Category Archive: Tours & Events
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Roxian (Theater) Ready for Start of Renovation
Thursday, July 29, 2010By Brian David, Pittsburgh Post-GazetteWhen Andrew Hieber saw a “for sale” sign on the Roxian Theater in McKees Rocks, he had an instant vision.
A musician, he knew the local concert scene. A longtime restaurant worker, he knew entertainment. As the owner of a martial arts and fitness gym, he knew business. As a native of The Rocks, he knew what lower Chartiers Avenue had once been. And as a lucky early investor in America Online stock, he even had a bit of money.
“I had always looked at the Roxian as a great music venue,” with nice acoustics and a size that slotted neatly between the clubs and the stadiums, he said. Built in the late 1920s as a movie theater and used for every conceivable stage show since, the Roxian was well-worn but structurally sound. Mr. Hieber figured he could slap on some paint, work his connections and start bringing in mid-level touring bands.
That was 2004. The vision has taken a couple of beatings since. “I don’t get excited anymore,” Mr. Hieber said. “I got really excited five years, six years ago, and it just got me frustrated.”
But if he starts feeling the rush again, it is excusable — the grand old theater is in the process of being gutted in the first phase of a renovation that should have it open by next year.
The plan is to open a side wall to create space for ticket booths and a new entrance, refurbish the main floor with a new bar area and removable seats, raise the stage for safety and better sightlines and replace the 285 balcony seats with 225 seats sized for modern rear ends. The building is also getting an elevator, new wiring, plumbing and ventilation systems, new bathrooms and new light and sound systems.
In all, the cavernous space — five floors on a 27,000-square-foot footprint — will be able to hold 1,500 for a concert, but also will be able to function café-style for banquets, receptions and smaller shows.
In some ways, all this is possible because of the first beating that was administered to Mr. Hieber’s dream six years ago.
When he inquired about buying the building, he was put in touch with an old Sto-Rox schoolmate, Taris Vrcek, who had recently taken on leadership of the McKees Rocks Community Development Corp. Mr. Vrcek told him the Community Development Corp. was acquiring the building and already had someone lined up to be owner/operator of the theater business.
But he promised to keep Mr. Hieber atop the list if anything happened, and when the original operator bailed out six months later, he gave Mr. Hieber a call.
The next blow came when Mr. Vrcek said the community corporation would rent him the building, but would not sell it.
“I said, ‘Why should I rent it from you when I can own it myself?’ ” Mr. Hieber said. “But he waved the carrot of nonprofit grant money in front of my nose.” The Community Development Corp. could get the kind of support that no for-profit business could.
The final blow made the necessity of that arrangement clear; architectural studies showed that to meet code, the theater would need an elevator and bathrooms with 42 toilets, far beyond what it had. “That kind of tore down my dream,” Mr. Hieber said.
Mr. Vrcek, however, was undeterred. He had a strong vision of what lower Chartiers could be, and the redeveloped Roxian was “the game-changer, the catalyst for the rest of the strategic plan,” he said.
“Bring 1,000 people in here several times a week, imagine what that would do. It would really give us a chance to market some beautiful old buildings.”
The neighborhood already has Hollowood Music Center, a music store with a regional clientele, and the Roxian is catty-corner from the Father Ryan Arts Center, a nonprofit facility that supports visual and performing arts.
Mr. Vrcek sees other clubs and restaurants sprouting, capitalizing on the arts-centered theme. “The Roxian could really make this a destination of choice,” he said.
Mr. Vrcek spent years obtaining a $500,000 grant from the state Department of Community and Economic Development and a $250,000 county grant. He also brought in Dennis Stasa, owner of the McKees Rocks company Penn Interiors, as a private partner. The company is doing the renovation work and will have an ownership stake.
Mr. Hieber described Mr. Stasa as “a visionary” when it comes to the building’s interior. “He’s sure when he’s done with this that he’s going to end up on the cover of Pittsburgh Builder magazine.”
The full flow of Mr. Stasa’s vision may have to wait a while, though. Mr. Vrcek said the focus for now is on getting the building ready for effective use as a concert venue, with the “extra bells and whistles” to follow as money is available.
That puts the current focus on the building’s mechanicals and on bringing the main floor and main stage up to standards.
The “bells and whistles” could be a lot of fun, though, because the building is a maze of half-hidden rooms, like a real-life “The Phantom of the Opera” set.
