Memorial Day Weekend Kicks Off Second Season of Public Programs on the Explorer Riverboat

  

The season will begin Memorial Day weekend with a special, public event on Friday, May 24—the Twilight Soiree Riverboat Cruise. With food by Black Radish Kitchen and drinks by Kingfly Spirits, this evening event will include a modified version of Rivers of Steel’s flagship tour, PGH 101: An Intro to Innovation. This two-hour program is being offered as a limited series, with two additional tour dates on notable weekends: Friday, June 21 (the summer solstice) and Friday, July 5. The event is 21+ only and is $65 per person.

Saturday, May 25 will mark the first regular tour of the season for PGH 101: An Intro to Innovation. Special hours are offered for Memorial Day weekend, including Saturday, May 25 at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Sunday, May 26 at 2:30 p.m., and Monday, May 27 at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

When it launched in 2018, this 90-minute sightseeing tour was offered four days a week; because of its popularity, it will now be offered daily at 2:30 p.m. beginning in June with an additional excursion each Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Throughout the month of July, two daily tours will be offered at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 pm, as well. The tour season runs through the end of September.

Industry & Innovation: The Explorer Bikes and Boat Tour is a collaboration with Golden Triangle Bikes and will be first offered on Sunday, May 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rivers of Steel’s tour guide Eric Horgos will lead a group on a two-hour narrated ride along both sides of the Monongahela River on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and Great Allegheny Passage before the group boards the Explorer for lunch catered by Iron Oven, followed by a PGH 101 tour. This program will be offered a second time on Sunday, July 21 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Rivers of Steel is also collaborating with the National Aviary this season to offer a birdwatching excursion with ornithologist Robert Mulvihill on the all three rivers on the morning of Saturday, August 17. This program will take advantage of the dual-hybrid propulsion system on the Explorer, using the vessel’s batteries to operate the boat silently so as not to disturb the wildlife.

On the second Saturdays of June, July, and August, Rivers of Steel is offering Science Saturdays for Families. Designed to help children avoid the summer brain drain, Rivers of Steel is adapting elements of their environmental education programs (usually offered to students) and inviting families to join in for interactive, hands-on workshops that explore the rivers’ ecosystems. Each month will highlight a different theme, including watersheds, adaptations, and aquatic habitats. These special family tours are from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on June 8, July 15 and August 10.

With the exception of the PGH 101 sightseeing tour, each of these programs is new for 2019.

Proceeds from all public programs and private charters on the Explorer riverboat help Rivers of Steel to underwrite the costs of its STEM-based education programs on the vessel, including the popular Environmental Science on the Three Rivers workshop, for students throughout southwestern Pennsylvania.

About Rivers of Steel
Founded on the principles of heritage development, community partnership, and a reverence for the region’s natural and shared resources, Rivers of Steel strengthens the economic and cultural fabric of western Pennsylvania by fostering dynamic initiatives and transformative experiences.

Rivers of Steel showcases the artistry and innovation of our region’s industrial and cultural heritage through its historical & 21st-century attractions?offering unique experiences via tours, workshops, exhibitions, festivals, and more. Behind the scenes, Rivers of Steel supports economic revitalization—working on the grassroots level to deepen community partnerships, promote heritage tourism, and preserve local recreational and cultural resources for future generations.

Rivers of Steel is one of 55 National Heritage Areas designated by the U.S. Congress. A National Heritage Area is a place of significance to America, highlighting an important period of history in the development of the United States. For Rivers of Steel, Congress recognized the industrial and cultural heritage of southwestern Pennsylvania.

About the Explorer Riverboat
Offering sightseeing tours, public and student programs, private events, and corporate charters, Explorer is the world’s first green riverboat—designed and built to LEED standards to host the award-winning environmental science education programs now offered by Rivers of Steel.

Contact Carly McCoy at 412.464.4020, ext. 243 or by emailing cmccoy@riversofsteel.com.
Rivers of Steel | The Bost Building, 623 East Eighth Ave, Homestead PA 15120
www.riversofsteel.com

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