Meet VAL - Founder, General Manager & Honorary Yinzer
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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-cyclists, 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 JODI - Tour Manager & Pittsburgh Enthusiast
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Jodi is a boomerang Yinzer who couldn’t wait to get out of the Allegheny Valley growing up, but now sees the Burgh through rose-colored glasses.
After several years bouncing from PA to Southeast Asia, Europe, and NYC, Jodi returned to Pittsburgh in 2020 to empty out her backpack, tap into her roots, and fall back in love with her hometown. Her favorite way to reacquaint herself with the Steel City has been by bicycle, where she can traverse the hills and hollows fast enough to contemplate all of Pittsburgh’s 90 unique neighborhoods, and slow enough to wave hello to friends, neighbors, and stray kitties she finds along the way. The best part of working at Walk and Bike the Burgh for Jodi is that she doesn’t have to choose between exploring everything and leaning into where she came from. In the shop and out on tours, the world comes to her, as guests from all over share their stories and culture with us. In exchange, Jodi has the great honor of sharing the best of the Burgh with curious travelers just like herself from a past life! |
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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"We took this walking tour as soon as we arrived into Pittsburgh and it was the best introduction to the city. Our tour guide, Dave, did a great job explaining all the history and eccentricities of the city he obviously loves. He did a good job involving the participants. It was an easy walk but it was warm day and I was glad that I brought a bottle of water. The instructions in the reservation about where to park in a nearby garage were helpful and easy to follow. I would highly recommend this unique tour." - Dawn M.
Meet KANE - Tour Guide & Occulted Labor History Specialist
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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. |
"Went on this tour during labor day weekend and boy howdy what an experience. My tour guide Kane really made the city's history come alive with his detailed tales of the many unique architectural style really made the city and it's history come to life. Kane took us to many locations and buildings I wouldn't have paid a passing glance at. The man truly knows Pittsburgh and he's passion for it really shows. Will definitely be recommending my friends and family to take this tour especially if Kane is leading the charge." - Joe S.
Meet MARISA - Tour Guide & Food Truck Connoisseur
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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. |
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“It was a wonderful, low-intensity activity! Our guide, Marisa, did a wonderful job making sure we were safe and cohesive as a group. She also asked questions to get to know us and gave us great insight for our respective interests origins. I had a wonderful time." Alexis Z.
Meet JOHN - Tour Guide & World's Most Interesting Man
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John was born, raised and educated in Scotland. He moved to Pittsburgh in 2006 and currently lives in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh. He first came to the US 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. |
"We had such an enjoyable evening on the Whiskey Tour. It was just our small group attending, so we were grateful the company didn’t cancel on us. Due to the group size, we got a very personal tour. We had history and architecture thrown into our Whiskey walk & talk. But the loveliest part was the chat with our tour guide, John—the world’s most interesting man, during our drink sampling. We would have booked just for that! :)" - Josey W.
Meet KEN - Tour Guide & PGH Prodigal Son
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.
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.
"A fabulous walking tour of downtown Pittsburgh with our guide Ken, a fountain of knowledge about local history, architecture, and culture. This was probably the best walking tour of a city that I've ever had! Ken was responsive to our questions, but also had a clear plan about the information and route he wanted to share with us. We learned a lot about Pittsburgh, saw many of the iconic downtown buildings, and heard some of the stories about the people who helped make it such an important city in America. We developed a much deeper appreciation of the city he knows and loves. Highly recommend Ken and this tour." John R.
Meet ALLEN - Tour Guide & Local Onstage Prodigy
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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 and starred in (!) at one of Pittsburgh's excellent theaters. (He played Johnny Cash in the "Million Dollar Quartet"!) Allen joined our WTB team in 2023. |
"Allen made our trip to Pittsburgh magical! I would totally recommend this experience. Very knowledgeable and great at story telling and tentative to the needs of the group. I enjoy the history part of the walk and my daughter liked the ghost stories!!" - Nancy B.
Meet ANNIE - Tour Guide & Archive Addict
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. When she is not doing that, she helps spread the word about the experiences we provide to locals and visitors alike. She joined the WTB team in 2023.
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. When she is not doing that, she helps spread the word about the experiences we provide to locals and visitors alike. She joined the WTB team in 2023.
“Loved the tour! Annie was wonderful and felt like a friend. I loved being able to have a conversation with her instead of on some packed tour trying to hear in the back. This really felt like a local showing you the city she loves.” - Alanna W.
Meet DANNY - Tour Guide & Ghost Roomie
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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!
As Program Chair on the board of the Mexican War Streets Society, Danny manages planning community events such as the infamous 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 tabbies. 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. |
"My wife and I had a wonderful time on the Pittsburgh Black and Ghost Tour! Danny was an excellent tour guide - very engaging, able to answer questions, and a great story teller! We've been on multiple ghost tours over the years in Pittsburgh, and this was the best!" - Daniel S.
