the nationality rooms

I went to Duquesne Universty a few years ago so I never appreciated the cathedral of learning. Now that both my kids go to Pitt I broke down and checked out the nationality rooms. It's really a microcosm of Pittsburgh's cultural past. To this day Pittsburgh celebrates its cultural diversity in many ways and these rooms are a way to get a feel for that in a short time. A visitor to the city should take this tour if nothing else in Pittsbugh. But if you're there the Carnegie History Museum is across Forbes and Phipps Conservatory is walking distance.

Went to the Nationality Rooms at the Cathedral of Learning to see them decorated for Christmas. Very impressed - not only with the decorations, but the rooms themselves. We did purchase the audio tour, but after a few rooms, we didn't use it. When you enter the different rooms, there are explanations posted on the wall about the history of the rooms. In addition, there were materials to read in the rooms about the Christmas decorations and traditions of the countries. You could definitely spend a couple of hours here during any season.

Discover the hidden gems in the Cathedral of Learning each one unique and well worth visiting. A must during the Holidays.

Each room is decorated according to different countries. Christmas is the best time to o to see them decorated in each countries traditional Christmas decoration. Well woth the time

As a former Pitt student used the Nationality rooms for classes and studying. At Christmas time, they transform into a native holiday celebration. There is a weekend where there is dancing, food sales, craft sales, music and other entertainment in the commons. Although crowded at that time, absolutelyworth the visit.

This was such an enjoyable tour. I have to admit, I attended Pitt, but never actually did the tour. (wanted to get out of there over holiday break LOL) Always heard it was beautiful. So, I wanted to take my 10 year old son, for something different over his school break. We both really enjoyed it. The rooms were beautiful, but even better with the holiday decorations. The tour guide was pretty knowledgeable and had a lot of interesting facts. It was a little distracting on our tour, because some people brought toddlers, who couldn't care less about what was being said, and screamed and carried on. There really should be a minimum age limit. But other than that, the rooms themselves and the information were quite intersting and lovely. A unique experience - I don't think there is anything else quite like it anywhere! Apparently, Presidents have visited, as well as foreign dignitaries. Worth the time, and really inexpensive too.

These rooms are a fantastic opportunity to see what other consider to be beauty and elegance. Even if your background is not represented, give the others a chance. Take the time for the tour. The nominal fees are worth every penny, and then some.If you have a group of 10 or more, book a guided tour. They cost a little more, but still, more than worth the time and money. Would be great if they offered the same service for smaller groups. I would pat the minimum fee for 10 people to take my family of 5 on the guided tour. But it is their building, their rules.Art and architecture seekers beware; you will find yourselves drawn into the very being of these rooms. So much more in them than you can absorb in one visit. They are also active classrooms, so if going on a weekday during school session, you may not be able to see all of them. I would probably miss the first few days of a class I might have in one of these rooms. Just looking and learning about the surroundings; glad I graduated from college a few decades ago.Only down side is the parking. Can be a real pain to find available spaces near the Cathedral.Did I mention the Cathedral of Learning??? Started in or about 1921. Gothic to Art Deco Architecture is the housing structure for the Nationality rooms.. A book of its own.More information on Nationality Rooms: http://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/Why not make it a day and visit the nearby Carnegie Museums and/or Phipps Conservatory

The parking drove me a little crazy at first because I didn't have any USD change arriving here from Canada late morning. After hunting down a gas station and getting a few dollars in quarters we were parked nearby and ready for a nice visit. The architecture was awesome. The lobby was quite impressive and the rooms on the only floor open to the public that day were equally interesting. The two additional floors were only accessible for already sold-out tours, which was a disappointment. But the rooms I did get into were set up for some nice photos, and seeing them decorated for the holiday season and exploring while listening to the audio tour was very welcome. It was nice that there wasn't too many visitors to make the building crowded and we could move around easily. A very enjoyable experience.

The Cathedral of Learning is quite the college building (can you say "Hogwarts?" so the Nationality Rooms, housed in this beauty are a treat just to walk around the main floor. The Nationality Rooms are amazing in their detail and cover countries from around the world, often with components brought in from the countries specifically for this. Check in advance for hours and try to get there early to get on a tour, which give the best insight. Sadly, you won't get to see ALL the rooms on a tour or at any given time as some are closed. Christmas time is really something with rooms decorated for holidays in the region; meticulously done. Note that many of these rooms are used for classes. It's amazing how well cared for they are and how well the students treat these incredible spaces but it's also wonderful to imagine classes held in these rooms. Not to be missed.

I have always wanted to see the inside of the cathedral of learning in Oakland. I have wondered around outside a few times but never went in. We decided to do this on New Years eve with a few family members. The cost of the tour is minimal...$4. The tour guide is what was the deterrent. She was boring and had an accent that was extremely hard to follow. She didn't talk about the culture of each room as much as she talked about the history of the government. It was like a school lesson by a professor with bad English. I'm thinking the whole experience would have been soooo much better with a different guide. She kept saying the tour was running late and it was definitely due to her droning on about things that were very irrelevant. The rooms we saw were very beautiful. I think we didn't see what we were supposed to see due to the time frame.

The Nationality Rooms are located in the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. There are classrooms and offices in the upper floors. As a student, I often went to the Cathedral for a quiet place to study surrounded by King Arthur's Court! The rooms are well preserved with authentic items from the era they represent. It's a hands on history lesson and very educational. Visitors are able to sit in a classroom setting while hearing the history of each room and what it represents. Many people will be able to visit their country of origin in the rooms. There are guided tours as well as cd's you can carry if you don't want to wait for the tour. Kids will love it; but its a great experience for all ages.

My family member said "It's like Hogwarts!"Loved just walking around and marveling at the architecture! Wanted to see more than just a couple of classrooms but Christmas weekend, the tours were not available.

The rooms dedicated and decorated for different countries and cultures are very well done and educational. Each room has a taped explanation of the displays. Very well done and interesting.

These wonderful rooms showcase the ethnic diversity of Pittsburgh and the US. They are great for all ages, very educational and a lot of fun.

The Cathedral of Learning is a little overwhelming when you step inside - there are no signs or indications. There is a small booth to help direct people for the Nationality Rooms, which I eventually stumbled across. Since it was a weekday, classes were in session (which wasn't clear on the website, which implied that tours were still being given).Essentially, you walk around the 1st and 3rd floors, where the names of the rooms are printed on the doors. Each door has a peephole, which you look through to make sure you don't interrupt a class in progress. If there room is empty, you can go in and enjoy. It was a little like spying on the students and there were awkward moments when the room looked empty but there were students just studying in the back of some of the rooms, but the rooms themselves more than made up for awkwardness.I saw about 20 rooms or so, of various nationalities: Ukranian, Indian, Israeli, Chinese, Hungarian, Bavarian. Each was completely individual and every single element of the room reflected that time period and place: desks, blackboard, lights, doorways, even doorknobs. A detailed description of the elements that had gone into the room was on the wall near each door. I wish I'd had more time to read them all! One of my favorite places in Pittsburgh.