Some cities have subways; Pittsburgh has inclines. The Duquesne Incline, climbing the face of Mount Washington since 1877, is one of the last funiculars of its kind in America — and the ride from Station Square to Grandview Avenue is the single most Pittsburgh thing a visitor can do.
The wooden cable cars, lovingly restored and painted in cheerful red, carry you 400 feet up the hillside at a gentle angle, the skyline growing more spectacular with every foot. At the top station, a small museum tells the story of the incline era — seventeen inclines once climbed these hills — and the observation deck frames the city’s most famous postcard.
The incline runs daily from 1197 West Carson Street, operated by the nonprofit Society for the Preservation of the Duquesne Heights Incline. Ride it at sunset, then ride it again after dark when the city lights come on. Cash fares are charmingly old-school; details at duquesneincline.org.
