Carrie Blast Furnaces
Tour two immense preserved blast furnaces and discover the workers, technology, and communities behind Pittsburgh steel.
Artwork inspired by Aaron Harry Gorson
Carrie's surviving No. 6 and No. 7 furnaces belonged to the Homestead steel complex. They make a crucial early stage of steel production legible: ore, coke, and limestone were turned into molten iron before later refining. Conveyors, stoves, piping, and towering furnace shells show the process at human scale. It is also a labor landscape shaped by workers, surrounding communities, and preservation efforts.
The two-hour guided industrial tour is the main way in. A guide follows materials through the process and discusses the people who ran it; this is not an independently strollable ruin. Graffiti and contemporary art now occupy parts of the grounds, adding a visible afterlife. Book ahead, wear closed-toe shoes, and expect outdoor exposure and uneven ground.
- Survivors
- Furnaces 6 and 7
- Tour
- Guided; 2 hours
- Footing
- Uneven industrial ground
Quick guide
- Book before going
- The former industrial site does not allow independent sightseeing.
- Follow the iron
- Connect raw materials, hot blast, and tapping to the later steelworks.
Know before you go
- Book before going
- The former industrial site does not allow independent sightseeing.
- Follow the iron
- Connect raw materials, hot blast, and tapping to the later steelworks.
- Look closer
- Connect ironmaking infrastructure with the site's history.
- Plan around
- Check current tours, special hours, and access before traveling.
Good to know
Accessible parking, but uneven industrial tour route is not wheelchair accessible. Ask about alternatives. On-site visitor parking at 801 Carrie Furnace Boulevard; follow operator's approach instructions.
Notice these
- Furnaces 6 and 7
- Ironmaking infrastructure
- Industrial labor history