Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on April 4, 2019.
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Whenever we travel (especially abroad), we always love finding free city tours as a means to get our bearings in a new location and to also learn more about the city/country's history.
While Pittsburgh does have periodic, free city tours run by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, they are often limited in frequency and location. We, as a city, simply needed more.
It wasn't until late 2018 that Pittsburgh finally got its own free walking tour, put on by the appropriately named Free Pittsburgh Walking Tours. Naturally, I jumped on this one in early 2019 to give it a try and really enjoyed the tour overall!
Local History with Free Pittsburgh Walking Tours
The tour put on by Free Pittsburgh Walking Tours runs approximately 90 minutes and covers a breadth of Pittsburgh history- from its initial founding, rise as an industrial city, subsequent collapse, and revival as a modern, livable city we know and love today.
Along the way, you'll stop at some of downtown's most iconic buildings, where the history of the region is tied into what you see perfectly. Steel making roots by the US Steel Tower? Glass history by PPG Place? The history of Pittsburgh is truly reflected in its architecture!
While the starting location varies from tour-to-tour and is only given out after you sign up, the guides do a great job crafting a walk around downtown that is easy, accessible, and ends relatively close to your starting point.
So if you are looking for an easy to experience and enjoyable way to learn about Pittsburgh's history, the free walking tour is a must.
The Best Part? Name Your Own Price Tip!
With a name like Free Pittsburgh Walking Tours, you can imagine that the tours are, well, free. This is most certainly the case; however, we always like to remind everyone that free attractions such as these often accept tips.
The guides do not make a salary for hosting the tours (Free Pittsburgh Walking Tours is not subsidized by any outside agency), so tips are the only income they receive for the experience.
If you enjoyed your tour, we highly recommend tipping a price you feel would be acceptable!
When it comes down to it, I really enjoyed my time out with Free Pittsburgh Walking Tours, and I'm really looking forward to seeing new tours from this one pop up on the future. Whether you are a resident of the city wanting to learn more local history, or a first-time visitor, this one should definitely be on your radar.
To learn more about Free Pittsburgh Walking Tours, click the previous link!
