rivers of steel national heritage area

Normally i can write these reviews easily, but words really cannot describe how incredibly amazing this tour was. Our guide took us through the entire iron making process from the time the raw materials are loaded into the furnace to when they pour the iron into the torpedo cars. He also told us stories about the hell the men when through 24/7/365 and about the working conditions. One of the other interesting things about the tour, is the graffiti.The tour took 2 hours, it is all walking and there are some sections with steps. Dress appropriately and wear good hiking or comfortable shoes.You can't go wrong taking this tour and if you have guests from outside the area, it is definitely something different.

The museum is in a historic building at the edge of the site of a former, and sizeable, steel mill along the bank of the Allegheny River. Afterwards you can drive to various remaining remnants of the mill, and get a real feeling of the size of the place.

I'm from Pittsburgh and found this tour to be incredibly interesting. It was not just about the Carrie Furnace, but in general about Pittsburgh and how this particular industry created our culture in Pittsburgh. I highly recommend this tour for those that live in Pittsburgh, but for those visiting!! It was a great overview of where we have been and why we are the way we are today! Great place to take artistic pix too!

Our trip to Pittsburgh and the Great Allegheny Passage unfortunately didn't coincide with a regular tour. But we headed to the old pump house just down the road from the hotel because a flyer said there was a Sunday farmers market. (It was too early in the season for much.) Look out for a guy in a hard hat -- he works for Rivers of Steel and will answer your questions. Actually, he gave us a great explanation of what happened to the steel industry in 1892 and in the 1980s and explained the pump house too. We probably had at least 30 minutes of his time. Very enthusiastic and with clear views on what happened here. He just needs a table or tent to make himself more visible. Love finding these sorts of places and learning about local history (not just George Washington was here). Wish we had known we could park here (with a permit) while we biked the Great Allegheny Passage -- it would have given us more flexibility in selecting a hotel. If I come back to Pittsburgh, I'll try to make a tour.

The huge grass labyrinth is right on the bike/hiking trail, right under the railroad bridge, right past the blue manufacturing buildings near the Rankin Bridge entrance to the Waterfront shopping complex. There's a parking lot right there, on the same side of the blue buildings; a farmer's market is also here on selected days. Unfortunately from the parking lot there's no signs, but there is a sign above the labyrinth, on the sidewalk where bikers and hikers go. You can either walk down the small hill from the sidewalk (you can't miss it) or from the parking lot walk to the left, underneath the railroad bridge. You will see a path. This labyrinth has gorgeous views of the river, and can offer a very peaceful respite. A labyrinth is NOT a maze, there are no tricks/dead ends. However, as you walk toward the center it is not a linear path, it goes from quadrant to quadrant. The center and edges of this labyrinth honor Pittsburgh's very rich steelworker past, you will be amazed how many different steel sites are noted, and the land itself where the labyrinth is located is where there was bloody strife between the workers and management many years ago. You can learn about this history at the Bost Building in Homestead, part of Rivers of Steel Heritage Area. I don't believe the labyrinth is lighted, so walk this in the day. Many people are not aware this labyrinth is available. It is an obvious labor of love by the woman who created it; the plaque discusses the creator, in addition to providing general information about labyrinths. Many people walk the labyrinth both ways, going in and out; however there is no one right way to walk a labyrinth. You may find children love to run it! Perhaps you too!

This was the hidden gem of my weekend in Pittsburgh. I had read about the Carrie Blast Furnace tours a month earlier and was sure to book a tour in advance. The Furnace is located in Rankin about 10 miles of downtown Pittsburgh. I had a great guide named Sam who gave an extended tour of what remains of the Carrie Blast Furnace. He was a former worker who was knowledgable and passionate about the operation and what the Furnace meant to the area. Wear good walking shoes.

This is one of the most compelling tours I have ever had. It was possible to feel the life of the steel worker and the amazing process of making steel. The work was dangerous and cost many lives but it was work badly needed and proudly done. The city of Pittsburgh has a long and deservedly proud history which was fully involved with the making of steel. This wonderful tour will remind you of the impact Pittsburgh, the Steel City, had on so much of American history as well as the history of the world.