There are rooms flanking the stage along the back wall, stacking up to the ceiling. These were delicately referred to as “sleeping rooms” in the theater’s club days and could be used as “green room” space for artists.
Mr. Hieber envisions opening a small restaurant in a room above what is now the entrance and a cigar bar in an identical room above that. There’s a lounge between the two entrances that was, until recently, adorned with hanging beads and disco posters. The projection room still holds the original projectors — huge machines from the dawn of the movie era.
And then there’s the basement, a huge space previously used as a sports and dance bar; Mr. Hieber envisions a similar use in the future.
“I’ve been through the building probably 20 times,” Mr. Hieber said, “and every time I find a new space I didn’t know about.”
And standing in the empty, dusty darkness of the main floor, he betrayed the fact that the excitement really is still there.
“It’s going to be awesome,” he said.
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Rural Freeport Theatre Festival Finds Success Turning History into Drama
Thursday, July 15, 2010By Kate Luce Angell – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Marushka Steele directs actors in a dance scene in the play "Battle of Kittanning" set in 1756 and written by her husband Rennick Steele. Bill Wade/Post-Gazette
The brainchild of Rennick and Marushka Steele, the Freeport Theatre Festival in Allegheny Township is celebrating its 21st season this summer, an accomplishment by any standard.
But what makes its success even more significant is that, in these increasingly tough economic times for arts organizations, the Freeport Theatre Festival thrives by going against much of the conventional wisdom for successful small theaters.
Instead of concentrating on popular scripts, the festival specializes in history plays — often local history — and often written by Mr. Steele as well as other local playwrights.
The Steeles also chose to found the festival in a rural area, almost 45 minutes from Pittsburgh and its theatergoers. Their performance space, a converted machinery barn, sits on White Cloud Farm in Armstrong County, on land that has been in Mr. Steele’s family for generations.
Mrs. Steele attributes much of the success to the company’s focus on serving the people of the area. “We respect our audience, and they love history,” she said.
“Cauldron of Steel,” Mr. Steele’s play about immigrants in Vandergrift at the turn of the 20th century, is playing until July 25.
Starting Aug. 13 is the final play of the summer season, “Bertha and Bailey’s Circus,” a comedy also by Mr. Steele.
How Mr. Steele, who with Mrs. Steele was involved in New York City’s Off-Off-Broadway Alliance of the 1970s, decided to return to his family’s farm and found the Freeport Theatre Festival is another story that goes against expectations.
Mr. Steele lived on the farm until age 15, when his family relocated to Columbus, Ohio. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Ohio State University, served a stint in the Army and then moved to New York to become a professional actor and playwright.
“It was an exciting time,” said Mr. Steele of the 1970s, adding that the rules for mounting low-budget productions were much looser then, allowing him to produce several of his own plays with professional casts.
He met Mrs. Steele, then Marushka Dembecki, who had come from her hometown of Detroit to try her luck as a ballet dancer and as a professional actress. They married in 1980.
The Steeles left New York for Los Angeles in 1983, where Mr. Steele earned a master’s degree in education at the University of California at Los Angeles.
His father had returned to the family farm after his retirement and the Steeles joined the family there in the late 1980s. They founded the Freeport Theatre Festival in 1989.
Mr. Steele said he had found his family’s own long history in the area to be a rich source of inspiration for his plays.
Of Scotch-Irish background, the Steeles moved to the Hannas Town and Mount Pleasant area in the 1770s, later settling near Freeport.
Adjacent to the Steeles’ property is a cemetery dating from when a church stood nearby; the Steeles that are buried there “populate my plays,” Mr. Steele said.
For example, he said, “the town doctor in ‘Cauldron of Steel’ is my grandfather’s first cousin, whose stone is up there.”
In its early years, the festival concentrated on popular plays by known names, but in 1995, Mr. Steele presented a full-length play about a forebear of his mother’s, a Native American woman whose name was Nancy Ward.
“Beloved Woman” proved that historical drama could be a hit, and was the first of the festival productions to make use of historical re-enactors — people who take on roles of historical figures.
On June 17, Mr. Steele retired from his job as seventh grade teacher in the Armstrong School District, and he says he looks forward to dedicating even more time to the festival. The Steeles are both in their 60s.
Operating as a nonprofit, the festival is lucky in that it hasn’t yet had to raise ticket prices, Mrs Steele said.
“We break even. Three-quarters of our funds come from ticket sales, the rest from our corporate and individual sponsors.”
The couple is in the middle of a fundraising campaign to improve the performance space and add “real restrooms.”
