Full disclosure, I am a Docent Volunteer with Doors Open Pittsburgh. I became a volunteer after attending the annual Downtown event in the fall ever since moving to Pittsburgh. Lots of folks attend this big downtown tour, but did you know that DOP also does Guided Walking Tours, Insider Tours, Bus Tours and Virtual Storytelling Events? I have done Walking Tours focused on the historic numbers racket on Fifth Ave and Squirrel Hill. It was fascinating to learn about the old gangsters in Pittsburgh! I did an Insider Tour of Thaddeus G. Mosley's Woodworking Art Studio this year. Mr. Mosley is a real Pittsburgh treasure! During COVID, I did a lot of the Virtual Storytelling Events. You can sign up for these anytime as they are all online at https://doorsopenpgh.org Go ahead and #BeNebby by signing up for a tour! I think you'll love it! read more

Doors Open - Boat dock on the Allegheny River at Choderwood. - Architectural Tours Near Me

Came to an event last weekend in the Hill District to check out the Pittsburgh Bomb Squad event. We started promptly at 10am and were wrapping up about an hour to hour and half later. It was really interesting to hear about how the Bomb Squad came to be and some of the training and best practices they use--especially after the Boston Bombing. The Doors Open volunteer helped facilitate the introduction but after that they kind of took a step back to let the Bomb Squad lead the discussion which was definitely the right call. Thanks Doors Open for setting these up! read more

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Attended our first ever Doors Open tour today at the Pittsburgh bomb squad. The tour lasted about 1.5 hours. It began with a presentation about the bomb squad, their mission, why it exists, the trainings required to be a part of the squad, etc. The officer leading our presentation was very knowledgeable and the presentation was informative. The tour consisted of walking through their garages and looking at the outside of their trucks, a few pieces of equipment and one of the guests volunteered to put on the bomb suit. While I found it interesting, it was not super conducive to a big group, like we had. The garages did not have enough room for everyone to be close to whatever the officer was talking about. We were toward the back and could hear everything he was saying but then had to sort of imagine what he was talking about and then look at it quickly as we walked past, which was unfortunate. Overall it was an enjoyable experience. I'd like to do some more tours through Open Doors in the future to learn more about the neighborhoods, buildings and businesses in our city. :) read more

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! read more

Doors Open - Architectural Tours Near Me

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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. read more

Doors Open - Boggs Mansion - Architectural Tours Near Me

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

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. read more

Doors Open - Beautiful building on the tour - Architectural Tours Near Me

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. read more

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I really enjoyed the histórica and architectural tour of Rodef Shalom On Sunday. The archivist presented an interesting history of the congregation that provided details of families settling in the Pittsburgh area as the city developed. The synagogue's stained glass windows are beautiful. Doors Open Pittsburgh did a great job organizing and coordinating the tours. I have already signed up for a tour of Squirrel Hill for October and will include Doors Open Pittsburgh in my search list for u I que activities for out of town visitors. A great way to learn details about unique parts of Pittsburgh. #BeNebby read more

Doors Open - Stained glass with the translation of "Rodef Shalom"....Seek peace and pursue it. - Architectural Tours Near Me

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

We attended Doors Open Pittsburgh this past weekend for their Annual Event. We chose to do the one day event as opposed to the two day event. For $10 we were welcomed into as many of the properties as we could get to in the six hours of the event. It was a very cool way to get to experience Pittsburgh. We were able to get in 10 locations (working out to only $1 per location) across Pittsburgh and the North Side. We got to see some of the oldest architecture and stories around Pittsburgh, while also getting to see some of the newer ideas. I would love to do this event again next year and explore new gems around the city. read more

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

I went to one of these events and the owner of the venue told me I couldn't take photos of my friend in the building even though it was listed as a venue that you could have cameras. If they are going to have these guidelines, they should have some specifics instead of only trying to enforce them when a black woman is involved. The owner wanted my card info to send me an invoice even though I paid to be at the event and I'm sure she was making some change out of it. I'll never return to one of these events. Thanks Bonnie for sending me this page to review it!!! read more

Doors Open Pittsburgh now has Specialty Tours each month. Check out their website. Today the tour was on Pittsburgh's role in the Underground Railroad. It was a bus tour so we weren't just in downtown. Fascinating and informative. read more

Our family thoroughly enjoyed Doors Open weekend. The buildings and their stories were fascinating. Architects were very informative...we enjoyed learning about the technology built into the newest structures as well as the history behind the old ones. Wish we'd had even more time to see every location. We highly recommend this event for all ages...there is something for everyone. read more

What an amazing opportunity to get to see places I have walked past and always wondered what it's like inside! Very well organized, friendly and helpful staff/docent volunteers- I would recommend this to anyone. Not just for newcomers to the city! I have lived here 50 years and I definitely learned more about the city I love! Thank you!! read more