West End Overlook Park — Attraction in Pittsburgh

Wow! Just..... WOW!!!! I didn't even know this place was here. Came upon it completely by accident! It's 3 a.m., my fiance and I were heading home from visiting an old friend and got so turned around.... We pulled into a parking spot to look up directions and..... it looked like something out of a movie! So out of place yet somehow felt like it was perfectly and exactly where it was always supposed to be. I know, it sounds crazy.... But, it was almost magical!!! I grabbed my fiance's arm and shook it until he looked up annoyed and started to get irritated by with my assault on his forearm... He looked to see what held my gaze, and....."Whoa" he says..... There was an archway and a tunnel of over hanging vines, lit up with white light.... We got out of the car and followed the strangely hypnotic light up small winding incline and came out atop the highest lookout in the Steel City!!! Over looking the beautiful shining city on three rivers, we could see for MILES! At that time of night, it's an almost perfect silence. The nights sky was clear, the stars seemed dull as the backdrop to the impressive skyline. The city of Champions seemed to almost be aware of its own beauty, but that's insane.... Right? The grounds surrounding over the overlook are impeccably kept and the view is cinematic and overwhelming! My man and I fell in love all over again as we stood on that mountain and looked on over the majestic scenery with all the hopeless abandon of highschoolers that had found a secret cabin in the woods! Thank you Pittsburgh, for leading us to your little hidden wonderland, thank you for showing yourself to us! I can't wait to come...

It's a different view of the city from the one we always see on post cards and such. It is a smaller area than say Mount Washington but nice. There is a pavilion (I believe it is the Elliott Pavilion) located there. It is an indoor facility available for rental. We happened to be there when a wedding reception was taking place. The venue itself is low capacity so the wedding reception was being held on its patio area. I'd say, if you rent it in the hotter months and have to use the outside area, invest in pop up tents. There isn't any shade right there. Those poor folks were definitely sweating. But they also were having a good time. When something is taking place there you can't help but be somewhat caught up in the event. There is only roughly 25 feet or so of overlook past it. Currently the spotted lantern flies are all over the place up there. I would imagine it will be better in the fall and have a colorful landscape to add to that view. It's worth checking it out. There's also this very cool greenery tunnel that you walk through to get to it. We saw strands of lights in the greenery. Not sure if they work or not. I don't think I'd chance going there at night unless there was a specific event being held. It is a rather remote location at the end of a neighborhood. There is on street parking and parking in a lot behind...

I have been here several times to watch the July 4th fireworks. It used to be not as croweded and the view would be great. But this year it was so crowded I could barely see the fireworks, I had to stand on a railing. Also, the park stopped maintaining the trees on the hillside, and a lot of the trees were blocking people's view of the fireworks. They should trim them before they go out of hand. There is a building facility here with bathrooms and a rooftop, you can rent that out for events. Parking here is non-existent, only a few spots. But if you come during the day it's very quite and the daytime view of the city is still nice. On a non-July 4th sunday day, it's very quiet and clean, and you have a clear view of Pittsburgh's downtown skyline.

Yesterday I came here to participate in my good friend's wedding. She reserved the pavilion at this park for the wedding. The pavilion is small, only holds 40-50 people inside if it's a rainy day. But it has a bathroom, kitchen area, and tables and chairs for use. It also has a rooftop that provides the best view of the city (downtown Pittsburgh and beyond) on a sunny day. If you want to hold a large event, you can use the outdoor space in front of the...