The Steeles also plan a return to some of their more ambitious productions of the past, plays like “The Battle of Kittanning” that employed large casts, outdoor locations and even, on occasion, the farm’s horses and sheep.
“The Battle of Bushy Run will have its 250th anniversary in 2013,” noted Mrs. Steele. “My husband has said that in 2012, he’ll write a play about it.”
Bushy Run was an important 1763 battle during the French and Indian War that took place near Harrison City in Westmoreland County.
What has become clearer than ever over the years, said Mrs. Steele, is the power of both history and theater to remind us of our connections to our communities and each other.
“We’re all part of the same human family. And art helps us see that.”
Details: www.freeporttheatrefestival.org.
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Historical Groups Left in Lurch by Funding Cuts
By Richard Robbins, Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Museum inn keeper and Curator Jim Koontz, of Ligonier, builds a birdhouse that is being modeled after the Laughlintown museum's cook house. Barry Reeger/Tribune-Review
Just two years ago, Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, the Oakland landmark honoring veterans of all of America’s wars, was on the receiving end of a nice piece of change from Pennsylvania: $260,000.
In 2009, the state’s largesse shrank dramatically, to a mere $30,000.
This year, Soldiers & Sailors is in line to get nothing, a result of a state budget that eliminated grants for historical sites, from the 218-acre Bushy Run Battlefield in Penn Township to the smallest local historical society.
The funding cuts will have a huge impact on groups devoted to local history, according to Ronald Gancas, Soldiers & Sailors president and CEO.
He foresees severe retrenchments, including the continuation of a wage freeze in effect at Soldiers & Sailors since 2007 and the need to recruit and mobilize even more volunteers. The museum’s education department has gone from five full-time and two part-time employees a few years ago to one full-time and one part-time employee today.
“If this trend continues, it will take 50 years to put things back together,” Gancas said.
The 2009 state budget contained $1.7 million for regional and local history, a sum that the state House added after several months in which it appeared there would be no funding for historical groups.
But this time around, there was no late change to rescue local history grants, either for general operations or special projects.
There was lip-service support for public history from members of the General Assembly but nothing more, said Deborah Filipi, executive director of the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations.
“We are in a crisis, there is no doubt about it,” Filipi said. “There are some museums that are already hurting. I suspect some of these are not going to survive.”
Jeremy Burnworth, president of the Fayette County Historical Society, said the funding cuts could not come at a worse time for his group, which conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday at its new museum and headquarters in a renovated 1700s building.
“This is really bad timing,” Burnworth said, adding that the historical society will be “held back without” the state dollars. He was counting on $10,000 from the state and a $10,000 match from the county to help staff the museum and the Searight Tollhouse, both along the National Road.
“We were on track” for the funding, Burnworth said. Now the game plan is to utilize volunteers in place of paid staff.
Tina Yandrick, director of operations for the Ligonier Valley Historical Society, said the expiration of funding meant elimination of summer internships cutting general maintenance “over and above the usual.”
Yandrick noted Compass Inn, a restored Laughlintown stagecoach stop built in 1799, “always” needs refurbishing.
Nevertheless, she said, “we are fortunate we have Compass Inn,” a money-maker for the society that helps to offset the loss of state money.
State funding was “always important money for us,” said Lisa C. Hays, executive director of the Westmoreland County Historical Society, adding that money has been so scarce, “I’m trying to get through this month.”
“We’ve already tightened our belts a lot,” Hays said. She forecast the potential for shorter business hours beginning in 2011 to “save staff time.” However, because the society likely will make a greater effort to raise private dollars, Hays was uncertain if savings are actually possible.
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Movie Money Spurs Vandergrift Spending Ideas
By Rossilynne Skena and Dale Mann, VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Monday, July 19, 2010The borough received $15,000 for opening its streets in June to crews filming “I am Number IV,” an action-packed thriller.
Of the money received from DreamWorks, $5,400 has be allocated to parking meters. There are about 250 parking meters on the borough streets, and those meters need constant updates, council president Brian Carricato said.
The average parking meter costs about $110. Fifty new meters will be purchased and will go into circulation where meters are broken or missing.
Council will vote at its August meeting about how to spend the remaining $9,600.
Carricato would like to see the full sum of the money remaining go toward the recreation committee.
DreamWorks wants to see the money applied to something such as recreation, something the town can look back on in 10 years as an accomplishment, Carricato said.
Typically, he said, recreation is an area where budgets can be cut because other things are more essential.
“There’s not too many times that you do have the opportunity to invest back into your recreation department,” Carricato said.
Christine Wilson, a council member who serves as chairwoman of the budget committee, proposed another plan.
She too would like to see the $5,400 go toward meters, and then allocate $6,500 to codify the borough’s ordinances, which haven’t been updated since 1998. The remaining $3,100 would go to recreation.
Carricato said there’s money in the general fund to use for codifying ordinances.
“We have $42,000 from gas wells in the general fund that should be used for codifying the ordinances,” Carricato said, adding that two more gas wells, located near the Vandergrift Cemetery, will be starting up in the next few weeks.
Wilson said that $20,000 is put into the bank up front for each gas well, and that money is supposed to be used for emergencies.
“I don’t like dipping into that money that we’re putting into the bank for emergency-use only,” Wilson said.
The three operational gas wells brought in more than $25,519.30 for the borough between January and June 30, Borough Secretary Steve DelleDonne said. Wells are located behind the municipal garage, on the Ninth Street Alley above East Vandergrift and on hillside dropping into East Vandergrift, Carricato said.
Wilson disagreed with using any of the gas well funds. Carricato said the money from the gas wells is budgeted into the general fund as anticipated revenue.
Discussion of what to do next was tabled until the next meeting, Wilson said, at which point the recreation committee will bring proposals of how to use the funding.
Carricato and two others recreation committee will meet to discuss ideas, but as for what ideas they have, residents will be in suspense until council meets.
“We’ve already been brainstorming,” Carricato said.
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Charleroi’s Historic Goaziou Shop to Reopen With Tours, Open House
By Ron Paglia
FOR THE PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, July 18, 2010One of the community’s oldest and most historic buildings will be the focus of attention Monday when the official reopening of The Goaziou Shop is celebrated beginning at noon.
The open house, presented by the Charleroi Area Historical Society, will run until 3:30 p.m. at the site at 807 Fallowfield Ave. and is open to the public. Light refreshments will be served, and tours of the building will be available.
The Goaziou Shop, in Charleroi’s historic district, was the commercial print shop and residence of the late Franco-American Louis Goaziou, a union socialist and main advocate for the North American Co-Masonry movement, for which the first charter was established in Charleroi.
The building, which opened at the turn of the last century, also housed a printing shop owned and operated for many years by Herb Goaziou.
The building’s accommodations for disabled visitors are made available through a grant from the Washington County Tourism and Promotion Agency.
Regular visiting hours at The Goaziou Shop are from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday and Friday.
Additional information is available at the historical society’s administration office and the Genealogy and History Research Center at 608 Fallowfield Ave., 724-483-2030, or The Goaziou Shop, 724-483-4961.
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Artists on Board for Mural Project Behind Tarentum Station Restaurant
By Tom Yerace
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Last updated: 7:41 amThe mural project for the wall behind the Tarentum Station restaurant is picking up steam, according to borough officials.
Borough Manager Bill Rossey said he has been contacted by five local artists who want to volunteer their services for the project.
Councilman Ray Kerr, who is coordinating the project with Rossey, said more artists are needed on a volunteer basis since the borough wasn’t able to secure a grant to pay for the project.
He said paint for the mural is being donated by two borough paint stores: Van Sciver’s Wall Covering and Paint and Verner’s Paint Center.
“Right now we are moving pretty good on it,” Kerr said.
Rossey said a primer was applied to the wall over the weekend.
It’s ready for the mural, which will be 175 feet long and range from 6 feet to 4 feet high.
Kerr and Rossey said the mural will have a historical theme, using the image of a train, but with the cars of the train depicting historical people and events related to the borough.
“What we need now are people (subjects) from Tarentum,” Kerr said. “We need faces if anybody can come up with some pictures, they would be welcomed.”
Kerr said the project should be completed before the end of summer.
“It will certainly be a point of interest for people coming through town to pass by and look at that wall, ” Rossey said.
In other business:
• Council approved applying for a federal Community Development Block Grant for Streetscape improvements to the business district.
The application will be for $105,000 to do the actual improvements, such as new sidewalks and lighting, according to Rossey. He said that will supplement a $60,000 grant the borough received this year to pay for planning of the improvements.
Rossey said the borough will be putting out a request for proposals on designs soon.
In addition to the $60,000, the borough also has set aside $15,000 from its budget for planning costs, Rossey said.
He also said that it also is reserving $45,000 to use for the improvements and could use money left over from the $75,000 reserved for planning to pay for the actual work.
