Now I know what the real Mister Rogers’ neighborhood looks like. An urge to reconnect with my earliest years of public media-viewing took me on a nostalgic trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In this vibrant city, home of the Steelers and the Andy Warhol Museum, Fred Rogers lived and created his beloved program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, from 1968 until 2001.
The public is welcome to visit many of the places I saw.
Senator John Heinz History Center: The Special Collections Gallery features props from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,including the castle of King Friday, and the tree where Ex the Owl and Henrietta Pussycat lived.
Fred Rogers Institute: Located on the campus of Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the building includes displays of Fred Rogers’ famous sweaters, puppets, and the original clock where Daniel Tiger lived.
Mister Rogers statue: Its official name is “Tribute to Children.” Completed in 2009, the larger-than-life bronze sculpture sits along the North Shore near the point where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers come together to form the Ohio River.
Carnegie Museum of Art: In 1981 Mister Rogers invited his viewers to look carefully at the masterpieces on the walls of this museum in the Oakland neighborhood.
National Aviary: Mister Rogers took his television viewers on a visit to the largest indoor aviary in the country in 1993. More than 500 birds live there.
The City of Bridges is a culturally lush, friendly and fascinating place. I can see why Fred Rogers enjoyed living, working and establishing his enriching Neighborhood in Pittsburgh.
– Paul Larson
Spotlight producer