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Pittsburgh's Nationality Rooms

Pittsburgh's Nationality Rooms

Explore the cultures that make up Pittsburgh in the Nationality Rooms!

Pittsburgh is nothing short of a cultural melting pot. Since its founding in 1758, many nationalities have made Pittsburgh their home. No other place in the city better displays this mix of cultures than the Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh in the city’s Oakland neighborhood. The Nationality Rooms are located on the first and third floors of the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning. The rooms were designed to represent the culture of various ethnic groups that settled in Allegheny County and continued to be supported by these cultural groups.

Austrian Room. Photo Credit: Nationality Rooms Tours

Each of the thirty rooms are of a museum level and represent a culture that has made the city of Pittsburgh its home. Started in 1926, the rooms are marked a historical landmark by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. Here is a comprehensive list of these immaculate spaces:

African HeritageArmenianAustrian
ChineseCzechoslovakEarly American
EnglishFrenchGerman
GreekHungarianIndian
IrishIsrael HeritageItalian
JapaneseKoreanLithuanian
NorwegianPhilippinePolish
Romanian
Russian
Scottish
Swedish
Swiss
Syrian-Lebanon
Turkish
UkrainianWelsh
Yugoslav
Turkish Room. Photo Credit: Nationality Rooms Tours

Visit the Nationality Rooms'  website where you can see a short introductory video describing each of the rooms. The rooms can be toured individually or in groups of 10 or more. Although the rooms are available for tours, they are also used as classrooms for students. When school is in session during the Fall and Spring semesters audiotape tours are only available on weekends. Make sure you check the website to confirm hours of operation before you arrive.

Israeli Room. Photo Credit: Nationality Rooms Tours

During the winter season, you can celebrate the holidays with the Nationality Rooms as they are open during the holiday season.  The Rooms will be decorated for the winter holidays beginning in mid November 10 through mid January.  Tours cost $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for youth (aged 6-18).

Ukranian Room. Photo Credit: Nationality Rooms Tours

The best part about the nationality rooms is experiencing all of the cultures they represent and learning even more about Pittsburgh’s diverse population. The world-famous rooms evoke pride in locals and  visitors own heritage and help Pittsburgh continue its long history of warm appreciation and welcome to all cultures.

About the Author

Nicole R.
Marketing Intern

Nicole is a lifelong Pittsburgher and recent graduate of Point Park University. She loves television, dogs, and exploring everything that the city has to offer follow her @Nicole_R_7 on Twitter.

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