Knocking the Rust Off

Rust is often associated with inactivity, hulking heavy equipment silently succumbing to oxidation over decades of disuse. So, when you hear the term “Rust Belt,” you might think of a region in decline, a place standing still, idle. But remember that steamships and freight trains rust, too—and keep right on barreling forward.

The same is true of the Rust Belt. And when you bring a group tour here, you’ll see it for yourself. This is a region reinvented, commemorating the same spirit of manufacturing and creation in new and enriching ways.

Exact definitions of the region vary, but the Northeast includes two Rust Belt states: New York and Pennsylvania. Once known as centers of manufacturing and heavy industry, the cities here are now destinations with a diversity of experiences and attractions sure to satisfy any group tour.

ART & ARTISTS

Take Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for instance. The “Steel City” has a reputation for brute strength, a place where people heat iron ore into glowing lava and then build bridges out of it. And while Pittsburgh is very much that, it’s also the home of fine art and artists. Andy Warhol is one of Pittsburgh’s most famous natives, and the downtown museum dedicated to his life and work is one of the city’s most famous attractions.

The Andy Warhol Museum is among the largest art museums in the world dedicated to a single artist. It boasts seven floors arranged in chronological order from top to bottom, allowing visitors to see how Warhol’s life and work developed, as well as learn the history of the pop art movement with which he was associated.

“As you move down the floors, you hit each decade of his life, and you can see how pop art evolves,” says Mario Rossero, the museum’s director. “You see his iconic portraits—Campbell’s soup cans, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis—and then, when we get to the ’80s, which is one of my favorite moments in the museum, we really highlight and get to see the collaborations that he did with [artists] like Jean-Michel Basquiat.”

The floors also cover Warhol’s archives. In the basement, each visitor can even try their hand at silk screening and other Warhol techniques. The museum is the anchor of a neighborhood called the Pop District, which includes public art exhibitions. The museum offers nearby bus parking, despite its downtown location, and also convenient in-house dining at the Warhol Cafe.

“You can see the tomato soup [paintings] upstairs, then you can come downstairs and have a tomato soup and grilled cheese,” says Rossero. “We like to have those little tie-ins.”

And while in Pittsburgh, you can explore the rest of the unique history of the region at the Heinz History Center. Billing itself as nothing less than the “No. 1 History Museum in America,” visitors will actually find four museums in one: the Heinz History Center, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, Fort Pitt Museum, and Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village. This array of attractions includes interactive exhibits, living history, and more, offering a little something for everyone in the group.

Farther north, Buffalo, New York, has its own long association with art, alongside its proud history of manufacturing. Situated at the terminus of the Erie Canal—making it possible to ship goods to and from the Great Lakes and, ultimately, the Atlantic Ocean—Buffalo grew exponentially in the decades that followed the canal’s opening in 1825. With that growth came appreciation for the arts, leading the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy to declare in 1862 that “Buffalo is to have a permanent art gallery at once.”

That makes the museum the sixth-oldest public art institution in the country. However, it took until 1905 for the museum to have a permanent home. That building saw a significant expansion in 1962. Just two years ago, it reopened after an expansion and redevelopment of its campus. Now known as the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, the OMA/Shohei Shigematsu-designed space features works specific to the site from contemporary artists such as Olafur Eliasson and Miriam Bäckström, plus 50,000 square feet of exhibition space for special and permanent displays of works from Jackson Pollock, Clyfford Still, Marisol, and more.

“I offer flexible scheduling, on-site bus parking, and can welcome groups of up to 60 people for 60- or 90-minute guided tours led by our specially trained and enthusiastic docents,” says Head of Visitor Experience Megan Woloszyn. “Tour operators receive discounted rates per person, whether they are booking a self-guided group visit or docent-guided tours for their clients. Additionally, group admission includes the tour experience and all-day admission to the museum and its galleries.”

NATURAL BEAUTY

Being beside the Great Lakes, it’s no secret you’ll also have access to some outstanding scenery. Niagara Falls is just a 20-minute drive from the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, and 60 miles away is Letchworth State Park, named for the Buffalo industrialist who gifted the land for the park’s creation in 1907. The park today is considered by some to be the “Grand Canyon of the East,” highlighted by 600-foot-deep gorges and 66 miles of hiking trails. Guided walks and tours are available, as are hot air balloon rides for a truly majestic view.

For an experience closer to the water, Pennsylvania’s Presque Isle State Park on Lake Erie offers a sandy coastline to explore for year-round recreation. Located just a few miles from downtown Erie, Presque Isle is a hot spot for migrating birds, making an excellent destination for birders.

Back in Pittsburgh, Point State Park is located right downtown at the confluence of Pittsburgh’s three rivers: the Ohio, the Allegheny, and the Monongahela. In addition to stunning cityscape views, the park also is host to special events and is close to other Pittsburgh attractions.

THE RUST

While it’s clear the Rust Belt has more to offer than just old manufacturing sites, a visit there would be incomplete without diving into that history as well. Fortunately, a lot of it has been preserved at places like SteelStacks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This 10-acre campus was once the home of Bethlehem Steel and is now a center of diverse events, from concerts to festivals. The plant’s furnaces shut down for good in 1995, but groups now can tour the archives and learn the story of what was once among the most important companies in America.

Back toward Pittsburgh and along the Monongahela sit the Carrie Blast Furnaces, once part of U.S. Steel’s Homestead Steel Works. Known to locals simply as “Carrie,” the site is a National Historic Landmark and offers a variety of enriching tours for groups. The “Babushkas and Hard Hats Tour” takes visitors to three sites and covers not only the steel-making history but also the stories of the people who worked there in its heyday.

“I believe what makes our tours so unique are our hands-on experiences paired with our guides and docents who share firsthand knowledge and passion on what it was like to work in the mills when they were operational,” says Director of Tourism Jaimie Hanson. “Many of our hands-on experiences, such as our metal arts and graffiti arts workshops, give guests the opportunity to not only learn about the metal making process but also experience the process and take a piece of it home with them.”

Carrie also hosts an annual festival called the Festival of Combustion. On the first Saturday of October, visitors can have self-guided tours of the furnaces, indulge in craft beer and food trucks, and see demonstrations from metal artisans. It’s a great way to experience the historic past of the Rust Belt in a modern way.

By Todd Kortemeier

Main Image: Carrie Blast Furnaces, Swissvale, Pennsylvania; Credit: Rivers of Steel