He said borough officials believe they can do at least one block of E. Sixth Avenue and try to do subsequent blocks every year.
• Council has granted permission for the Alle-Kiski Historical Society to hold a Civil War encampment in Riverview Park. The encampment by re-enactors will be Aug. 21 and 22.
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Rodef Shalom’s Garden Grows into Latest Exhibit of Wearable Greens
By Alaina Raftis , TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The heavily cultivated and well-maintained garden -- which sits on a third of an acre off of Fifth Avenue in Oakland -- was created by Irene Jacob, a botanist who founded the docent program at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and her husband, Rabbi Walter Jacob, to bring people closer to the Bible in a nontraditional way. Justin Merriman | Tribune-Review
The lush greenery at Rodef Shalom’s Biblical Botanical Garden is celebrating it’s 25th year with a new exhibit titled “What Shall I Wear?”
This year, the garden showcases various plants and flowers that have been used to make clothing and fragrances for thousands of years.
The heavily cultivated and well-maintained garden — which sits on a third of an acre off of Fifth Avenue in Oakland — was created by Irene Jacob, a botanist who founded the docent program at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and her husband, Rabbi Walter Jacob, to bring people closer to the Bible in a nontraditional way.
Often referred to as “Little Israel” because its geography replicates the confines of the Holy Land, the garden features various miniature landmarks such as Mt. Hermon, a mound of stones stacked beneath the shade of the billowing Acacia trees, and the Jordan River, a tranquil stream of water trickling from one corner of the garden to another.
The thousands of signatures penned in the guest book each season are only one sign of the garden’s success.
Often referred to as "Little Israel" because its geography replicates the confines of the Holy Land, the garden features various miniature landmarks such as Mt. Hermon, a mound of stones stacked beneath the shade of the billowing Acacia trees, and the Jordan River, a tranquil stream of water trickling from one corner of the garden to another. Justin Merriman | Tribune-Review
“This is the largest and most complete garden of its kind,” says Arlyn Gilboa, who has been a docent at the garden for 15 years, “It’s wholly dedicated.”
The garden contains 56 out of 110 plants specifically mentioned in the Bible and an additional 50 flowers that Jacob added to awaken the verdant oasis.
“Some people come to Pittsburgh just to see the garden,” says Jean Simon, another docent.
Plants that aren’t mentioned in the Bible were given creative names such as, “Jacob’s Coat,” “Angel’s Tears” and “Elijah’s Blue” to play along with the biblical theme.
This year’s exhibit “was just something new that we haven’t focused on before,” Gilboa says. “Sometimes our exhibits don’t have biblical roots, but this year it certainly does.”
The garden contains 56 out of 110 plants specifically mentioned in the Bible plus more. Justin Merriman | Tribune-Review
Some of the plants featured in this year’s exhibit are used for the essential oils in perfumes and fragrances. They include, among others, banana shrubs, carnations, chamomile, gardenia, geranium, jasmine, kumquat, lemon verbena, mock orange, musk plant, myrtle, patchouli, rose, rosemary and sage. The cotton and flax plants also are displayed and both have been used to make clothing since the ancient times.
“It’s a wonderful thing,” Gilboa looks at the two massive Cedar of Lebanon trees at the entrance to the garden. “The fact is that the ancients were dependent on plants, and so are we. For me, I feel a strong connection with Jewish history when I’m here. It’s such a treat.”
Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical GardenWhen: Through Sept. 15. Hours: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; 7-9 p.m. Wednesdays; noon-1 p.m. Saturdays Guided tours available 12:15-1 p.m. Aug. 6 and Sept. 3
Admission: Free
Where: Rodef Shalom Temple, 4905 Fifth Ave., Oakland
Details: 412-621-6566
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Pools, Rivers, Fountains and More Offer Splashing Fun
By Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Wednesday, July 14, 2010When it comes to cooling off, there aren’t many better or more efficient ways than getting soaked.
There are a variety of pools, rivers, fountains, rides and more available in Western Pennsylvania to take the edge off of even the hottest days — and we’ve certainly had plenty of those lately. So get out there and get wet.
Wave poolsThere’s nothing like getting drenched at one of Allegheny County’s three wave pools. On a sweltering day, few things are more inviting than a heaving expanse of cool blue water, with the afternoon sun dancing on the frothy waves. The county operates wave pools at Settler’s Cabin Park in Robinson, South Park in Bethel Park and Boyce Park in Plum.
