The Duquesne Incline overlooking downtown Pittsburgh
The centerpiece of this art-filled three-day visit to Pittsburgh—a city of smokestacks and steel reborn as a vibrant cultural capital—is the 59th Carnegie International, North America’s longest-running survey of international contemporary art. Presented at the Carnegie Museum of Art, this renowned exhibition, held every three to five years, showcases the work of more than 60 artists, from emerging voices to globally celebrated figures.
In addition, the tour led by arts journalist Richard Selden offers a deep dive into Pittsburgh’s distinctive art and history. At the Mattress Factory, guests encounter room-sized, site-specific installations that blur the boundary between viewer and artwork. The Andy Warhol Museum, the largest museum in North America devoted to a single artist, provides an immersive look at the life and work of Pittsburgh’s most famous creative son, from iconic silkscreens to films and archives.
The itinerary also connects art to the city’s broader historical narrative at the Senator John Heinz History Center, a Smithsonian Affiliate Museum and Pennsylvania’s largest history museum. Here you explore Pittsburgh’s transformation from frontier settlement to industrial powerhouse and, ultimately, to a modern center of innovation and culture. Artifacts of the steel industry to sports history and the legacy of the H. J. Heinz Co. tell over 250 years of Western Pennsylvania history.
A highlight beyond the visual arts is the National Aviary, one of the nation’s premier bird conservation centers. Enjoy an up-close encounter with species from around the globe, culminating in a live bird demonstration where free-flying birds soar just overhead.
The rich ethnic and industrial history of “the ’Burgh” is woven into the tour. A walking and tasting tour of the Strip District reveals a vibrant neighborhood shaped by waves of immigration, where old-world food traditions meet contemporary culinary innovation. The tour would not be complete without a ride on the historic Duquesne Incline, a cable car dating to 1877 that offers sweeping views of the city’s skyline and the confluence of the Allegheny River, Monongahela River, and Ohio River.
Even the accommodations reflect Pittsburgh history: The Priory Hotel, a restored former Benedictine monastery dating to 1888, features Romanesque architecture, soaring spaces, and preserved historic details.
Know Before You Go
- Cost includes bus transportation, lodging, all activities, and the following meals: 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, plus food tour, and 2 dinners.
- Overnight accommodations are at the Priory Hotel. Important accommodations note: All rooms at the Priory have one bed (king or queen); a very limited number of shared accommodations consist of a king or queen bed and a pull-out sofa.
- Tour departs at 8:00 a.m. by bus from the Mayflower Hotel, Connecticut Ave. and DeSales St. NW, with a pick up stop at Best Western Rockville, 1251 W Montgomery Avenue, Rockville, Maryland, at about 8:30 a.m.
- Single-room supplement $220 (factored into the Single Room Member and Single Room Nonmember pricing).
- Singles registering at the double-room rate are paired (on a nonsmoking basis) if possible, but must pay the single-room supplement otherwise.
- Detailed information is emailed to registrants about four weeks prior to departure.
- Participants are strongly advised to purchase travel insurance for overnight and multi-day tours from a provider of your choice. Travel insurance provides additional coverage against unforeseen incidents that require last-minute cancellations.
General Information
- The tour departs by motorcoach from downtown Washington, DC with a designated secondary pick-up outside the city. Content delivered by the study leader on the way to the destination, after the secondary pick-up, is an integral part of the study tour experience. Meeting the group once the tour is en route is discouraged.
- Smithsonian Associates is a mask-friendly environment. Please feel free to bring and wear a mask at any time during a tour, both for your safety or the safety of others.
- As we aim to move away from single use water bottles, guests are strongly encouraged to get in the habit of bringing their own reusable water bottle on tour.
- For additional tour information:
