After a successful spring and summer tour season, Pittsburgh Tours & More has announced several new tours that will be offered through the fall and winter months (with heated tour vans, of course).
Last May, Pittsburgh Tours & More (PT&M) was launched as a project of the Pittsburgh Transportation Group, after they discovered that people were renting vehicles in order to do tours of their own. Sherris Moreira, director of group tours, says that with nearly every scheduled tour at full capacity, PT&M seems to be filling an important void.
“We’re so busy doing things for other people…the tours are a way to do a little something for ourselves, for our own enjoyment, while at the same time helping others,” Moreira says.
By helping others, Moreira is referring to the partnerships that PT&M has established with local non-profit organizations. PT&M donates a portion of the proceeds from each tour to local groups that are making a difference in the community. Moreira says that non-profits are actually contacting PT&M in order to establish these partnerships, whereas in the past, PT&M was the only side reaching out.
Through the fall, PT&M will continue to offer both its Lights, Camera, Pittsburgh! tour of the city’s movie backdrops, as well as its City of Champions Sports History Tour. Some new tours will be seasonal, while others will be offered year-round. The new tours start as early as October 3rd.
The ScareHouse Unmasked will take brave participants behind the scenes at Pittsburgh’s infamous ScareHouse. Tourers will get the opportunity to observe how the seasonal haunted house produces its legendary scare tactics. After getting the behind-the-scenes scoop, a light dinner will be provided at the Church Brew Works, followed by a trip through the ScareHouse, seeing all of its tricks and turns in action. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania.
Knit One, Tour Too is an idea inspired by the city’s recent public art installment “Knit the Bridge.” Moreira says the tour focuses on the “fiber arts.” “All of them, we aren’t picky.” The tour will visit the Laurel Highlands’ Bo Peep Knitting Shop, Kathy’s Kreations in Ligonier, Darn Yarn Needles & Thread Shop and Alpaca Place of Harmony, and Old Economy Village, where participants will make a stop at Yarns Unlimited and be treated to a weaving demonstration. The tour benefits Familylinks, a support system for families coping with mental health issues.
The Steel City Sampler is for those who want to make their Pittsburgh culinary experience even more authentic. The “rustbelt culinary tour” makes stops in the steel valley towns of Braddock, Munhall, and Homestead. The tour highlights restaurants and culinary offerings that reflect the region’s heritage, including a modernized mill bar and renovated church halls. The tour benefits Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area.
A Pittsburgh Christmas Carol will take a tour of the city’s churches that are decorated for the holidays, as well as highlight those with historic significance to the area. The tour includes brunch, and “maybe a carol or two!” This tour benefits the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank as well as the historic churches being shown. Ticket prices range from $49-$85 and all tours can be booked for private groups such as parties or corporate events.
A complete schedule of tours can be found here, as well as ticket purchases for individual tours.
