Point State Park

Photo: Creative Commons, 2.0; Brook Ward/Flickr

Pittsburgh is nearly surrounded by rivers – Allegheny to the north and on the south is the Monongahela. When they merge, the Ohio River begins, the largest river in the eastern United States. At this junction you’ll find Point State Park, a tribute to the history of this great area and a visual starting point of Meriwether Lewis’s journey beginning on August 31, 1803.

Point State Park was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Pittsburgh Renaissance District. The park was born out of the Pittsburgh Renaissance, an urban renewal project in the 1950s that cleared a former blighted industrial area for the 36-acre park that was completed and dedicated in 1974.

One of the park's iconic features is the large Point Fountain that sprays water over 150 feet into the air. Additional park amenities include the Great Lawn, a pedestrian bridge spanning a reflecting pool, river access, and 54,000 native plants.

You’ll also find within the park the Fort Pitt Museum. It shares the story of western Pennsylvania's pivotal role during the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the birth of Pittsburgh. The only surviving structure of the fort is the Fort Pitt Block House, a small defensive stronghold built in 1764.

Three granite traceries are present in the park, marking the former Fort Duquesne (1754) and Fort Pitt (1759) and outlining the original confluence of the three rivers and the point. The park and museum are both free.