Enjoy a Self-Guided Downtown Holiday Tour

Explore Downtown’s holiday decorations and sight-seeing destinations at your own pace with our Self-Guided Holiday Tour!

While enjoying the neighborhood, help keep Downtown reopening safely by wearing your mask when out and about, practicing social distancing, and staying home if you’re not feeling well.

Make getting Downtown for your excursiou easy at the Theater Square or 350 Oliver garages, where you can take advantage of $3 parking until the end of December thanks to ALCO Parking, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and Millcraft Investments.

While exploring these must-see holiday destinations, make sure to keep an eye out for stunning new holiday window displays located throughout the city. This year, 13 Downtown businesses have partnered with local artists to design stunning new holiday window displays as part of the Holiday Window Display Competition.

Stop 1: Point State Park

First, head to the Tree of Lights located at Point State Park to see where the three rivers meet and take in the skyline views.

Stop 2: The Horne’s Building

For this next stop, make sure you look up because this tree is located on the side of the former Horne’s Department Store. The Highmark Christmas Tree is decorated with more than 2,500 lights and 2,000 ornaments.

Stop 3: Holiday KidsPlay

Reinvented this year to provide safe and accessible outdoor fun, Holiday KidsPlay, presented by Highmark and in partnership with Fred Rogers Productions, has transformed the Heinz Hall Courtyard into a holiday Selfie Garden with colorful backdrops and standees of popular characters from Fred Rogers Productions’ beloved children’s shows.

Note: KidsPlay is closed Thursday, December 24 and Friday, December 25

Stop 4: Market Square

Our next stop takes us to the heart of Market Square, where a beautiful red and white dazzling tree resides. While this year’s Holiday Market was unfortunately closed early, you can still shop one-of-a-kind treasures from your favorite holiday season vendors with the Virtual Holiday Market.

Stop 5: PPG Place

Next on our walk, stop by PPG Place and look for this stunning 65-foot tree located in the middle the iconic ice rink. The Ice Rink at PPG is still open for the season with timed tickets available to be purchased before arrival for one hour and 45-minute time increments.

Stop 6: Fifth Avenue

We are stepping back in time and checking out two iconic Kaufmann holiday windows for our next stop. The two windows took inspiration from holiday displays from past displays.

Stop 7: U.S. Steel Tower

Located outside the U.S. Steel Tower is the Pittsburgh Crèche. The large-scale nativity scene is the only authorized replica of the Vatican’s crèche in St. Peter’s Square, Rome.

Stop 8: City-County Building

Next up is the beautifully decorated blue spruce located at the City-County Building. The evergreen tree is a treasured tradition in Downtown Pittsburgh that continues for the 105th year.

Stop 9: Occuli & Antumbra

After the City-County Building, visit Occuli & Antumbra, mechanical sculptures made from discarded parts and lights by artist Keny Marshall, in the Gulf Tower windows. Marshall’s hand-built kinetic sculptures counteract the “black box” nature of recent technology by making the inner workings transparent to the viewer.

Downtown Dazzles After Dark

While exploring the city as the sun goes down, keep an eye out for beautiful new light and art installments along Penn Avenue, Wood Street, and Smithfield Street.

• Winter Wonderland Light Projections along 6th Street and the 900 Block of Penn Avenue create a festive atmosphere, thanks to BNY Mellon
• Walking down Wood Street, you’ll be transported into a Snow Globe with disco balls and more than 300 color-changing lights along the corridor
• Look for the Winter Snapshot on Smithfield Street, a collection of memories from holiday celebrations of yesteryear.

Enjoy Delicious Food To-Go

After your self-guided tour, get a meal to go and help support your favorite restaurants. Check out our restaurant directory for updates on which spots are currently open for business.

Plus, find festive cocktails, holiday flavors, and delicious pairings with the return of the Downtown Cocktail Trail! All participants are offering their cocktails and menu pairings to-go during the entire event and are following strict COVID guidelines.