For those travelers who want to delve into the industrial history of Pittsburgh, this private tour offers a much deeper experience than you'll get on a typical sightseeing experience. In the company of your guide, the proud grandson of one of the leaders of the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steelworkers, you'll visit such landmarks as the Bryce-Mesta Mansion Homestead, the 1892 Battle of Homestead Site and Braddock while learning all about Pittsburgh's Steel Valley.

In-depth tour of Pittsburgh's Steel Valley
Get insights from your guide, who has a personal connection to the history
Visit multiple locations around Pittsburgh in one day
Private tour, exclusively for your party

What's Included

Certified guide
Private transportation
Extraordinary extensive personal narration the length of the Experience

Gratuities
Landing and facility fees

Meeting And Pickup

You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

Type to search

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

Opening hours

4/3/2020 - 6/20/2024

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Mesta Mansion

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Homestead

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Waterfront Drive

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

1892 Battle of Homestead Site

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Rivers of Steel: Pump House & Water Tower

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Braddock

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Infant seats available
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

87 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 87 reviews

Guided tour of Pittsburgh

Allen_A, May 2023

The amount of knowledge that George had and how he made it so interesting! George is truly an ambassador for Pittsburgh.

Great City Tour

Marlo_N, Oct 2022

We loved that it was just two of us and that George modified the tour to our interests. He's a local, knowledgeable and passionate about his city. We highly recommend him.

Your bus with George for the win!

Chad_B, Oct 2022

George was knowledgeable, friendly, and a great “taste of Pittsburgh”! We enjoyed his spontaneity and sense of humor! Thank you George for a delightful time on your tour bus!

We learned a great deal, George is wonderful.

Mary_G, Sep 2022

The history of the steel industry and Pittsburgh. Historic stories and pictures plus George's 1st hand Knowledge .

Enjoyable Tour

Gerald_M, Aug 2022

George is a wonderful tour guide, great personality, enthusiasm and knowledge. Our only complaint is that he shouldn’t be late and should let his customers know if he’s running late. His love of Pittsburgh and personal connections are a huge plus.

Hang out with George and learn something

Rhonda_H, Aug 2022

We had the best time. George was so informative and passionate about the history. He had photos, maps and brought the past to life. It was a special tour for us, as my grandfather worked at the Homestead mill for many years. Even Pittsburgh natives will learn things, and "THAT'S WHY YOU TAKE THE TOUR"!!!

George is great

Robert_N, Aug 2022

George was great. He really knows Pittsburgh. We has a great time. He took us to see a statue of St. Joseph the Steel working. That sure was different.

The discovery of the people and places that make the valley great.

Nathan_K, Jul 2022

George provided us with an enthusiastic, personal and accurate accounting of the present and past of the Steel Valley. His personnel concern for traveling through the Braddock of my youth filled me with joy and gratitude for his concern and knowledge.

Highly recommend!

Brian_C, Jul 2022

The ride along tour with George was fantastic. Super informative, really interesting and just alot of fun for those who are interested in history.

Response from Host, Jul 2022

Thank you for the review. It's more fun for the Guide when the Visitors such as yourselves are interested and informed in History as well.

Informative and Interesting Tour

Sheila_S, Jul 2022

Our tour guide, George, was very knowledgeable on everything about the Pittsburgh steel industry past and present. He drove us to many sites including the area where he grew up. His knowledge comes from his experience being right in the middle of everything over the years. He had photos and illustrations. He asked and answered our questions to increase our understanding. We would recommend this tour to anyone interested in the past events that helped make Pittsburgh a great American City.

One of the best tours I've ever taken!

Hector_S, Jul 2022

I loved George's passion and enthusiasm for the beautiful city of Pittsburgh throughout the entire tour! I was greatly impressed by the whole city and its residents. I had no idea how beautiful and modern Pittsburgh is. Prior to taking this tour, I took the Hop-on Hop-off (all day) one. I really recommend it because you'll learn quite a bit on the HOHO tour but with George's tour you'll learn even more! Because George is so into sports (as I am myself), he showed me a bit of extras related to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Pirates, and the Penguins, which I don't think they were supposed to be included with the regular tour, but I really appreciated and enjoyed them nonetheless. Because this tour is personal, George took me to remote locations of Pittsburgh, which if you didn't know anything about their historical background, it'd seem just like anything else. But George made this tour a really fascinating one with all of his knowledge and enthusiasm. I highly, highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to learn a lot more of the fascinating history of this magnificent city!

