Main Attractions
Pittsburgh has several large parks. Chief among these are Riverview, Schenley, Frick, and Highland parks. Overlooking the Allegheny River in Highland Park is the Pittsburgh Zoo. Point State Park, at the tip of the Golden Triangle, is the site of old Fort Pitt. In the downtown area are Mellon Square Park and the Equitable Plaza, beautiffy landscaped areas of trees and fountains on top of underground parking garages.
The oldest building in Pittsburgh is the restored Fort Pitt Blockhouse, originally built in 1764. An outstanding work of the architect Henry Hobson Richardson is the Allegheny County Court House, completed in 1888.
Redevelopment since World War II has added many modern skyscrapers to Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle. Notable examples include the 64-story USX Tower, the aluminum-clad Alcoa Building, and the PPG Place building. Gateway Center, a complex of office, hotel, and parking facilities with landscaped plazas, replaced 23 acres (9.3 hectares) of industrial slum. The studios of KDKA, the first commercial radio station in the United States, are in this center. Among prominent prewar structures in the downtown area are the Gulf and Grant buildings. On the edge of the Golden Triangle is the dome-shaped Civic Arena, which is used for cultural activities, conventions, and sports events.
The University of Pittsburgh, in the Oakland area of the city, is the largest institution of higher learning in Pittsburgh. On the university's campus are the Cathedral of Learning, a 520-foot (158-m) skyscraper of classrooms; Heinz Memorial Chapel, noted for its stained-glass windows; and the Stephen Foster Memorial, featuring memorabilia of the Pittsburgh-born composer.
Carnegie-Mellon and Duquesne universities are also notable institutions of higher education. Among smaller schools are Carlow, Chatham, La Roche, and Point Park colleges.
The Carnegie, on Forbes Avenue, consists of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Carnegie Museum of Art. Both museums have extensive collections. In Frick Park is the Frick Art Museum, with European paintings and decorative arts.
On the city's North Side are the Buhl Science Center, with a planetarium and varied scientific exhibits; the Allegheny Observatory, operated by the University of Pittsburgh; and the Conservatory-Aviary, featuring exotic and domestic birds and plants. Phipps Conservatory, in Schenley Park, has a wide variety of botanical exhibits, most notably tropical plants.
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the city's public library, has numerous branches. Other important libraries are at the University of Pittsburgh and other academic institutions.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, established in 1895 and reorganized in 1926, presents most of its concerts in Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts. Productions by the city's opera, ballet, and light opera companies are presented in the Benedum Center. Local artists display their works during the Three Rivers Arts Festival in June.
Pittsburgh is home to the Pirates (a National League baseball team), the Steelers (a team of the National Football League), and the Penguins (a team in the National Hockey League).
