Press Release – DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh Takes To The Rivers With Expanded Boat Tour Offerings For 2023
Media Contact:
Bonnie Baxter
Founder/Executive Director
DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh
412-583-1424
bonnie@DoorsOpenPgh.org
DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh Takes To The Rivers With Expanded Boat Tour Offerings For 2023
Pittsburgh, April 10, 2023 - DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh is excited to expand its Boat Tour offerings in 2023 with a series of rare opportunities to celebrate the city’s architecture and history along the rivers that have been so integral to Pittsburgh’s story. Led by local architects, historians, and engineers, this series of 4 Boat Tours provides a rare opportunity to go beyond the typical sightseeing tour and delve deeper into local anecdotes, lore, and kitsch from a unique perspective from the water.
Scheduled for Saturday, May 20, 2023 from 11:00am - 1:00pm, Secrets of the Ohio offers an immersive look at a seldom seen stretch of the Ohio River. Led by engineer and local bridge expert Todd Wilson and architectural historian Justin Greenawalt, the tour uncovers many secrets hidden in plain sight from the largely uninhabited Brunot Island to the rough hewn walls of the Western Penitentiary, and the triumphal arch of the West End Bridge to the monumental McKees Rocks Bridge.
On Saturday, June 24, 2023 from 1:00pm - 3:00pm, DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh presents Histories and Mysteries of The Allegheny which sails from Acrisure Stadium to the tip of Herr’s Island. Also led by Wilson and Greenawalt, this tour features countless stories of fascination and kitsch from the “Three Sisters” to the bygone story of Allegheny City.
On Saturday, August 12, 2023 from 1:00pm - 3:00pm, DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh presents The Mighty Monongahela. Once again led by Wilson and Greenawalt, this immersive tour features fragments of an industrial past dotting the riverbanks along the Mon and how it began shaping the fortunes of Pittsburgh long before iron and steel.
Back by popular demand for 2023, DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh is once again offering Bridges and Buildings: Architecture of the Three Rivers with two dates on the season itinerary, Saturday, July 15, 2023 from 1:00pm - 3:00pm, and Saturday, September 16, 2023 from 1:00pm - 3:00pm. Led by two local experts, engineer Todd Wilson and architect Paul Tellers, this boat tour showcases the city’s iconic skyscrapers and legendary bridges of the golden triangle.
"We encourage the public to check out at least one of our upcoming boat tours. We will be presenting a unique look at how our bridges and architecture have intertwined along our rivers throughout history," says Founder Bonnie Baxter.
Todd Wilson, MBA, PE, is an award-winning transportation engineer, named one of Pittsburgh Business Times’ 20 Engineers to Know in 2022. He has co-authored two books on Pittsburgh’s bridges, Images of America Pittsburgh’s Bridges and Engineering Pittsburgh a History of Roads,Rails, Canals, Bridges, and More. An engineering graduate of Carnegie Mellon, Todd has extensive knowledge on bridges, having photographed them in all 50 states and 25 countries.
Justin P. Greenawalt is an architectural historian and historic preservationist with a deep appreciation for the history and development of Pittsburgh and greater southwestern Pennsylvania. Justin is employed within the Cultural Resources practice of Michael Baker International. He is Director Emeritus of Preservation Pittsburgh and a past president of the East Liberty Valley Historical Society. Justin is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh (B.A. Architectural Studies, 2008) and Columbia University (M.S. Historic Preservation, 2010).
Paul Tellers is an architect and planner. Paul was the University Architect at Carnegie Mellon University, the Director of Planning at WTW Architects, Facilities Planning Director for a CUNY college in New York, and a Project Manager for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. In addition to Doors Open Pittsburgh, Paul currently serves as a guide for historical Pittsburgh tours for Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, Rivers of Steel, and Bike the Burgh. Paul is a docent at the Carnegie Museum of Art and a member of the Bach Choir.
All DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh Boat Tours set sail from The Gateway Clipper Fleet boarding docks at Station Square. Ticket pricing is $40 for adults and $15 for children under age 18. The tours run rain or shine, with both indoor and outdoor seating offered on a first-come, first-served basis. These tours require pre-registration, which closes at 5pm the day prior to each tour. For additional event information, and to purchase tickets: doorsopenpgh.org.
The 2023 tour season is supported in part by the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council through its Allegheny Arts Revival Grant, the National Endowment for the Arts.
About DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh: We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that exists to educate and stimulate the exploration and appreciation of Pittsburgh’s architecture, history, and design heritage. We provide unique behind-the-scenes access to significant buildings across the City’s diverse neighborhoods and business districts. We invite curiosity. #BeNebby.
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About DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh: We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that exists to educate and stimulate the exploration and appreciation of Pittsburgh’s architecture, history, and design heritage. We provide unique behind-the-scenes access to significant buildings across the City’s diverse neighborhoods and business districts. We invite curiosity. #BeNebby. We are supported, in part, by a generous grant from PA Department of Community and Economic Development/The Pennsylvania Tourism Office/visitPA.com
DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh, Inc. (501c3).