Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Two suitcases in an empty airport hall.
AO Mailbag: Is It Normal to Share a Checked Bag With Your Boyfriend?
Kolaches
How Texas Became an Unlikely Epicenter for Czech Pastries
What I Found Driving Across Northern Michigan
What I Found Driving Down Highway 61

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Pennsylvania Pittsburgh West End Overlook

West End Overlook

The only way to see Pittsburgh is from the top of this lookout point, just like the ancient members of the native peoples did.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Added By
Thomas Harper
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The view at night.   Ronald C. Yochum, Jr on Wikipedia
Skyline from the West End Overlook   Thomas Harper
The view in the day.   Ronald C. Yochum, Jr on Wikipedia
  chasepopt / Atlas Obscura User
Street entrance to the overlook, which can be reached via a vine-covered pergola   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Fireworks over the city   hfloccari / Atlas Obscura User
West End Overlook Original photo   wpaxton99 / Atlas Obscura User
  cbizzle16 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

If one sees a picture of the Pittsburgh city skyline, most likely it was taken at this small parklet that was once a Native American lookout, but has now turned into just an incredible vista for urban photographers.

Elliott's Bluff commands a wide view where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio River. Known locally as The Point, the raised look out point lies at the edge of Pittsburgh's downtown area. Before the city became an urban manufacturing hub, local Shawnee and other Native American tribes would survey their settlements from the top of the peak. Locals have long reported finding arrowheads on the site. 

Today, the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Elliott is on top of the bluff and the prime view of the skyline is part of a modern park, West End-Elliott Overlook Park, more commonly known as the West End Overlook, having been renovated in 2003. Before that, it was a simple turnaround that just happened to have a great view.

Now, landscaped gardens, benches, and a pavilion provide a more welcoming atmosphere to take in the view, catering to all of the amateur photographers that visit the spoke during the golden hour of the day. The elevated viewing point is also a popular place to catch fireworks and other outdoor events in the Steel City. Not bad for an area known for its industrial heritage. 

Related Tags

Geographic Markers Photography

Community Contributors

Added By

thomasharper

Edited By

EricGrundhauser, hfloccari, chasepopt, blimpcaptain...

  • EricGrundhauser
  • hfloccari
  • chasepopt
  • blimpcaptain
  • cbizzle16
  • wpaxton99
  • cat6hurrcne

Published

January 26, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://old.post-gazette.com/neigh_city/20030804westend0804p2.asp
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_End_Overlook
West End Overlook
Marlow Street
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15220
United States
40.444764, -80.037005
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Johnny Angel's Ginchy Stuff

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

miles away

Bicycle Heaven

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

miles away

Miniature Railroad & Village

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

Pennsylvania

Places 61
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Johnny Angel's Ginchy Stuff

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

miles away

Bicycle Heaven

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

miles away

Miniature Railroad & Village

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

Pennsylvania

Places 61
Stories 5

Related Places

  • Cercle solaire du Kiischpelt

    Kiischpelt, Luxembourg

    Kiischpelt’s Solar Circle

    This modest monument marks the only point of intersection between longitude and latitude in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

  • Tucson, Arizona

    Center for Creative Photography

    Enormous photography collection housed in a study center co-founded by Ansel Adams.

    Sponsored by Visit Tucson 2025
  • The arrow, looking back toward arrow #31 by Moapa.

    Mesquite, Nevada

    Airmail Arrow #32 LA-SL

    A concrete arrow from a 1920s airmail navigation network.

  • Écaussinnes, Belgium

    ‘Bonhomme de Fer’ (‘The Iron Man’)

    This human-shaped statue is actually a geodesic station.

  • Exact center of California north fork.

    North Fork, California

    Exact Center of California

    The geographic center point of the Golden State.

  • Wyoming side.

    Grover, Colorado

    Colorado-Nebraska-Wyoming Tri-State Marker

    You can stand in three U.S. states at once.

  • Brescia, Italy

    National Museum of Photography

    Explore the evolution of photography and cinema through historical and contemporary equipment.

  • Tri-States Monument and Delaware River

    Port Jervis, New York

    Tri-States Monument

    A pair of 19th-century granite markers symbolically record where the state boundaries of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania intersect.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.