For those of us old enough to remember what the steel industry was like (I grew up in the 50's), and how much was lost when they went away, this is indeed a bittersweet tour. The Carrie furnaces is listed as a National Historic Landmark. It is situated on a 30 acre site along the Monongahela river outside of Pittsburgh, PA. From the area you can still see the working Edgar Thompson Mill in the distance. What remains is the blast furnaces 6 and 7, of five that used to be there. They were once part of the USS Homestead Works which was also part of Andrew Carnegie's steel fortune. Started in 1907, it last closed production in 1978. Tours are guided or self-guided on Saturday's in October, they begin again in June. Cost is $25 with adjustment for seniors and groups. Basically, all money is for upkeep of this massive facility.Tour was about 2-3 hours, I'm 61 and the walk was easy although there are stairs involved,no facility for handicap and don't be foolish and wear heels or sandals. The guides are very knowledgeable,patient and dedicated to this landmark. Local artists have also set up displays that I feel make a nice statement next to the steel mill itself. There is some danger, you sign a waiver and just stay with the group. You will be fascinated at what your grandpa and great grandpa had to do for a living. Young children may get bored, some tweens in the group would rather have been somewhere else. Good tour for a cooler day. Road to get there is very rutted, even saw deer crossing in front of us. Across the river is the remains of some of the Homestead Works, site of a brutal massacre of workers by the owners Andrew Carnegie and Co.

9/7/2013A 3-hour tour is what we got. The tour guide was thorough and gladly answered questions. He was knowledgeable in bot technical aspects, business aspect and social aspects of the furnaces and history. However, this is risky place to walk in and you need to watch where you walk. At the beginning of the tour the pace is a bit quick for someone out of shape or with bad knees. After that it settled down. A couple of sets of stairs of about 40-50 steps each can be rough and visitors should be made aware of this before showing up. There is no place to sit and relax and yes, it is dirty, Part of the challenge is finding this place. Follow the instructions on the web site. This is a national historic site that might eventually become a national park. This could ruin the tours since national park rules would probably keep you from entering certain areas because this place can be dangerous. Part of the excitement is touring all parts, even those rusting away.

We recently toured the closed Carrie furnaces outside of Pittsburgh. The approximately 2 hour tour was interesting and informative. An added plus was hearing people speak who had worked there before its closing in 1979. Wear good walking shoes

Went to the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area and arranged for a private tour with Marsha. She was a great docent who brought the story of the Homestead Mill, the Battle of Homestead and the whole steel industry to life. The exhibits at the Bost Building were really interesting and it's an amazing renovation. Then we went over to the Pump House for further exploring.Call ahead and arrange for a tour, you won't be disappointed. Marsha was so informative and made our visit!

Excellent tour of factory and history. Follow the signs even though it says no trespassing and bring a hat.

Recently my husband and I and another couple took the guided tour of the Carrie Furnace. Wow it was so very interesting and actually quite beautiful. I have lived in Pittsburgh almost my entire life and have never had the opportunity to visit an industrial site. My husband worked for 13 years at the mill in Homestead (just down the river) and it was a walk down memory lane for him. Though our connections to Pittsburgh and steel run deep I would think that almost anyone would enjoy the time spent here.My advice; take a self-guided tour. it would give you time to move at your own pace. I understand that there are times where guides are positioned in areas and you can interact with them there and hear their stories. If I were to have the chance to go again that would be the tour that I would take.

I went on the guided Carrie Furnace tour today and it is a must do if you live or visit Pittsburgh. The tour guides are volunteers who worked at the blast furnaces so their personal stories of working there were fantastic. Our tour lasted a little over 2 hours. We walked all around the site and through all parts of the iron making process. Seeing the technology and infrastructure used 100 years ago brought to life a huge part of Pittsburgh's and the Steeler Nation history. The site is exactly like as it was left in 1978. In 2006, Carrie Furnace became a National Landmark. Note: There is no running water (only portable bathrooms) so make sure to bring your own water if it is a hot day. Also, wear good shoes because you are walking on a uneven terrain in and around the blast furnace. I wouldn't recommend this tour for those needing a cane or other devices to help them walk.

My daughter and I took the self-guided Carrie Furnance tour yesterday, and we gained an appreciation for the hard work that helped to make Pittsburgh an important industrial city, and the magnitude of the loss when those jobs disappeared. A fascinating industrial ruin, with the freedom to wander around the huge site, and knowledgeable docents who greatly added to the experience. I loved the Carrie deer, and the story of the artists who created it. Go see it!Wear sturdy shoes and be prepared to climb steps, jump over some gaps, etc. There's a reason they make you sign a waiver to go on the tour, but there would be no better way to get an idea of the work done here. Unless they subjected the visitors to extreme heat, rain, carbon monoxide emissions, etc. One of the guides who used to work at this plant said they used to say the only difference between working at a blast furnace and Hell is that at the blast furnace you could go home at the end of the shift. So maybe losing jobs like that isn't such a bad thing? But you'll think about the economics of it all, and what, if anything, has replaced those jobs.