The waves are created by a series of chambers concealed behind the rear wall of the pool. They blow compressed air that produces the waves, says Joe Olczak, director of public works. He says they can alter the height of the wave by changing the firing sequence of the chambers. They could make a wave as large as five feet, he says.
“We normally don’t do that because there’s a lot of young kids. We try to keep the waves one to two feet high.”
Settler’s Cabin wave pool is the most heavily used of the three. To beat the rush, go during the week. The weekend rush starts not long after the 11:30 a.m. opening time Friday. No outside food or drinks are permitted, but customers are permitted to bring their own chairs. Inner tubes can be rented for $5, with $1 refunded on the return.
All three pools are open 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Admission is $5 for adults; $4 for ages 13-17; $3 for age 60 and older and ages 6-12; $1 for age 5 and younger. Group discounts are available. Details: Settler’s Cabin Wave Pool, 412-787-2667; South Park Wave Pool, 412-831-0810; Boyce Park Wave Pool, 724-325-4677, or www.alleghenycounty.us/parks/fees/pools.aspx.
— William Loeffler
The big poolsPeople fond of whopping places for a cool plunge can choose from some of the biggest pools in Western Pennsylvania. Admission rates for adults range from $5 to $7.
North Park Pool — a 57,000-square-foot landmark built in the early 1930s — once claimed to be the largest pool in the United States. It offers a 20-foot-tall curved slide, separate baby pool, concession stand, swimming classes and 25-cent lockers in a big, slate-roofed bathhouse. Swimmers can rent flotation tubes, but rafts, belly boards and other flotation devices are prohibited. North Park Pool is on South Ridge Road in McCandless. Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily. Details: 724-935-1951.
Dormont Pool is longer than a football field and also offers a curved slide, concession stand and swimming lessons, plus water aerobics classes. Dormont Pool is at Banksville Road and Dormont Avenue. Hours: noon to 8 p.m. daily. Details: 412-341-7210.
Ligonier Beach — a 400-by-100-foot pool — opened July 4, 1925, and shares 10 acres with a sit-down restaurant, picnic grove, sand area, snack bar, poolside bar and game room. Entertainer Dean Martin once worked as “a towel boy” at the pool, and bands continue to perform 2 to 6 p.m. Sundays. Feel free to bring your own raft or other flotation device. Ligonier Beach is at 1752 Route 30 East in Ligonier Township, Westmoreland County. Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Details: 724-238-5553 or www.ligonierbeach.com.
— Deborah Deasy
State parksPerhaps you’re allergic to chlorine. Maybe you don’t like man-made waves. Or it could be you’d rather not pay to swim.
Three state parks in the region offer cost-effective alternatives to crowded, and sometimes pricey, municipal and public pools.
At Keystone State Park in Derry, Westmoreland County, a 1,000-foot sand beach lies on the northern rim of Keystone Lake. No food, pets, beverages are allowed on the sand. Swimming is available from 8 a.m. to dusk, from mid-May through mid-September.
Moraine State Park in Portersville, Butler County, offers two swimming areas. Pleasant Valley Beach on the south shore of Lake Arthur features a 1,200-foot sand-and-turf beach, with a playground and sand volleyball court nearby. A 550-foot sand beach is the main feature of Lakeview Beach on the north shore. Both beaches have showers, changing rooms and food concessions nearby, and are open from sunrise to sunset, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. No pets are permitted on the beaches.
Raccoon State Park in Hookstown, Beaver County, features an 800-foot, sand-and-turf beach, with a bathhouse and concession stand nearby. Swimming is available from mid-May through mid-September.
All state parks are swim at your own risk; swimming at all state parks is free. Details: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/index.aspx.
— Rege Behe
OhiopyleGetting wet is easy around Ohiopyle. But watch out, it can be dangerous, too.
The Fayette County town is in the middle of a great outdoor area featuring mountains, a long bike trail and, of course, the Youghiogheny River. That waterway offers rafting trips that are among the best-known in the Mid-Atlantic area. Even if you stay in the boat, you’re bound to get wet.
The trips that begin near the town explore 7 1/2 miles of the Lower Yough, blasting through Class III and IV rapids. This is not a trip to be taken lightly and safety talks are part of every adventure to make sure rafters know what to do if they are tossed from the boat.
If these rapids are not enough, try trips on the Upper Yough, which is above the reservoir gated at nearby Confluence. This 5-mile trip roars through class V rapids and drops an average on 115 feet per mile. Because this is not dam-controlled these trips usually are spring-oriented when runoff gives the river flow.
