Customized Tours

Let us know what you want to see!

If your group is interested in exploring architectural landmarks or historic neighborhoods in the Pittsburgh region, let us arrange a tour for you. We serve Pittsburghers, visitors, convention and community groups, and educational institutions.

For specialized tours, we prepare an itinerary, secure access to sites, and provide architectural and historical commentary at the sites. We need about three weeks’ time to coordinate all tour details so please call in advance to discuss your ideas and needs.

Call toll-free at 1-877-471-5808, ext. 527 to schedule a bus or walking tour. Tour fees vary according to group size and program format.

Policies

RESPONSIBILITIES

––Group: Group leaders are responsible for (1) obtaining any required permission forms if needed; (2) the safety and behavior of their participants throughout their time with PHLF; and (3) addressing any medical needs for their participants. Group leaders understand that PHLF tours usually take place in an urban environment.

––PHLF: is responsible for providing knowledgeable tour guides and an engaging, tour experience within the specified time period. PHLF is not responsible for providing medical assistance to any of the group members or for any injury to a person or property that may occur during the tour.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Group Leaders: Please inform participants that during the course of a tour, PHLF may take photographs of your group for use in communication material including, but not limited to, printed materials, web materials, and PHLF publications. On the day of the tour, please inform the PHLF photographer if anyone is not allowed to be photographed. Thank you.

Please note: when taking photos, the PHLF photographer usually shows people from the back so individuals are not recognizable.

Specialized Architectural Tours

We have introduced many out-of-towners to Pittsburgh’s architectural legacy. Groups from throughout the country and abroad have included the Chicago Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, The Friends of the Gamble House, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Sotheby’s American Arts Course, various organizations interested in the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, and a group of architects from New Zealand.

For such specialized tours, we prepare an itinerary, secure access to sites, arrange transportation (if necessary), provide architectural and historical commentary at the sites, and give each tour member a packet of related materials.

If your group is interested in exploring architectural landmarks in the Pittsburgh region, let us arrange a half-day or full-day tour according to your requirements and interests.

Typical tour fee: Between $100 and $200 per hour with a minimum tour of three hours
PHLF Members receive a discount
Group size: 10-person minimum

For more information e-mail or call  412-471-5808

All-City Tour

Take an entertaining three-hour bus tour of “all the City.” Sights en route can include historic landmarks and corporate skyscrapers in the Golden Triangle; the architecturally restored neighborhoods of the North and South Sides; a visit to a restored church or synagogue; and Oakland’s cultural district.

Typical tour fee: $25 to $50 per person
PHLF Members receive a discount
Group size: 10-person minimum, one bus maximum.

For reservations and more information e-mail or call 412-471-5808

H.H. Richardson’s Allegheny County Courthouse

Join us for a one-hour tour of Pittsburgh’s architectural masterpiece designed by H.H. Richardson.

In 1883, Boston architect Henry Hobson Richardson won the competition to design the Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail. Construction began in 1884. The Jail was completed in 1886 (and was renovated in 1999 to house the Allegheny County Family Courts); the Courthouse was finished in 1888.

The architect told the County commissioners that he designed the County Buildings: “to express in the exterior the character and purpose of the interior and to rely for architectural effect upon the arrangement of the masses, and the dignity and solidity of the construction.” On his deathbed, Richardson is reported to have said: “If they honor me for the pigmy things I have already done, what will they say when they see Pittsburgh finished.”

Typical tour fee: $25 per person
Group size: up to 15 people

For reservations and more information e-mail or call 412-471-5808