Student led-tours of this small, private university with the unique connection to the Sisters of Mercy (it was the first location of the Sisters of Mercy in North America; the convent is still on campus). The old Grace Library was completely gutted and renovated in 2015 to create a University Commons, a LEED-certified building.
This is where the Center for Academic Achievement is located. Carlow University’s Center for Academic Achievement (CAA) applies the best practices of the learning profession by contributing to the transformational educational experiences that occur both in and out of the classroom. The CAA provides quality academic support and promotes the adoption of transferable skills, thereby fostering resilience in traditional, adult, and graduate-level learners. Guided by core learning outcomes and the values of the Sisters of Mercy, the CAA optimizes learning by responding to the needs of each individual and helping students realize their full potential for academic success.
University of Pittsburgh Nationality RoomsThe Nationality Rooms are located in the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning. The rooms were designed to represent the culture of various ethnic groups that settled in Allegheny County and are supported by these cultural groups and governments. The rooms are also in regular use as University classrooms in which students are in the midst of surroundings designed to enhance the learning experience.
The emphasis on ethnic identity and the search for one’s ancestral roots is reflected in the committees formed to create new classrooms representing the cultures of Finland, Iran, and others in consideration. As these rooms take their places around the Commons Room, they will add new dimensions of pride and understanding to the unique totality of America’s heritage.
A visit to the 30 Nationality Rooms in the 42-story Cathedral of Learning transports visitors from the 5th Century B.C. Athens through 1st Century Israel to 18th Century Africa. Stained glass, carved stone and inlaid wood reflect the cultures which Pittsburgh immigrants brought from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
American whiskey was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Throughout the 1700 and 1800s, Western Pennsylvania was the epicenter of American Whiskey production. Wigle is named for one of those pioneering Pennsylvania distillers. In the 1790s, Phillip Wigle defended his right to distill in a tussle with a tax collector, and unwittingly helped spark the Whiskey Rebellion, which pitted Western Pennsylvania distillers against George Washington's troops.
The tour includes a cocktail to start, a hands on tour of the distillation process, a history of the Whiskey Rebellion told through the eyes of the company’s namesake, Philip Wigle, and a seated tasting of straight spirits. Throughout the tour they will regale you with the true tale of the Pittsburgh's Whiskey Rebellion, one of the country's quirkiest and pivotal events.
The Andy Warhol Museum is one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, and a collaborative project between the Carnegie Institute, the Dia Art Foundation, and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Pittsburgh is Warhol’s birthplace, and the museum’s collection includes 900 paintings, 100 sculptures, 4,000 photographs, and more than 1,000 published and unique prints displayed in 17 exhibits throughout the museum’s seven floors. The museum holds the largest collection of Warhol’s artwork and archival materials, and it is one of the most comprehensive single-artist museums in the world and the largest in North America. The café and store will be open during the visit.
Molly’s Trolleys fleet of vehicles includes 1920's style trolleys that are fully enclosed, air-conditioned, heated and are handicapped accessible. They have panoramic windows, gorgeous interior woodwork, and brass railings with comfortable, bench-style seating.
This tour lets you experience Pittsburgh with a fully-narrated historical tour of the city. The tour highlights Pittsburgh's magnificent array of architecture, rivers and historic landmarks, and it showcases interesting facts about the people, places and culture of the city. The tour includes Downtown, the Cultural District, the North Side, and a one-way ride on the historic Duquesne Incline. As you return to the Westin, you can be dropped off at Market Square for dinner on your own or back at the hotel. Market Square is a short walk from the Westin. Cost of dinner on your own is not included.
Fallingwater is a house built between 1936 and 1939 over a waterfall in southwest Pennsylvania by Frank Lloyd Wright, America’s most famous architect. It was designed and built for the Kaufmann family, owners of the upscale Pittsburgh Department store Kaufmann’s. Fallingwater is recognized today as arguably Frank Lloyd Wright's finest work. Edgar Kaufmann Jr., son of the house's patron, entrusted Fallingwater and land around it to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963. It was featured on the cover of Time magazine in January 1938, and it is the only major Wright-designed house open to the public with its furnishings, artwork and setting intact.
The group will tour the house and have time to stroll the grounds. The tour includes a considerable amount of walking and be prepared for the weather as about half the tour is outside.