But don’t forget the Middle Yough from Confluence to Ohiopyle. This stretch provides a generally placid trip with a few Class I and II rapids. Basically, though, it is a lovely trip through a deep Appalachian valley, the stuff folk songs are made of.
Outfitters such as Wilderness Voyageurs (800-272-4141) or Ohiopyle Trading Post (888-644-6795) handle a variety of trips near Ohiopyle. Prices vary according to the day, the trip, what kind of lunch is offered, or whether a guide is needed or included. They can go as high as $150 on the Upper Yough, $95 for the Lower or around $35 for a float on the Middle.
— Bob Karlovits
Spray parksCommunity swimming pools aren’t cheap to run and maintain, and every year, it seems, there’s a battle to keep more from closing. Another way for kids to cool off during the dog days of summer is the spray park.
Pittsburgh has two — one in Troy Hill that opened last year, and a new one that opened in Beechview this summer.
Spray parks feature an array of different water features, fountains, sprinklers, sprayers and mist-makers, many with sensors triggered by movement. Kids can sprint through the spray park setting them all off, or spend time soaking and redirecting the flow of their favorite features.
There’s no age limit, no worries about falling into the deep end. Children with disabilities — even wheelchairs — can participate.
“The response has been really great,” says Mike Radley, director of Citiparks. “It reaches a large spectrum of kids and neighbors.”
There are two other Allegheny County-run spray parks outside the city, at Round Hill Park in Elizabeth and Deer Lakes Park in Frazier. The one at Round Hill Park is called the Aquatic Playground, and has a farm theme — with fountains and sprayers shaped like pigs, barn doors and tall sunflowers.
City spray parks: Vanucci Playground, Orangewood Avenue, Beechview. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. 412-255-2539. Goettman Street, Troy Hill. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. 412-255-2539.
County spray parks: Round Hill Park, Hereford Drive, Elizabeth. 8 a.m. to sundown daily. 412-384-4701. Deer Lakes Park, Creighton Russelton Road, Frazier. 8 a.m. to sundown daily. 724-265-3520.
— Michael Machosky
Amusement parksWhether you’re going to Kennywood or Idlewild, there are guaranteed ways to cool off and get wet as the day gets hot.
On two of Kennywood’s three water rides, you almost certainly will get soaked. On the Raging Rapids, you ride in a round tube with five other people along a winding, bumpy river with at least one waterfall. On a hot day, get on this ride early before the lines get too long, then you’re wet clothes will help keep you cool as you explore the rest of the park.
On the Pittsburg Plunge you ride in a car that holds 20 people. It goes up a hill, around a bend and then, you guessed it, plunges 50 feet into a pool of water, generally drenching everyone inside and those on an observation platform.
The Log Jammer’s ability to soak is a little more iffy. Your best bet is to share your log with three of your heavier friends to get the maximum splash on both the smaller slope in the middle of the ride and the big hill at the end.
At Idlewild, the water fun is found in Soakzone, a large water park that has fountains and slides to fit every level of daring. There are five larger slides, some where you use rafts and some where you slide on your own backside. The hydrosoaker area allows you to spray your friends. Or stand under the tipping bucket as hundred of gallons of waters cascade down. For toddlers, the Little Squirts area has a shallow pool with fountains, waterfalls, and gurgling jets. For those a little older but not yet read for the big slides, Captain Kidd’s Adventure Galley has multiple small slides, jets, waterfalls and its own tipping bucket.
The water features are included in general admission to the parks.
Kennywood, West Mifflin. Hours: 10:30 a.m. until around 10 p.m. Admission: $17.49 to $35.99. Details: www.kennywood.com.
Soakzone, west of Ligonier. Admission: $21.99 to $29.99. Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Details: www.idlewild.com.
— Susan Jones
SandcastleThere are plenty of places to get wet at Sandcastle waterpark. Enjoy 14 fun-filled waterslides. The Blue Tubaluba slides are Sandcastle’s first dual-rider, enclosed slides. The Boardwalk Blasters body slides are for strong swimmers only because you race down two 25-foot long slides to a soaking surprise ending — a 7-foot free fall into a 12-foot-deep landing pool.
Brave thrill seekers will enjoy the Monster, a free-fall slide, starting 85-feet above the finish, with a gradual slope glide of 25 feet that drops to a steep 60 feet, hitting speeds up to 25 miles per hour.
