Observatory Hill

MEMBERSHIP

Vibrant neighborhoods don’t just happen. They’re the result of years of hard work and effort. Investing time and money is an important part of strengthening our stellar neighborhood.

Join OHI today!

Learn More

Summer 2017 Newsletter
Learn More

View Home

Allegheny Observatory

Allegheny Observatory


With its stately domes visible from various vantages across the city, the Allegheny Observatory is a true Pittsburgh landmark and a testament to the rich tradition of the neighborhood that bears its name. The Observatory’s roots date back to 1858 when several prominent Pittsburgh businessmen formed the Allegheny Telescope Association. The corner stone for the current building was laid in 1900. By the time the Neoclassical structure was completed in 1912, the Observatory was establishing itself as an important research institute with the possession of three major telescopes. Today, the Allegheny Observatory continues to use the instruments and data from the past to make new discoveries on the forefront of astronomical research.

Architect Thorsten E. Billquist worked closely with the Observatory’s pioneering astrologers to design a functional building, large enough to accommodate equipment necessary to continue high-level astronomical research. Aesthetic elements – a pedimented portico, Ionic columns, decorative stonework and names of famous astronomers carved into the cornice stone – make the Observatory as lovely to behold as the vast skies it studies.

Over a century after its inception, the Allegheny Observatory remains a monument to the pioneering spirit that created it, as well as the spirit that lives on in the revitalization of Observatory Hill.