Press Release — Late June/July 2022 Tours Announced
Media Contact:
Bonnie Baxter
Founder/Executive Director
DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh
412-583-1424
bonnie@DoorsOpenPgh.org
More to Love About Pittsburgh!
PITTSBURGH, June 20, 2022 – DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh is bringing the heat this summer with a wide range of guided tours spanning public art installations, stories of Pittsburgh’s founding and the legendary characters who were involved, a little-known Jewish shul in the heart of Downtown, and DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh’s ever-popular antique skyscrapers tour, which allows rooftop access upon some of Pittsburgh’s most renowned buildings.
The last weekend of June offers two opportunities for Guided Walking Tours in neighborhoods you’ve likely driven through several times but may not had reason to stop in time to really get to know the places. On Saturday, June 25, JaQuay Carter, Founder, President, and CEO of the Greater Hazelwood Historical Society, will lead morning and afternoon sessions of Historic Hazelwood: A Tour of Pittsburgh’s Melting Pot. From one of the oldest buildings in Pittsburgh on over to a new state-of-the-art robotics facility located just down the street, Hazelwood is unknowingly rich with intriguing stories of industry and culture. This tour will also be offered again on Saturday, July 23.
On Sunday, June 26, take a guided walking tour of Highland Park, a designated Residential Historic District, with tour host Jay Steele. Learn more about the beautiful Highland Park entrance gates and the array of large, historic homes, many of which are still used as single-family residences.
What better way to celebrate the July 4th holiday weekend than with a historic tour of your own city? Roots of Pittsburgh, scheduled for Sunday, July 2, will take guests on a Guided Walking Tour around the Golden Triangle as they hear stories of major events that defined Pittsburgh, famous buildings owned by iconic Pittsburghers, and why Pittsburgh is laid out the way it is. Tour host Alan Irvine will also be offering this tour again the following Saturday, July 9.
Enjoy a Friday evening stroll on July 8 to take in Light-Based Public Art: Downtown with Rachel Klipa. If you haven’t had the chance to wander around Downtown recently, you’ll want to get caught up on how the plazas and alleyways downtown are being transformed with amazing art installations to enhance the Downtown experience.
On Sunday, July 10, the Beth Hamedrash Hagodol-Beth Jacob Synagogue, lovingly known as “The Downtown Shul”, will open its doors for Insider Tours throughout the day. Ira Frank, longtime president of the congregation, and Eric Lidji, Director of the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center, will lead these exclusive tours.
On Saturday, July 16th, DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh will give guests access to a day in the life of the Pittsburgh Bomb Squad during the Red or Blue Wire: Click, Click, BOOM! tour. If you haven’t been able to find time to check out this tour yet, now is your chance. The Bomb Squad will be sharing devices they have had to deactivate and all the specialized tactical gear they are required to wear when they show up to a call. This tour will also be offered on Sunday, July 24.
To wrap up the month of July, Mark Houser returns with several sessions of his Antique Skyscrapers: Rooftops and Views tour, which takes guests up to the top of iconic Downtown buildings to learn more about the architecture and what you can’t see looking up from the sidewalks. Guests will be treated to amazing vantage points and photo opportunities of the city on floors of buildings normally not accessible to the public.
All tours require pre-registration, which closes at 5 pm the day prior to the tour. Please visit https://doorsopenpgh.org/ for more information.
Guided Walking Tours are typically 90 to 120 minutes. Tickets prices vary from $15-$30. For more information: https://doorsopenpgh.org/guided-walking-tours-2/
Insider Tours typically last 45-60 minutes. Ticket prices vary from $15-$20. For more information: https://doorsopenpgh.org/insider-tours-2/
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DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh, a nonprofit 501(c)3, is best known for presenting its large-scale, open-house event downtown each October that celebrates our city’s heritage and architecture by providing the opportunity to explore a diverse collection of buildings, often with behind-the-scenes access.
Since its inception in 2016, DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh has expanded to include: Neighborhood Events, Guided Walking Tours, Insider Tours, Virtual Storytelling, and Bus Tours, and has hosted over 20,000 tour-goers to date. We are supported, in part, by a generous grant from PA Department of Community and Economic Development/The Pennsylvania Tourism Office/ visitPA.com
You can read the complete story at https://doorsopenpgh.org/about/
DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh, Inc. (501c3).