You Can Explore These Cool Abandoned Places In Pittsburgh, PA
Steel City is the perfect place for urban exploring
If you’re looking for abandoned places to explore in Pittsburgh, you’re in luck. This city is full of abandoned buildings and forgotten places just waiting to be discovered.
From houses to hospitals, and even factories, there are plenty of places for you to explore. If you’re looking for a bit of an adventure in Steel City, then the places I chose for this article should be on your to-visit list.
Abandoned Places in Pittsburgh, PA
1. The Sauvageot Funeral Home
In 2009, Pennsylvania State Inspectors arrived unannounced for an inspection of the Sauvegeot Funeral Home (map). What they come across forced them to shut down the business because of the mishandling of human remains.
In the garage of the building, inspectors found the decaying remains of a woman who was never buried. The funeral director, Mark Sauvageot, lost his license that day.
Shortly after he rented a large moving van and filled it with his belongings and disappeared. Two years later in 2011, after multiple complaints from grieving families, the Pittsburgh Police Department entered the building and discovered 19 containers filled with cremated remains that were never returned to the families.
The funeral home was badly vandalized after the horror stories came to light. The owner never came back and the building has been falling apart year after year.
This abandoned building in Pittsburgh is not for the faint of heart. If you decide to visit, keep in mind the condition of the building. Some walls are caved in, the top floors are unstable, and the structure is very old.
2. Century 3 Mall
The infamous Century 3 Mall in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, located about 10 miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh (map) is a well-known abandoned place. It closed down in 2019 after years of financial troubles.
The mall was built in 1979 and at the time of its completion was considered the third-largest mall in the United States. Several big-name stores operated in it including Sears, JCPenny, Gimbels, and many more.
For decades the mall was the place to go for the everyday needs of local families. When it began losing customers, like many malls around the US, because of online shopping, they were forced to close down.
Since then it has been sitting empty and abandoned with an uncertain future. It is not known if the Century 3 mall will be demolished or reused in any capacity.
Not long ago an urban explorer from the Ace Adventures Youtube channel uploaded a video of his exploration of the mall. His video gives you a good idea of the state of the abandoned mall today.
3. Dead Man’s Hollow Tunnels and Factory
Dead Mans Hollow is a hiking trail and conservation area located south of Pittsburgh. It spans 450 acres of land and 7-1/2 miles of hiking trails (map).
But before it became the lush green forest it is today, it was originally the home of multiple industrial factories in the late 1800s. Companies such as the Bowman Brickyard and Union Sewer Pipe operated their factories from this area until a massive fire destroyed them in 1920.
The buildings were never rebuilt and were instead left behind to become ruins. They were incorporated into the hiking trails of Dead Man’s Hollow.
The ruins are actually easy to find. Just follow the main trail and you’ll walk into them along the way. Just behind the factory ruins is also the abandoned drainage tunnel that leads to the Youghiogheny River.
The ruins are considered the most accessible abandoned places near Pittsburgh.
4. Carrie Blast Furnaces
In the early 20th century, Pittsburgh had a thriving steel industry that was engrained into the city’s way of life. The biggest and most prominent of them all was the River of Steel Company (map).
At one point the company employed over 5,000 people, mostly locals. The most eye-catching part of the building was the blast furnaces and the main edifice. They were built in 1886 and closed down in the late 1980s.
When it closed down, the plans were to demolish the factory but a non-profit group argued against it and managed to save the building.
They fenced the property and allow for guided tours of the abandoned factory in Pittsburgh.
Know Any More Abandoned Buildings in Pittsburgh?
Have you explored any of these abandoned places in Pittsburgh? The locations I mentioned above are full of history and wonder, and they’re definitely worth checking out.
From spooky old factories to a dead mall, there are plenty of places to explore. If you’ve got the exploring bug, why not check out some of these places for yourself? Remember to keep in mind your safety at all times.