An Insiders Recount of Pittsburgh

Nancy_S, Jul 2022

Listening to the stories and seeing the relics of the steel mill. George our tour guide brought the mills to life so that you could imagine life back in the early days of Pittsburgh.

Fire In The Valley was amazing!

Patti_M, Jun 2022

The first thing our guide did was ask about our own personal interest so our tour was meaningful to us. What followed was and amazing tour rich with personal stories and family history. It was a very unique local insight to the steel mills of Pittsburgh. Even though I chose this tour more for my husband, I enjoyed it just as much as he did.

We had a great tour with George!

Tom_O, May 2022

My college age son and I visited Pittsburgh and we wanted to learn some of the history of Pittsburgh. Boy did we - George's tour was great! Besides learning about the Pittsburgh steel industry, we also visited other historic sites around town - including iconic sports locations like where Forbes Field used to be. This was a personalized tour and George made it a lot of fun and educational for us. He even decorated his car with a Bengals flag in honor of our hometown! We highly recommend touring with George.

Response from Host, Jun 2022

Thank you for the review Tom and for asking me to be your Guide. Definitely a good time. However, what do I do when my Steelers friends read the part about my having a rivals' flag in my car? Warm regards to your son. Who Dey!

A tour you must take

simon_l, May 2022

Taking a tour with George was the best thing we did in Pittsburgh. He gave us a great overview of the city with lots of funny stories. His family goes back several generations there and he obviously loves the place.

Response from Host, May 2022

With so many great things to do in Pittsburgh, I'm truly flattered you thought our time together was the best. Thank you for the review and for letting me be your Guide.

The best tour guide ever!!!!

Alice_W, Apr 2022

I have never met a more experienced, kind and knowledgeable guide in my travels. George was simply amazing. He engaging demeanor gave my elderly mother an experience she will never forget. That we will never forget. He's funny, charismatic and we could not have had a better tour of Pittsburgh!!

Very cool tour!

Benjamin_S, Apr 2022

George gave us a great tour of Pittsburgh's steel valleys! Not only do you get to see the physical locations of the history he's telling, but you also get information you couldn't just read on Wikipedia or in a book. We definitely recommend making time for this fun tour if you find yourself visiting the Golden Triangle!

Great day!

Shari_G, Mar 2022

George was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining! Wonderful tour with a life long resident with first hand knowledge told with passion and fun! Thank you George!

Just what we were looking for!

Patricia_W, Mar 2022

We were a party of three--Mom and two adult daughters--looking for an activity to fill the afternoon on what was predicted to be a rainy day in Pittsburgh (it was!). We were visiting the city for the first time and had tickets for a morning visit to the Pompeii Exhibit at the Carnegie Science Museum. We didn't really know anything about Pittsburgh's history or the steel industry, and the Valley of Fire Tour sounded like a good way to learn something about it. Noting all the glowing reviews of tour guide George on the website, I decided to give it a go. We were pleased that George was able to pick us up at the location of our lunch restaurant, because we were using Lyfts to get around in order to avoid driving in an unfamiliar city. Within a block of our departure from the starting point, George was sharing an interesting factoid about a building we were passing. He seemed to be drawing on an inexhaustible fount of knowledge to share information about everything we saw. When I mentioned that I was fascinated by old city architecture, he added in comments about noteworthy buildings along our route. We laughed, survived our quiz questions, put George's binders of supplementary photos and charts to good use, and enjoyed the commentary all the way through. The two hours flew by. And at the end, he dropped us back at our hotel, as agreed. The tour ended up being just what we were looking for, and we all enjoyed it very much. Thank you, George!

George was great! Very...

Anne_J, Mar 2022

George was great! Very informative. This is just wrong making me say more. This part bothers me. Wring wrong wrong.

Response from Host, Mar 2022

You need to say no more. Thank you for the review. I appreciate it. It was my pleasure taking you and your Crew through the Valley.

Great time with George,...

Jane_E, Feb 2022

Great time with George, our guide. We enjoyed hearing stories and visiting various places in Homestead.

Response from Host, Feb 2022

Always a challenge engaging informed people from the area who may already be familiar with the Valleys. Glad you thought it was time well-spent. Thank you for the review.

Great Trip

Diane_T, Jan 2022

George was great!!! He is so interesting. I never saw my 17 year old grandson so happy. Thank you so much for a wonderful experience.

