Reaching into the clouds in the college part of town, The Cathedral of Learning catches attention with its Gothic architecture style. Begun in 1926, it is 535 feet tall with 42 floors. The Cathedral is an iconic, historic landmark that is part of the University of Pittsburgh. It houses many of the school's classes and a grand library. Throughout the first and third floor, there are the "nationality rooms." These 19 rooms represent different nations and are a celebration of their culture. The room's overall purpose are to show and appreciate the varied and numerous good things that immigrants have brought the United States over the years.
"The building was to be...a symbol of the life that Pittsburgh through the years had wanted to live...of the great city that would sometime spread out beyond their three rivers and that even they were starting to build." - Chancellor John Gabbert Bowman
The 19 rooms are as follows; African heritage, Armenian, Austrian, Chinese, Czechoslovak, Early American, English, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indian, Irish, Israel heritage, Italian, Japanese, Korean heritage, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Scottish, Swedish, Swiss, Syria-Lebanon, Turkish, Ukrainian, Welsh, and Yugoslav. During the school year, visitors can stop into the rooms when classes are not being held in there. Each room has a small description at the front detailing the significance of the architectural design. On the weekends, audio guided tours are available for $4 for adults or $2 for youths (ages 6-18 years). Personally, I do not think this would be necessary. My mom and I enjoyed looking in each room and reading the descriptions. Additionally, the website is extensive in explaining the history and showing pictures of each room.
Here are some of the highlights from the tour. I think the Indian room was arguably my favorite with white pillars and iron wrought windows. Personally, I was very excited to see the African heritage room, even though it represents a diverse and large continent. The carving work is incredible, especially the wooden door where each panel represents a different African country. The Austrian room is ornate with red fabric walls, a large dining room table with matching red chairs, crystal chandeliers, mirrors, and a fresco ceiling. The Syria-Lebanon room doubles as an ornate prayer room.
Use their smart elevator to see views of the city. You type in the number of the floor that you want to go to on a keypad and it assigns you an elevator letter. When the elevator arrives, it will have the numbers of the floor it is going to on an electronic. Even though the building is 42 floors tall, you can only go as high as the 35th floor. Don't try to use the staircases to go up higher, especially at night when they are locked. My mom and I might have learned this from personal experience, but don't mention it to her. I'm lucky there were other people on the 35th floor to let us back in, or we might still be there!
From the outside structure to the Gothic style library and windows to the Nationality rooms, it is clear why the Cathedral of Learning is considered a historical landmark. Be sure to stop in if you are in the area. Also, check out the Heinz Memorial Chapel across the way with massive stain glass windows and high Gothic style arches. Anyone is welcome to tour the Chapel from 8:30 AM-5 PM Monday-Friday. Saturday and Sunday varies by services and weddings, but typically it is available to tour from 12 PM-5 PM on Sunday.
Nationality Rooms website: https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/
Heinz Memorial Chapel website: https://www.heinzchapel.pitt.edu/