Description: Pittsburgh is located at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers. On the south bank above the Monongahela is Mount Washington. For the best views in the area you need to go to the top of the mountain. This certainly can be done with your car, we know this for a fact since we accidentally did it, but that is another story.
For a much more interesting trip to the top try using the Duquesne Incline. There is a parking lot where you can park for fee right across the street from the lower station. You then climb up some stairs and walk across a bridge which takes you over the top of the four lane road. It is a unique perspective.
There is a charge to take the incline. It cost $1.75 each way. If you have the entertainment book you can get one round trip free when you buy a second one. The incline reminds me a lot of the funicular in Quebec city. The big difference is that you get to sit down and relax and really enjoy the view. The car perhaps holds twenty people maybe more if you sit close together.
It really is a site to behold. It is easy to spot, bright red paint on the outside and cherry and birds eye maple on the interior. It isn’t the smoothest of rides but it certainly is one of the most scenic. The whole point of Pittsburgh lies out before you.
At the top of the Incline there is a museum where you can see the inner working of the incline and also many pictures decorate the wall showing Pittsburgh over the years.
The Incline was opened in 1877 and was originally operated with steam power. It has been upgraded over the years and is now electric.
The best part of the trip up the Incline is going out on the viewing platform. You can use the telescopes to look at the fountain on the point or the new Heinz Field on the north shore of the Ohio River. You really can see everything from the many bridges that cross both the Alleghany and Monongahela Rivers to the beautiful Pittsburgh skyline. It is a breathtaking view but of course is not for the faint of heart or those who don’t like heights because you have the feeling of hanging off the edge of the world. I loved it, it is a rush, and you are at a height of 400 feet.
If you fell in love with the feeling there is another Incline about a mile down Grandview Ave. Just a note, Grandview is the address of the Upper Station. You will find parking easier on Carson St. There is a small gift shop in the upper station but when we were there they were out of just about everything.
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