PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Pittsburghers are known for being “nebby” and, really, there’s no finer way to indulge in that regional pastime than by heading to one of the many home and garden tours taking place across the area now that the warmer weather is here. From Sewickley to the South Side, here are the tours that will take you behind the gates of some of Pittsburgh’s finest properties.  

Sewickley House Tour

Taking place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4, the 40th Sewickley House Tour, presented by the Child Health Association of Sewickley, showcases six properties that range from a registered historic landmark to a new construction home. Available for $50 per person, tickets may be purchased here and picked up on the day of the tour at the Faith House. Located at 202 Beaver St., the historical property owned by Sewickley Presbyterian Church is also one of the stops on this year’s tour. All proceeds from the event benefit children of Western Pennsylvania, according to the organizers. Children younger than 8 are not permitted on the walking tour. 

Special Walking Tour: Chatham Village

The Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation will host a tour of Chatham Village, a collection of nearly 200 Colonial Revival residences on Mount Washington, from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 11.  Built between 1931 and 1936, Chatham Village was commissioned by Pittsburgh’s Buhl Foundation and designed by New York City architect-planners Clarence Stein and Henry Wright. According to the organizers, the community was the foundation’s attempt to demonstrate that the private sector could develop high-quality, affordable housing for workers of moderate income and make a profit. Angelique Bamberg, author of “Chatham Village: Pittsburgh’s Garden City,” and David Vater, an architect and long-time resident of Chatham Village, will lead the tour, which is to be followed by refreshments. Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased here. 

South Side Home & Garden Tour

Explore the residences, buildings and gardens that make up the eclectic South Side from 11 a.m to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 19. Now in its 30th year, the annual South Side Home & Garden Tour will feature everything from repurposed lofts and new condominiums to restored historical homes, all with decor and gardens that reflect the owners’ own styles and tastes. According to the organizers, the “secret gardens” of the South Side, often hidden behind a home or fence, will be a mix of traditional, modern, and “green” gardening. Children younger than 12 are not permitted to tour the homes. Proceeds from the event support the South Side Community Council. Tickets are $25 in advance, or $35 on the day of the event, and may be purchased here. 

Neighborhood Walking Tour: Point Breeze

PHLF also will host a walking tour of Point Breeze from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 15. Described as “Chateau Country” by PHLF’s co-founder Jamie Van Trump, Point Breeze was once home to Pittsburgh industrialists Andrew Carnegie, H.J. Heinz, George Westinghouse and Henry Clay Frick. While only Clayton, Frick’s grand home, remains as part of The Frick Pittsburgh, there still is plenty of interesting architecture to check out in the neighborhood. The tour will take a look at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (originally the home of Durbin Horne, son of Joseph Horne), Pittsburgh New Church and Engine House No. 16, now home to Fireman Creative. Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased here. 

PHLF also will host neighborhood walking tours of Carnegie, Tarentum, Schenley Farms, Lower Lawrenceville, Vandergrift and Sewickley throughout the summer. For more information on those events, visit here. 

Southern Butler County Garden Club Tour

Now in its 16th year, the Southern Butler County Garden Club Tour takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 29 and features a number of gardens in and around Cranberry. Participating homeowners will be onsite to answer questions and share their gardening insights. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the event. More information on the tickets, which will be distributed at the Seven Fields Community Center, is available here. Registrants will also have a chance to win door prizes and several “gardener’s delight” raffle baskets. Proceeds from the event will help fund local horticulture programs.  

Showcase Manchester

PHOTO COURTESY MANCHESTER HISTORIC SOCIETY

Save the date for Showcase Manchester, the North Side neighborhood’s popular annual home and garden tour. Taking place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11, the tour will feature some of the Second Empire, Shingle, Italianate, Richardsonian Romanesque, Colonial Revival,  and Gothic Revival-style architecture the neighborhood is known for. Organizers say this year’s event will feature a variety of homes that range from historical mansions to recent renovations. Ticket prices have not been announced yet. For more information, visit here.