Fun, educational and entertaining

Joanne_F, Jan 2022

Loved hearing and seeing the history of the steel city and lots of fun trivia along the way too. George is a great guide. Highly recommend for the all the history, trivia and Pittsburgh info!

Response from Host, Jan 2022

Glad you liked the Tour. As you know, I was enjoying your interest so much it was a challenge for me to end it. Thank you for the review.

Recommending to Everyone!

Kathryn_G, Jan 2022

I bought this experience as a Christmas gift for my boyfriend who loves history. We weren't exactly sure what to expect, but George, our guide, made this tour absolutely amazing. He is impressively knowledgeable and connected so many of the dots in Pittsburgh history. He had an awesome sense of humor and his love for Pittsburgh and history made the stories he shared come alive. Thank you George for making this the perfect Christmas gift. My boyfriend loved it, and so did I!

Response from Host, Jan 2022

It is rare to have a Visitor equipped with as many dots as your Boyfriend had. Consequently, it was a real treat being able to connect them and engage both you and him in the experience. Thank you for letting me be part of your Christmas celebration. Spending two hours with the two of you was a Holiday present for me as well.

Outstanding Tour

Wiliam_K, Dec 2021

George is an exceptional & authentic tour guide. If you want to know the real story behind the Pittsburgh steel industry take this tour. My wife and I found it fascinating. If you watch the biography of Andrew Carnegie on Netlix you will meet your tour guide ahead of time, he is in the movie!

A fabulous and Historical journey!

Nancy_W, Oct 2021

Learning the history made the tour come alive. I lived in Pittsburgh for years as a student. I never learned anything of this remarkable industry. Our tour guide George D., was really invested in our understanding of this great era. My husband, a photographer, got to capture some great images. George took this one so we could remember our trip. George "made" the whole experience.

Response from Host, Oct 2021

It was fun being a Photographer's assistant. Your husband got me looking at familiar sights from a different perspective. Good stuff. And I'm glad I could deepen your appreciation of your old stompin' ground. Thank you for the review and for choosing my Tour, Nancy.

#georgeforyourPitttour!

Lisa_H, Oct 2021

George was awesome- he even offered to assist our daughter with a high school project! Every where we went - people were saying hello to George! That made us feel so comfortable! Highlight of the trip was recreating the greatest football play in history!

Response from Host, Oct 2021

What a wonderful Family to spend time with! It was a real pleasure to give you the Tour, not to mention recreating the GREATEST PLAY IN NFL HISTORY! Thank you for your interest and for letting me show you the Steel and Electric Valleys. And we'll give you partial credit for the Steelers win. Nice work!

Pittsburgh needs a steel making/industrial revolution museum

Susan_J, Oct 2021

George was our guide and he was excellent. He had a thorough knowledge of the history of steel making in Pittsburgh. It was a pleasure to spend the day with him. I’m so surprised that Pittsburgh does not have a museum of the history of steelmaking and the role of Carnegie, Frick, thompson, and Pittsburgh in one of the most important Periods In American history and the industrial revolution. George’s narrative and tour gave a great oral history however you really need a museum in Pittsburgh, There is so much to tell.

Response from Host, Oct 2021

Thank you for the review and the perspective, Susan. Now that we have saved the statue of St. Joseph the Steelworker and the 12,000 ton Press, we can work on sharing their story better. Comments like yours are encouraging and will be passed along. Thanks for the motivation and be sure to tell your friends.

Interesting driving tour...

Cindy_M, Oct 2021

Interesting driving tour of Pittsburgh's industrial history. Lots of hidden history within the city.

Response from Host, Oct 2021

Thank you for the review, Cindy. It was reassuring that your "man of steel" on the Tour thought I did a good job. It was a special treat to have him onboard to have him expand on my narration.

Far more than I ever expected. This tour is a must when visiting Pittsburgh.

Heidi_N, Sep 2021

George was amazing. He was so personable and the amount of information was unbelievable. This was our first private tour, and it may have spoiled us forever.I suspect we will be looking for similar tours whenever we visit a new city. Not only did George offer a detailed oral history of Pittsburgh, his comments were accompanied by maps and pictures and diagrams that were present in a thick binder….George would simply instruct me when to flip the page. It was brilliant.

Response from Host, Sep 2021

I really appreciate your detailed comments on the presentation, Heidi. I'm glad the "visual aids" were helpful and that I exceeded your expectations. Thank you for the review and for letting me introduce you to the Steel and Electric Valleys..