Rivers of Steel: Explorer Riverboat

05/18/2023

Our "Environmental Science on the Three Rivers" student education program made the news!

Students in the Greater Latrobe Senior High School Capstone program went on an environmental challenge on board the Rivers of Steel educational boat in order to determine the health and

05/05/2023

The Uniquely Pittsburgh Sightseeing Tour season begins tomorrow!

Join us for a 90-minute cruise that answers the question "What makes Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh?"

https://riversofsteel.com/experiences/tours/pittsburgh-sightseeing-tour/

04/12/2023

Happy 412 Day!

Lean in to your Pittsburgh pride by signing up for a Uniquely Pittsburgh Sightseeing Tour on the Explorer riverboat or embrace the region's steel heritage with an Industrial Tour of the Carrie Blast Furnaces! Tours begin weekends in May.

Rivers of Steel offers sightseeing tours and things to do on the Explorer riverboat and at the Carrie Blast Furnaces

03/28/2023

Our season of STEM education programs on the boat kicked off last week with a workshop offered in partnership with Venture Outdoors. Check out these photos by Amanda Westerlund!

Photos by Amanda Westerlund

03/22/2023

Keep your eyes to the sky for these spring birds, then join us in early summer for a Birdwatching Cruise with the National Aviary! Tickets available now.

Want to get into birding this spring? Here are 5 Pittsburgh birds to keep an eye out for.

10/10/2022

"Woolly bear caterpillars, the larval stage of the Isabella tiger moth, are on the move this month. Within a few weeks they’ll burrow into the leaf litter, assume the same curled position they adopt when placed in the palm of a curious child, and rely upon antifreeze proteins to prevent tissue damage during the coldest winter weather." - Pat McShea, Museum Educator

10/06/2022

Check out our Uniquely Pittsburgh Sightseeing Tours!

10/06/2022

Thanks Discover the Burgh for your updated review of our Uniquely Pittsburgh Sightseeing Tours!

There are just three tours left this season—all on Friday nights timed with the sunset! Get your tickets now.

The Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation has launched a boat tour of Pittsburgh's three rivers to promote the city's history and stunning views!

08/03/2022

Birding from—and on—the Explorer riverboat: Reach about our resident finches and an upcoming program with the National Aviary!

The Traveling Nest August 3, 2022Bird Behavior, Nesting & Courtship, SongbirdsKate St. John The Rivers of Steel Explorer (photo from Ryan O’Rourke) 3 August 2022 What do you do when your nest and babies sail away without you? A house finch couple on Pittsburgh’s North Shore have learned to wait ...

05/18/2022

Did you know the Explorer is one of Daniel Tiger's neighbors?
Scroll to the 15:10 mark to watch a segment with Captain Ryan!

https://pbskids.org/daniel/videos

05/10/2022

The spring field trip season is back in full swing! Check out this photo slideshow of the students at Shady Side Academy who visited us for the "Environmental Science on the Three Rivers" program last week!

Students studied water quality, macro invertebrates and plankton in the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers on the riverboat trip.

01/25/2022

In river news . . .

French Creek, in the northwestern Pennsylvania, has been named 2022 Pennsylvania River of the Year by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). One of the most environmentally diverse small waterways in the country, French Creek took almost half the votes in a contest with three o...

09/16/2021

The rumors are true! There are big fish in those waters.

Late one August night last year, Dusty Learn, an Indiana County farmer and factory worker, caught what is, perhaps, the most spectacular catfish Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers have been known to ever yield. Although not the VW Beetle-sized beast of urban legend, Learn’s flathead — nabbed on a piece...

07/08/2021

Hear what Sean Collier had to say this morning about our new "Uniquely Pittsburgh Sightseeing Tour" on the Explorer riverboat.

Pittsburgh Magazine's Sean Collier has a look at some of the cool events going on around town this weekend!

06/25/2021

06/25/2021

Researchers at Chatham University are studying aquatic insects as indicators of river health—just like what we do with students in our Environmental Science on the Three Rivers program!

Of course, they take it a step or two further.
Check out these interesting findings!

Dragonfly and damselfly larvae found in the Ohio River surprised researchers. Aquatic insects are indicators of ecosystem health.

02/24/2021

There is still a sizable flush of migratory Canvasbacks spending their days near Explorer's dock, along with Redheads, Buffleheads, and Lesser Scaup. These diving ducks were first seen at the boat launch under Heinz Stadium on February 11th, and have been visible from the boat every day since. The males have the white backs and rusty-red heads.