There is a 20,000-square-foot wave pool. Willie’s Water Works is a pool where children control 20,000 gallons of water by pulling ropes, twisting valves and turning handles that unleash geysers, fountains and sprays. Surrounding it all is the Lazy River, a gently flowing stream a quarter-mile long.
Purchase a season pass and get wet as many times as you like.
Sandcastle, West Homestead. Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays-Sundays (Memorial Day to Labor Day). Admission: $18.99-$29.99. Details: 412-462-6666 or www.sandcastlewaterpark.com.
— Joanne Klimovich Harrop
MuseumsTwo museums on the North Side have dedicated their top floors to playing in water.
• Bright yellow balls, clear tubes and lots and lots of running water make the Carnegie Science Center’s Exploration Station Junior a popular destination for the 3- to 6-year-old set.
The comfortably child height and brightly colored area is a great place for exploring scientific concepts like using a corkscrew device and wheels to raise water or just splashing around. Oversize blue and yellow vinyl bibs help ward off wet clothing and there’s a small hand dryer for damp spots.
Just outside the preschoolers’ station older kids and adults have their own area for water play and hydraulic exploration. At hip high metal troughs, they can construct water dams or connect clear tubes to direct the flow of water.
Carnegie Science Center, North Side. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays to Fridays and 10 a.m to 7 p.m. Saturdays: Admission: $17.95; $9.95 for ages 3-12. Details: 412-237-3400 or www.carnegiesciencecenter.org.
• The Waterplay exhibit takes up the whole top floor of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. Kids can build a boat to float down the River and make its way through a dam. Or don boots and a slicker and walk through bubbling water jets that you can re-direct by making spouts with interlocking pipes. Better bring a change of clothing, because even the most cautious kid usually gets wet.
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, 10 Children’s Way. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission: $11; $10 for age 65 and older and ages 2-18. Details: 412-322-5058 or www.pittsburghkids.org.
— Alice T. Carter
PPG PlazaThe spurt and splash of the PPG Plaza fountain’s 140 water jets could help you chill even if you just watched them from beneath the shade of one of the plaza’s umbrella-covered tables.
The water forms complex, ever changing patterns as liquid columns soar up to 15 feet around the plaza’s central column.
Kids love the fountain’s flat no-barrier surface that allows them to meander or sprint through the unpredictable eruptions, risking or inviting a good soaking.
Guards enforce the plaza’s clearly posted rules which include no running; no beachwear, towels or sunbathing; no bikes, skateboards or animals; adult supervision of children and no drinking the water.
PPG Plaza is bordered by Third and Fourth avenues as well as PPG buildings 1 and 4, Downtown. The fountain operates every day through Oct. 1 with continuous operation from 6 to 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. and intermittently at 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Details: 412- 434-1900 or www.ppgplace.com.
— Alice T. Carter
Water stepsGravity does the work at the Water Steps at North Shore Riverfront Park. From a pool in front of Hyde Park steak house on North Shore Drive, just west of PNC Park, the water descends over broad steps of sandstone blocks toward the Ohio River.
Each level provides a restful yet refreshing blend of cool water and warm sun, where you can sit in the stream and take in a spectacular view of Downtown. Straight ahead is the river, on which ducks may be seen enjoying the sight of humans in water.
The steps’ steady yet gentle flow of water fits the idyllic family-friendly environment.
— Mark Kanny
TubingFor the ultimate in sunny day relaxation therapy, set your bottom into an inner tube and allow a gentle river flow to propel you downstream between tree-lined river banks. This past weekend, the water temperature was a perfect 78 degrees.
The Pale Whale Canoe Fleet on the Clarion River in Cook Forest State Park offers tube rentals that include a drive upstream to your put-in. Choose from a two-hour, 2 1/2-mile float ($10 for a single, $18 for a figure-eight double) or the four-hour, 4-mile trek ($14 for single, $26 for double).
The river is a mild family friendly one that averages just 2 to 3 feet in depth. But even so, kids are strapped into life jackets for your set-your-own-pace river ride. Add an extra tube to strap on your cooler — or rent a floating cooler — and the day will be complete. There are plenty of stops — atop rocks or on the river bank — to enjoy a snack and cold drink.
From Pittsburgh, take I-79 north to I-80 east to the Brookville exit. Following Route 36 north, cross the Clarion River Bridge and make a right on River Road. Pale Whale will be on the left. Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, renting until 4 p.m. Details: 800-680-0160 or www.canoecookforest.com.
— Sally Quinn