Pictures of the red cars perched on the Duquesne Incline or the Monongahela Incline are iconic Pittsburgh images. Both leave from Carson Street and climb Mount Washington up to Grandview Avenue. They are located about a mile and a half apart on the southern shore of the Monongahela River.
I have visited the Duquesne Incline several times but I had never ridden the older Monongahela Incline, and I was happy to cross it off of my Pittsburgh Bucket List - the deadline is graduation day!
We chose a route through the South Side so that we could show our friend the row houses, boutiques, and plentiful bars that we love before setting our car down in the Station Square parking garage.
The funicular ride up the side of "Coal Hill" was free for us because we are University of Pittsburgh students. [The incline is operated by Port Authority and unlimited access to Port Authority Transit is included in our tuition.] Usually the fare is $4.50 round trip and the operators at the top require exact change. The Inclines are convenient to visit because they open early and close late - I believe they operate from 5:45am to 12:45am almost every day.
From the observation deck, you can see the stadiums on the north shore, the entire city, and all the way to the Cathedral of Learning (Cathy is a beloved Pitt landmark).
In the end, I still prefer the Duquesne Incline because it has great historic photos of Pittsburgh in its industrial heyday, the air choked and clogged with pollution from the steel mills. It's like a mini museum.
Sorry for the poor photo quality - I took these photos using my iPhone on an overcast day with light rain.
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