We are hiring!
We are looking for additional guides to lead the following tours:
- Pittsburgh History & Architecture Tour
- Whiskey History Tour
- Oakland Tour
- Movie Tour
Click here for full details!
- Pittsburgh History & Architecture Tour
- Whiskey History Tour
- Oakland Tour
- Movie Tour
Click here for full details!
Meet VAL - Founder, Owner and active Leader
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Hello! My name is Val (short for Valentina). Originally from the Italian Alps, I lived for over 10 years in Germany. After studies in Munich (Germany) and Rome (Italy) I got my Master's degree in art and architectural history. I also spent some time in NYC where I met my future husband, a real Pittsburgher. After many years of a long-distance relationship, we finally decided to declare Pittsburgh as our new home. I was so surprised of the rich history and culture this city has to offer that I decided to study and share it with people in a different and sustainable way: on bikes! Since I used to be a daily bike commuter with urban biking being a substantial part of my daily life, I became a passionate advocate of cycling! So Bike the Burgh Tours was my first endeavor that I launched in May 2015.
After two successful summers of showing hundreds of people around, I wanted to settle for more. In order to reach a broader community, including elderly, people on wheelchairs, mothers with strollers and simply non-bikers, I decided to walk the Burgh. |
Taking the time to look closer at intricate details of all the magnificent architectural icons Downtown Pittsburgh has to offer, has a enormous value in itself. Also, not only biking by but actually walking through a beautiful building or square can be so enriching.
Please come and bike and walk with us! I promise, you will be overwhelmed by the beauty of the Burgh! |
Meet ASHLEY - Tour Manager & Tour Guide
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Ashley moved to Pittsburgh in 2009 to pursue her career in art and glassmaking at the Pittsburgh Glass Center and in experimental Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, she was never far from the Burgh and quickly grew to love its art and culture and green spaces all wrapped up in the feel of a bigger city.
Ashley has always been passionate about sustainability and recycling and started Reimagined Recycling, a plastic recycling non-profit, in 2021. Her diverse areas of knowledge and expertise make for a fascinating and memorable Pittsburgh tour experience! She joined our team in 2022 and also manages our shop on the weekends! |
Meet DAVE - Tour Guide & Dave of all trades
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Dave moved to Pittsburgh in 1995 from Williamsburg, Virginia after growing up in another steel town: Gary, Indiana. He loves cycling, and you might see Dave climbing hills early in the morning on his vintage Motobecane. In fact, he's a Bicycle Educator in the League of American Cyclists, and also works as a tour guide for Bike the Burgh Tours. Curious by nature, he loves to learn and is a big reader. He holds a Masters in Science teaching, and he has joined the team in 2016.
We love having Dave on the team - he's a fun person to be around, very relatable and extremely knowledgeable. He will be showing you around a lot, so ask him every question you have: he's got this town down! Dave has been with us since 2016 giving bike tours, and started also giving walking tours in 2018. |
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Meet LAURA - Tour Guide
Laura has lived in three "P" cities: Providence, RI; Poughkeepsie, NY; and most recently, Pittsburgh, PA. Her city steps documentary project, Mis.Steps: Our Missed Connections with Pittsburgh's City Steps, attempts to recreate the journey undertaken nearly 20 years ago by Bob Regan in his books "The Steps of Pittsburgh: Portrait of a City" (2004) and "Pittsburgh Steps" (2015).
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She published Polaroids and short stories inspired by Pittsburgh's 739 public stairways - more than any other city in the United States - to the Mis.Steps blog, Instagram and Twitter.
Originally built during the city's industrial heyday in the early-to-mid twentieth century, Mis.Steps attempts to portray the heart, soul, and history of these decaying structures. As of mid-2020, Laura has photographed 450 stairways - surpassing the halfway mark! For Pittsburgh, this is a time for hopeful feelings of growth and prosperity, and many life-long and new residents are embracing the city's public stairways and wondering how they might be restored and preserved. She looks forward to showing you some of her favorite city steps in the Troy Hill and Spring Garden neighborhoods. Laura joined us in 2020. |
Meet KANE - Tour Guide
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Born in Gettysburg, raised in the Philly suburbs, and a current resident of Pittsburgh, Kane has tasted many of the flavors Pennsylvania has to offer with Pittsburgh as his favorite. After moving in 2011, Kane has developed a fervent connection with this city. He enjoys listening to local music, lurking through the tents of a farmers market, dropping in on friends, and exploring city streets.
