Pittsburgh has a long tradition of opening its doors to nebby visitors all year, with neighborhoods across the city hosting house and garden tours every season. Fall is no exception — it might even be the best season for house tours. As the air turns crisp and the leaves change, it’s the perfect time to walk historic streets and peek inside beautiful homes. We’re partnering with @HousesofPittsburgh to share all of the details.
For more than half a century, the Mexican War Streets House and Garden Tour has been welcoming guests into one of Pittsburgh’s most historic neighborhoods. This year marks the 53rd annual tour, and visitors can explore 10 homes and one private garden. As with every tour, a number of restored Victorian-era row houses will be featured, as well as several conversion projects that speak to the North Side neighborhood’s evolution over time.
One home that was once divided into four apartment units has been returned to a single residence. Another is a former corner grocery store that’s now a private home with a commercial-grade kitchen, massive first floor and an incredible outdoor living space that you have to see to believe. These restorations and reinventions show not only the endurance of these buildings, but also the creativity of the people who bring them back to life.
Expect crowds for this self-guided tour — it’s always a sellout. It takes about three hours to complete and runs rain or shine.
Photo provided by the Churchill Midcentury Modern Home Tour. Photograph by Brittany Reilly
Churchill Midcentury Modern Home Tour
Series of events on Friday, Sept. 12, through Sunday, Sept.14
House tour: Saturday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
House tour tickets: $44.52
Just outside of the City of Pittsburgh, Churchill Borough is home to one of the country’s largest concentrations of midcentury modern houses. This fall, the neighborhood is celebrating that legacy with the inaugural Churchill Midcentury Modern Home Tour Weekend. Organized by the borough and the Pittsburgh Modern Committee of Preservation Pittsburgh, this event is more than a single-day house tour. There are three days of activities that highlight the bold architecture, design and art that shaped this community in the 1950s through the 1970s.
The weekend begins with a Friday evening fundraising party, followed by Saturday’s main event, the house tour, and wraps up on Sunday with a presentation from local experts who will share insights into Churchill’s modernist history. Tickets are sold separately for each event. The self-guided tour will feature 10 classic houses, showcasing everything from clean lines and floor-to-ceiling windows to thoughtfully designed interiors and outdoor spaces.
Photo provided by the Brighton Heights House Tour Committee
Brighton Heights Halloween House Tour 2025
Saturday, Oct. 4
Tickets: $23.18 early bird, $28.52 day of
The last city neighborhood before the suburbs begin, Brighton Heights offers a different kind of North Side house tour. Seven turn-of-the-20th-century homes will open up their doors with a spooky twist this year! While there are often many Christmas house tours, the Brighton Heights Halloween House Tour is the only one of its kind this year. The homes will be decked out in spooky decor — but think more Martha Stewart Halloween chic rather than Scare House jumps. As a Brighton Heights resident and member of the committee, I can attest that the neighborhood takes Halloween very seriously. We go all out for the holiday. Molly’s Trolleys will offer guests a ride to the various stops on the tour.
Like last year, guests are encouraged to come for the house tour and stay for the final Brighton Heights Summer Series of the year hosted by Allegheny City Brewery. It runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Legion Park, which is the house tour check-in spot, and will have live music, kids’ activities, a local vendor market and several food trucks. This is the 19th year for the house tour, which is the community’s biggest annual fundraiser. Proceeds help to power year-round traditions like Bright the Night and other neighborhood celebrations.
Photo provided by the Friendship House Tour Committee
Friendship House Tour
Sunday, Oct. 5, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tickets: $33.85 early bird, $39.19, after 9/15
Tucked between Shadyside, Bloomfield and East Liberty, the tiny neighborhood of Friendship is known for its tree-lined streets and stately Victorian, Edwardian and Arts & Crafts homes. This year’s Friendship House Tour will have seven houses and two special locations that reflect the neighborhood’s charm and history.
Among them is a South Negley Avenue, six-bedroom home that was built in 1906. For 40 years the property was divided into eight rental units. If you’re a longtime tour goer, this house last opened its doors in 2000. Guests can see the massive changes it took to bring this grand single-family home back to life.
Photo provided by the Deutschtown House Tour Committee
Historic Deutschtown House Tour
Saturday, Nov. 8, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tickets: $25 advance/$35 day of
The Historic Deutschtown House Tour is back after a hiatus. This is the third North Side tour on our list, but it’s not to be missed. The Deutschtown neighborhood has a rich German history and is full of beautifully restored homes. A feature on the tour this year is a Victorian on Cedar Avenue that was once home to Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the movement that eventually became Jehovah’s Witnesses. Ten homes are expected to be on the tour.
Beyond the homes, this is truly a neighborhood event. Visitors are encouraged to explore the many businesses along East Ohio Street and experience the community that’s featured in HBO’s “The Pitt” series. All proceeds from the tour support neighborhood revitalization. A preview fundraising event on Friday night will feature a house not on the main tour. The details for that will be released closer to the event.
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