Haunted Pittsburgh Walk

As October evenings close in, downtown Pittsburgh shows its older face. This walk follows the city's documented history from the forts at the Point up to Grant Street and back, and along the way it shares the ghost stories Pittsburghers tell about these places. The history is fact; the ghosts are legend, and every stop tells you which is which.

You will see the Fort Pitt Blockhouse, the city's oldest building; Market Square; the hill where a British army was routed in 1758; the Bridge of Sighs and the jailbreak that scandalized the city in 1902; a grand hotel with a rumored night shift of spirits; one of the oldest burial grounds in the region; a theater that opened on Halloween night; and the Point itself, saved for last.

The loop is about 3 kilometers (just under 2 miles) on city sidewalks and park paths and takes about 100 minutes with stops. Start at the Fort Pitt Blockhouse in Point State Park and time it to reach the fountain around dusk. Every stop is free and seen from public space.

11 stops on this tour:

Fort Pitt Blockhouse - The Last Piece of the Fort

Portal Bridge - Inside Fort Pitt's Walls

Burke Building - The Survivor of 1845

Market Square - Where the City Began

Allegheny County Courthouse - The Hill Where an Army Fell

Bridge of Sighs - The Warden's Wife

Omni William Penn Hotel - The Grand Hotel's Night Shift

Trinity Cathedral Burial Ground - The Oldest Graves Downtown

Byham Theater - Opened on Halloween Night

Fort Duquesne Bridge - The Bridge to Nowhere

The Point - Where It All Began