Riding The Duquesne Incline In Pittsburgh, PA

The Duquesne Incline in Pittsburgh, PA was the third time we’ve taken a ride on a funicular on our 50 state road trip and it still doesn’t get old.

Our first experience riding a funicular was back in 2019 when we rode the Mountain Incline Railway in Chattanooga, TN. We then rode the world’s shortest and steepest funicular – the Fenelon Place Elevator – in Dubuque, IA earlier this summer.

While in Pittsburgh in October, we saw that they had the Duquesne Incline which dates back to May 20, 1877 and knew we had to ride it. When looking into it online, we were particularly pleased to see that it’s pet-friendly which meant Truffles got to join us.

Duquesne Incline Parking

The Duquesne Incline has both an Upper and Lower Station, but they only have parking available at the Lower Station. It’s a paid-for public parking lot next to the Ohio River that’s the other side of the road from the Lower Station. You can find it here on Google Maps so that you can get directions there.

Once you’ve parked, head up the road to the left where you’ll cross over a bridge to the Lower Station. While walking towards the bridge, you get a great view of the track. It’s interesting how the track was built on a platform above the ground rather than directly on to Mt Washington itself because the other funiculars we’ve been on in the past have all been at ground level.

The Lower Station is in a historical brick building which helped remind us that the incline was almost 150 years old when we visited. The Duquesne Incline was designed by Samuel Diescher, an engineer who designed funiculars for many other cities both in the US and overseas.

When Is The Duquesne Incline Open?

The Duquesne Incline is open 365 days a year! From Monday to Saturday it runs from 5:30am to 12:30am, while on Sundays and holidays it runs from 7am to 12:30am.

How Much Does It Cost To Ride The Duquesne Incline?

When we visited in October 2022, ticket prices were as follows:

• Adults (12+) – $2.50 each way
• Children (6-11) – $1.25 each way
• Children (0-5) – Free
• Seniors with a Pennsylvania Senior Citizen Card – Free
• Groups of 10+
  • Adults (12+) – $1.75 each way
  • Children (6-11) – $1 each way

That meant it cost me and Shae a total of $10 to ride the incline round-trip, but Truffles got to ride for free!

Unless you have a Port Authority Connect Card, the incline is cash-only and you need to have the exact fare. There’s a change machine at the Lower Station, so provided you actually have cash on you in the first place, it shouldn’t matter if you don’t have the exact change when you first arrive.

The Lower Station didn’t have much to see in terms of exhibits (those are all at the Upper Station), so we hopped on the next car as there was no line.

Riding The Duquesne Incline

Just before you ride up Mt Washington, you’ll hear a total of six bells. The Upper Station rings the bell once to indicate that they’re ready, then the Lower Station rings the bell twice to indicate that they’re ready too. The bell is then rung three times to say that the conductor is going to start the journey.

Before electricity, the stations used a telegraph to communicate with each other.

The car was surprisingly spacious and felt even more so considering there were only four of us (well, five including Truffles) riding it.

The journey is 800 ft long and lasts about two minutes, so it’s a quick ride.

The car has windows on all sides, so you can get great views up the track, down the track and of downtown Pittsburgh depending on where you stand/sit on the ride.

Upper Station

Although the Lower Station didn’t have much to see, the Upper Station has far more to look at and learn about. When exiting the car, there are displays sharing historical information about the Duquesne Incline as well as the local neighborhood.

If you have a group of 10+ people, in addition to getting a discount on the ticket price, you can request a guided tour of the Upper Station. I’m not sure if that’s something that has to be arranged ahead of time, so it’d be worth giving them a call or email before visiting to make sure. You can find their contact information here.

Museum Self-Guided Tour

Even if you’re not traveling as part of a large group, you can still take advantage of a self-guided tour. In addition to the exhibits on the main level of the Upper Station, you can head downstairs to their museum.

The museum takes in a lot of their working machinery, with signs providing information about what each piece does.

There are information boards with cards sharing more about the incline, its creation, how it works and its history.

From downstairs in the museum area you can also get a good view of the car as it comes and goes.

Overlooks

Don’t just stay inside the Upper Station after riding the incline up. Just outside one of the station’s doors is an overlook platform that provides some excellent views of downtown Pittsburgh.

I’ll admit – before visiting Pittsburgh, I had it pictured in my head that it was a gray, dreary, industrial city. Perhaps we got lucky that we visited during fall colors and with great weather, but Pittsburgh was a much prettier city than I’d given it credit for.

Looking off to the left, you can see the Acrisure Stadium which is home to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

That’s not the only overlook though. With the Ohio River behind you, head up the road to the left and you’ll come to a couple of other platforms looking out over Pittsburgh.

After wandering around on Mt Washington for a while, we headed back to the Upper Station and rode back down.

Final Thoughts

If you’re visiting Pittsburgh, it’s definitely worth riding the Duquesne Incline. It’s a short, cheap journey that takes you up and down Mt Washington and provides some spectacular views of the city.