The Duquesne Incline is the simplest, cheapest and most memorable thing to do in Pittsburgh. It opened on 20 May 1877, when Mount Washington was a workers' neighborhood above the mills and the inclines were the commute, and it still runs its original wooden cable cars up and down the steep face of the hill. When the line was threatened with closure in the early 1960s, local residents rescued it and restored it, and it reopened in 1963; it is still run with that same civic pride today. The ride itself lasts only a few minutes, but the cars rise so steeply that the city seems to drop away beneath you. At the top, the upper station on Grandview Avenue has a small museum of photographs and memorabilia, a window onto the hauling machinery, and an observation deck that looks straight down on the Point, where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio, with the golden bridges and the downtown skyline lined up in front of it. Go at dusk and stay until the lights come on.
Hours and fares: the incline runs 365 days a year, from 6:30am until 12:30am, with cars leaving roughly every fifteen minutes, so there is no need to book. Fares are a few dollars each way. The important detail is payment: the incline takes cash and Pittsburgh Regional Transit ConnectCards, not credit or debit cards, and a change machine is available, so bring small bills. Pennsylvania residents aged 65 and over with a valid senior transit ID ride free. There are no advance tickets or reservations.
Getting there: the lower station is at 1197 West Carson Street, across the Monongahela from downtown, and has a parking lot; be aware that there are many steps up from the lot to the boarding platform. The upper station, at 1220 Grandview Avenue, is wheelchair accessible, as is the observation deck, and the historic cars take wheelchairs up to about 25 inches wide, so visitors with limited mobility may prefer to arrive at the top by car or taxi and ride down and back. From downtown it is a walk of about twenty minutes over the Fort Pitt Bridge area, or a short taxi ride.
Making it count: ride up, then walk east along Grandview Avenue, where a string of overlooks gives you changing angles on the city and a few restaurants serve dinner with the view. At the far end, the Monongahela Incline runs down to Station Square, so you can make a loop, though check its schedule and fares separately, as it is run by the transit authority. Clear evenings around sunset are the best time; on a foggy morning the view may disappear completely.
What to expect
The experience
A short ride in a nineteenth-century wooden cable car up Mount Washington, with a small museum, the hauling machinery and an observation deck at the top.
Best time
Around sunset on a clear evening, so you see the city in daylight and then watch the bridges and towers light up.
How long
About an hour for the ride up, time on the deck, the little museum and the ride down.
Tips
Bring cash or a ConnectCard because cards are not accepted, start at the upper station if steps are a problem, and walk Grandview Avenue for more overlooks.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Every first-time visitor, photographers and anyone who wants the classic Pittsburgh view for a few dollars.
- Families
- Children love the steep ride and the gears in the machine room, and the whole visit fits easily into an hour.
- Couples
- Ride up at dusk, watch the lights come on over the Point, then have dinner at one of the Grandview Avenue restaurants.
- Pair with
- A walk along Grandview Avenue, the Monongahela Incline down to Station Square and an evening downtown.
- Time needed
- An hour, or an evening with dinner on Mount Washington.
Good questions
Can you pay for the Duquesne Incline with a credit card?+
No, the incline accepts cash and ConnectCards but not credit or debit cards. A change machine is available, and exact change speeds things up.
What are the Duquesne Incline hours?+
It runs every day of the year from 6:30am to 12:30am. Cars run about every fifteen minutes, and no reservation is needed.
Where do you park for the Duquesne Incline?+
There is a parking lot at the lower station at 1197 West Carson Street. Expect a lot of steps from the lot up to the platform.
Is the Duquesne Incline wheelchair accessible?+
The upper station on Grandview Avenue and the observation deck are accessible, and the cars take wheelchairs up to about 25 inches wide. The lower station involves many steps.
Which is better, the Duquesne or the Monongahela Incline?+
The Duquesne Incline has the original wooden cars, a small museum and the classic view straight down on the Point. The Monongahela Incline is handy from Station Square, and you can link the two with a walk along Grandview Avenue.