Meet DAN & DIANE - Tour Guides & Globe Trotters
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Dan moved to Pittsburgh in 2021 after a lengthy career in banking overseas, including long term jobs in England, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Albania, Bulgaria and Serbia. Although he is relatively new to Pittsburgh, he has been visiting the Steel City for many years. His daughter completed a B.A. and M.A. at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dan loves biking, beer and story telling. Guiding walking and biking tours gives him a chance to bring these together. When he is not consulting international business (he is a green finance specialist) or leading our tours. Dan also loves hiking, skiing, tennis and pickleball. His partner in crime, Diane, has spent 25+ years honing her skills at adapting and embracing new cities. With Pittsburgh as her new chosen home, she is learning all about what this city has to offer and loves to share her knowledge with visitors and locals alike. When she is not leading hikes through various neighborhoods of our Burgh, up and down its hills, she is making art that is being showcased at different art shows throughout the city. |
When Dan & Diane are not seeking out new local brews, they enjoy going for long walks with their doggie Zima and travel the world. They are also leading our beer tour by bike (Bikes & Brews Tour). Both became part of our walking force in 2023.
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"From the moment we walked in to the meeting spot, Dan & Diane made us feel welcome and excited for what was ahead. The length and distance of the tour was just right for us, as we were on a schedule, but if we wanted to continue with a self-guided tour afterwards, Dan & Diane gave us plenty of suggestions of where to go and what to do. The breweries we visited were fantastic, and the beer was great. Dan & Diane really know the history of Lawrenceville and of Pittsburgh in general and hearing their own experiences of living there made it that much more interesting. Highly recommend this tour." - TJ A.
Meet MYRNA - Tour Guide & Outdoor Aficionado
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Myrna grew up in a 200-year-old log cabin on a farm outside of Pittsburgh. This is where her love of history and nature started. As a history major at Allegheny College, she spent her summer and winter breaks giving tours and working in the historic gardens of Old Economy Village in Ambridge, PA. Since then, her jobs have ranged from middle school social studies teacher to lead environmental tech on a multi-million-dollar soil reclamation project.
After moving 21 times and visiting 44 states and 10 countries on 3 continents, Myrna chose to settle in Pittsburgh’s eclectic and friendly neighborhood of Polish Hill in 2014. Her work as the head of a local environmental nonprofit led her to develop a deep familiarity and appreciation of the people and places of Pittsburgh. This was further enhanced by walking to and through all 90 neighborhoods of Pittsburgh from her home during the pandemic. She is quite enamored with the city and loves to share its many attributes with others. Myrna joined our walking team in 2024. |
"Myrna was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, personable and was sincerely interested in interacting with us and having conversations. She asked and answered all questions with enthusiasm and passion. It was a great way to see and learn about the city with a fun secondary emphasis on the supernatural. We would've never known to visit some of the unique locations (and learn their history) had it not been for the tour. A memorable time, well spent!" - Amber P.
Meet ALAN - Tour Guide & Storyteller Supreme
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Alan is a professional storyteller, who got his start when working as a camp counselor many, many summers ago. He started out telling ghost stories and old Irish legends, eventually branching out into folk tales from other countries, along with tales of western Pennsylvania history and folklore.
Alan first came to Pittsburgh in 1984 as a graduate student in sociology at the University of Pittsburgh. He arrived here just as the steel mills closed forever, former steel workers migrated away in the search of new their jobs, and the Steelers stopped winning Super Bowls. Over the years, Alan watched as Pittsburgh groped to find a new identity for itself, recovered from the loss of steel, and grew into the vibrant city of today. By the time Alan finished his PhD, he had fallen in love with the city and region, and has remained ever since. One of his favorite things to do is to take visitors around the city so they can fall in love with it, too. |
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When he is not performing or leading tours, Alan teaches sociology at Robert Morris University, history at St. Vincent College, and literature, folklore, and history for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the founder Brawling Bard Theater company, for which he writes and directs. He is happy to discourse at length on the various theater companies, game stores and comic book shops in Pittsburgh. Alan joined the walking team in 2024.
"Alan has such an intimate knowledge of Pittsburgh-- not only it's history from it's inception to present day, but also the idiosyncrasies of the area, it's buildings, and the Pittsburghers themselves, their mentality and habits, etc. He was just full of tidbits of knowledge that only a long-time resident could acquire, and coupled with his background in teaching and urban development, he was truly a gem as a tour guide." - Cathleen B.
Meet CHRISTINE - Tour Guide & Professional Film Buff
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At the University of Illinois, she was a faculty member in the Department of Film Studies, the founding Senior Associate Director of the humanities research center, and, from 2012 until her retirement, the Director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. She was the organizer and host of a film series from 1998 to 2012, led numerous discussion panels at the annual Roger Ebert Film Festival, and curated two film-related museum exhibitions . From 1992 to 1997, she was a professor of film, television, and theater history at Illinois State University.
Christine has lectured and written extensively on topics related to the history of the Hollywood film industry and the studio system, the development of film genres, and the transformations of film art and commerce since the 1970s. She has long been interested in Pittsburgh’s rich contributions to film history – and now, as a resident of downtown Pittsburgh, she is delighted to be able to see many of the important locations featured in the movie tour from her living room window! Christine joined our crew of walking tour guides in 2024. |
"The Movie tour was fantastic!!! Christine was a super guide - knowledgeable and fun! She had a great book of photos that showed scenes from many different movies. If you enjoy movies, this is a great tour!" - Sarah D.