Kane received a bachelor's in history from the University of Pittsburgh with a specific interest in the transformation of city infrastructure. Nothing is more fun for him than to root through stories from the past and share with whoever will listen. Join him on one of his tours and be stunned by Kane's wealth of knowledge! Kane became a member of our team in 2021. |
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Meet MARISA - Tour Guide
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Marisa is another proud Pittsburgher excited to show off the beauty and history of downtown. She loves to take full advantage of everything the city has to offer - from frequently attending shows at the Benedum Center to supporting local artists, businesses, and nonprofits.
Outside of leading tours, Marisa works full-time as a professional digital marketer. As much as she loves her city, she loves to get out and explore - frequently traveling somewhere new and exciting. She has visited 100+ breweries and distilleries across the country. Marisa’s favorite thing about Pittsburgh? The people, culture, and all the great food. Don’t be shy to ask for restaurant recommendations. Her POV on the best time to visit town? The holidays and the summer time! Marisa joined the WTB team in 2022. |
Meet JOHN - Tour Guide
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John was born, raised and educated in Scotland. He moved to Pittsburgh in 2006 and currently lives in Shadyside (East Pittsburgh). He first came to the USA in 1976 while serving in the British Diplomatic Service. After working in Washington DC for a couple of years, he was posted to work at the Embassy in Dublin, Ireland. He left Dublin in the early 80s, and began a new career in the Communications Industry. In 1990 he joined AT&T and was impacted by downsizing in 2005. For family reasons John moved to Pittsburgh, and, as he describes it, "fell in love with the place"! He worked in the hospitality industry and would occasionally host small workshops on single malt whisky (a favorite tipple of his).
Although currently retired, John is involved with the local art community in Pittsburgh and his hobbies include abstract painting, lyric writing, studying history, and catching his children smiling. He joined our team of walking guides in 2022. |
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Meet KEN - Tour Guide
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Ken grew up in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. His love for history and art began while studying art at Dickinson college and remained during his 38-year medical career. Now retired, he stays busy serving as a Docent at the Carnegie Museum of Art and on several local music and theater boards. You can also find him exploring the hiking trails of Western Pennsylvania and internationally. Ken is excited to share the lore and history of Pittsburgh with others, for there is a lot more to this City of Champions than 5 Stanley Cups, 6 Super Bowl trophies, and 5 World Series Rings!
For Ken, a great day involves showing off his hometown, relating stories of its industrial, architectural, and cultural history, and the fascinating people who made it all possible. He joined the walking force in 2023. |
Meet ALLEN - Tour Guide
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Allen has guided a variety of tours for the better part of a decade. While living in Asheville, NC he worked with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and the Biltmore estate, LaZoom Comedy Bus Tours and The Hunger Tours, which explored the film locations of the first Hunger Games movie. A newer arrival to Pittsburgh, Allen enjoys exploring by foot and by bike and delights in discovering new places. He will be happy to recommend your next brewery, and would love to tell you all about the latest play he's seen at one of Pittsburgh's excellent theaters. Allen joined our WTB team in 2023.
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Meet ANNIE - Tour Guide
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Annie was born and raised in Pittsburgh, leaving the city only to attend Penn State and to teach English in Suzhou, China. She returned to Pittsburgh as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer and had a new appreciation for her hometown. Annie loves how welcoming Pittsburgh is and believes there’s something here for everyone.
During the pandemic, Annie became an armchair genealogist. She has an appreciation for lesser-known stories and would love to hear about your family history between tour stops. Annie is working on a narrative nonfiction book about Pittsburgh’s labor unions after World War II. She joined the WTB team in 2023. |
Meet DANNY - Tour Guide
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Danny has lived in Pittsburgh for 13 years now and feels confident that he can call himself a true Pittsburgher! Originally from Erie, PA, he graduated from high school and moved here to attend college at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 2010 where he majored in fashion and advertising photography. He originally fell in love with Pittsburgh's architecture and history from walking around the city doing photography assignments. He never wanted a "traditional" college experience being on a campus so choose city living and has never regretted it!
Danny is a current board member for the Mexican War Streets Society as Program Chair that manages planning community events such as the infamous and Annual Mexican War Streets Yard Sale, MWSS Holiday Party, Stoop Nights, and other events throughout the year. Danny is a proud cat dad of two orange tabbys. He is also an avid gardener and loves all things plants! He looks forward to taking you on a haunted history tour of our beautiful city and absorbing all its suspicions, all while being a bit spooked by the paranormal. He joined the WTB team in 2023. |
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