see for those interested in architecture and art. The rooms are designed and decorated in traditional styles for the nationality they are named after. Some great intricate work and design. The Cathedral's first floor is awesome with the Gothic architecture. Around the Christmas holidays they have tours and usually the first weekend in Decmeber they have an open house that include Holiday decorated rooms, traditional Holiday traditions, feasting on ethnic foods, craft demos and guides to the 27 rooms. Taped tours are available the rest of the year. Another fun place to take visitors. If you would like to learn more just Google University of Pittsburgh Nationality Rooms. read more