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Cathedral of Learning
About
The Cathedral of Learning, between 5th Avenue, Bigelow Blvd, Bellefield Avenue, and Forbes Avenue. The 42-story Charles Klauder designed Gothic Revival skyscraper, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, serves as the symbolic and physical heart of the University of Pittsburgh. Construction was begun in 1926 and took a decade to complete. Visible from almost anywhere in Pittsburgh, it is the tallest school building in the Western hemisphere, and has been described as the "culmination" of Late Gothic Revival architecture. While impressive on the outside, it may be even more spectacular on the inside, and it admission is free and open to the public. On the first and third floors, surrounding its immense gothic Commons Room, are the 27 Nationality Rooms [18]. These working classrooms are each designed, constructed, and decorated in the characteristic style of 27 different cultures which represent the diverse population of Pittsburgh. A self-guided tour of the Nationality Rooms is available for a small fee ($3.00 for adults, $1 for youth; MON-SAT 9AM-2:30PM, Sun 11AM-2:30PM), while guided tours can be reserved in advance that give in-depth explanations of each room and can allow access to areas normally inaccessible to the public, like the historic Croghan-Schenley Ballroom and Early American Room (+1 412 624-6000). Nationality rooms on the 3rd floor are sometimes freely open to explore, depending on time and class schedule. Much of the upper floors of the Cathedral are composed of offices and other university facilities, however a trip to the Honors College on the 35th and 36th floors, accessible by most of the elevators, provides marvelous views of the city.
