Pittsburgh Cultural District
Pittsburgh has much to offer its residents and visitors. Our
cityscape rises majestically from the point of three rivers, impressive with
its glittering towers and web work of bridges. The downtown area is
filled with restaurants, shops, hotels, and public parks. The old feel of
an industrial city has almost vanished. Today Pittsburgh is not only a
busy corporate center and leader in high-tech industries, but the proud home
of a thriving and historic Cultural District.
The Pittsburgh Cultural District encompasses a fourteen block area in the
heart of downtown that offers a wide variety of art and live entertainment.
Included are classical and contemporary music, ballet, modern dance, visual
art, opera, musical theater, and drama. There are approximately 1,400
performances held each year that draw millions of patrons to the area giving
it a cultural variety that, at times, can be unmatched.
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
The promotion and development of the Cultural District is through a
non-profit organization called the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Shows,
events, and performances can be found online by visiting the
Cultural Trust
website.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
803 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412-471-6070
Tickets: 412-456-6666
Group Sales: 412-471-6930
The Cultural District as we know it today began to take shape in the
early 1980s. Pittsburgh was suffering from industrial decline and the
downtown area was vacant. It was at that time a group of leaders
joined together to transform Pittsburgh's downtown. One man that led
this revitalization was the late John Heinz. He was the chairman of
the H.J. Heinz Company and an art lover. Mr. Heinz had renovated Heinz
Hall in 1971 and looked to expand the revitalization. In 1984 the
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust was formed to further carry out his vision.
The first step taken was to restore the former Stanley Theater into the
Benedum Center for the Performing Arts. Development continued, including
streetscaping programs, facade restorations, new cultural facilities, and
public open spaces and art projects. The end result was an exciting
district with over 14 facilities that include landmarks such as Heinz Hall,
the Benedum Center, O'Reilly Theater, the Theater Square, August Wilson
Center for African American Culture, the Byham Theater, Harris Theater,
Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery, Watercolors Gallery, American Institute
of Architects Gallery, and Wood Street Galleries.
If you are going to a matinee or for a romantic evening out, the
Pittsburgh Cultural District will have something for you. On this
page, we'll hit some of the highlights and provide contact information.
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at Heinz Hall
Pittsburgh Symphony
Orchestra at Heinz Hall
600 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412-392-4900
Tickets: 412-392-4900
Group Sales: 412-392-4819
The Pittsburgh Symphony is one of the oldest performing companies in the
Cultural District, now entertaining audiences for over a century. This
is the best place for music lovers to enjoy an evening out. In
addition, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and The Pittsburgh Symphony present
the PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series during the fall and winter months.
Heinz Hall is home to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and is the
cornerstone of the Cultural District of Pittsburgh. This concert hall is
centrally located and is what helped revitalize the downtown area of
Pittsburgh. It is known internationally as a showplace of grandeur and
excellence.
The structure was built in 1927 as the Loew's Penn Theater and was later
renovated and dedicated as Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts in 1971 by the
Howard Heinz Endowment. Events include symphony concerts and a variety
of other attractions such as children's concerts and national Broadway
touring shows.
The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts
The Benedum
Center for the Performing Arts
719 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412-471-6930
Tickets: 412-456-6666
Group Sales: 412-471-6930
The restoration of the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, formerly
known as the Stanley Theater, was the first project of the Pittsburgh
Cultural Trust in 1984. The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts
houses the
Pittsburgh Opera, the Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and
Pittsburgh Dance Council.
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Pittsburgh Opera
Pittsburgh Opera
801 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412-281-0912
Tickets: 412-456-6666
Group Sales: 412-281-0912, Ext 213
The Pittsburgh Opera is the eighth oldest opera company in the country
and remains one of the top opera companies today. It has showcased
performances by famous singers such as Birgit Nilsson, Beverly Sills, and
Luciano Pavarotti.
Pittsburgh CLO
Pittsburgh CLO
719 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412-281-3973
Tickets: 412-456-6666
Group Sales: 412-325-1582
The Civic Light Opera (CLO) announced its first season on February 20,
1946 and remains just as popular as ever. The Pittsburgh CLO is a live
musical theater that offers critically acclaimed Broadway classics as well
as new works throughout the summer season along with A Musical Christmas
Carol that is presented at the Byham Theater each December. It has become
one of the largest and most established regional musical theater
organizations in the country.
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
Performances at Pittsburgh's Benedum Theatre
719 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412-281-0360
Tickets: 412-456-6666
Group Sales: 412-454-9129
The Pittsburgh Ballet is the eighth largest ballet company in the United
States. It has earned a high quality reputation from the variety of
works that it performs each year. Shows range from 19th century
classics to new works crafted by exciting young choreographers.
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Pittsburgh Dance Council
Pittsburgh Dance Council
803 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412-471-6070
Tickets: 412-456-6666
Group Sales: 412-456-2692
The Pittsburgh Dance Council features modern dance and offers season
after season of outstanding talent, including international performances.
The Dance Council is a division of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and
attracts the world's finest companies, achieving an outstanding level of
quality dance performances.
Pittsburgh Public Theater
Pittsburgh Public Theater
621 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412-316-8200
Tickets: 412-316-1600
Group Sales: 412-316-8200, Ext 704
The Pittsburgh Public Theatre performs in The O'Reilly Theater. The
theatre opened in 1999 and is the only newly constructed theater in the
Cultural District. Its layout allows the audience to view performances
on three sides of the stage giving the theater enthusiast an up-close
experience.
Theater Square
Adjacent to the O'Reilly Theater is Theater Square.
This area was designed by Michael Graves, in
collaboration with WTW Architects of Pittsburgh.
Here you will find the main box office for any
performance in the cultural district, as well as
accessible parking. In addition there is the Cabaret at
Theater Square, the Backstage Bar, the Caf' Zao
restaurant, and the Carolyn M. Byham WQED fm89.3
Studios.
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August Wilson Center
August Wilson Center
for African American Culture
425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1750
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: 412-258-2700
The August Wilson Center for African American Culture opened the doors to
its new facility in May 2009. The August Wilson Center encompasses all
aspects of the African American experience. It includes galleries,
classrooms, a 486-seat theater, a gift shop, a cafe, and many multipurpose
spaces available for rental and use by the community and to be used for
visual and performing art and expression.
Other Notable Landmarks
Other notable Pittsburgh Cultural District landmarks include the Byham
Theater, the Harris Theater, and the many visual arts galleries.
The Byham
Theater was formerly a vaudeville house that was known as the
Fulton Theater. It reopened in 1991 and then was restored and renamed
the Byham Theater in 1995.
The Harris
Theater was formerly known as The Art Cinema and was reopened
after renovation in 1995. It is named in honor of native Pittsburgher
John P. Harris, who created the nation's first nickelodeon in downtown
Pittsburgh. Movie goers enjoy visiting these theaters for contemporary
and foreign films presented by the Pittsburgh Filmmakers.
There are also a variety of visual art galleries in the Cultural
District. These galleries offer an eclectic assortment of art to
viewers and admission is free. Galleries include the
Wood Street Galleries,
Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery,
Watercolors Gallery,
American Institute of Architects Gallery,
and
Space.
Space is one of the newest galleries featuring works in multi-disciplines by
local and regional artists.
Culture and Entertainment in Pittsburgh is a more varied subject than any
one webpage or website can hold! We hope we've served to whet your
appetite for all the 'cultural' possibilities Pittsburgh has to offer.
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