They rise from the riverbank like a rust-red Notre Dame: Carrie Blast Furnaces Nos. 6 and 7, the last great relics of Pittsburgh’s steel age, preserved as a National Historic Landmark along the Monongahela in Rankin and Swissvale. Built in 1907, the furnaces produced iron for the Homestead Steel Works across the river for most of the 20th century.
Today, the nonprofit Rivers of Steel opens the site for guided tours, photography workshops, art installations and festivals. Visitors walk where ironworkers once managed rivers of molten metal, past ore bridges, cast houses and the famous Carrie Deer — a 45-foot sculpture built by workers from materials found on site. It’s industrial history at monumental scale, and it’s unforgettable.
Tours run seasonally, typically April through October, with special events year-round. Schedules and tickets are at riversofsteel.com — wear sturdy shoes and prepare to be amazed.
