Saint Anthony Chapel
4.9(420)google
Senior-FriendlyIndoorCity LandmarkFreeWorld RecordQuirkyHistoric BuildingArt
Overview
Saint Anthony's Chapel (styled in some parish and diocesan sources as Saint Anthony Chapel) is a Catholic chapel in the Troy Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and is notable for its vast collection of relics.
Practical Info
Mon12:00 – 3:00 PM
Tue12:00 – 3:00 PM
Wed12:00 – 3:00 PM
Thu12:00 – 3:00 PM
FriClosed
Sat12:00 – 3:00 PM
Sun12:00 – 3:00 PM
Suggested Duration1-2 hours
Best TimeBest viewed Saturday through Wednesday afternoons between 1:00 PM and 3:30 PM. Holding the world's largest collection of authenticated Catholic holy relics outside the Vatican (over 5,000 sacred reliquaries), afternoon sun filters beautifully through the historic stained glass, lighting the massive gold leaf shrines and wood carvings.
Getting TherePerched atop the steep residential cliffs of Troy Hill in Pittsburgh at 1700 Harpster Street. Car transit is mandatory: take I-279 N to PA-28 N, take the Troy Hill exit, and scale the intense uphill grades for 2 miles to the summit ridge lanes. The historic stone chapel features its own free public gravel visitor lot directly along the eastern wing transept.
Travel Tips
- Housing the largest collection of authenticated holy relics outside the Vatican (over 5,000 assets), this active sanctuary mandates formal attire, banning shorts above the knee and sleeveless tops, and enforces absolute silence.
- Perched atop Troy Hill at 1700 Harpster St, the approach road features an aggressive 20% vertical incline; during winter freeze-and-thaw cycles, front-wheel-drive sedans without snow tires are blocked due to severe sliding risks.
Reviews
Positive
- A profoundly holy and overwhelming religious experience; houses the largest collection of Christian relics outside the Vatican.
- The interior is beautifully adorned with intricate hand-carved wood Stations of the Cross and vintage stained glass full of solemn art charm.
- Provides deeply informative self-guided audio equipment; the local volunteers are pious, polite, and eager to share the history.
- Operates strictly on a free-will donation basis; perched quietly on Troy Hill, offering a peaceful, soulful retreat from the city.
Heads up
- As a serious, sacred site of pilgrimage, it enforces strict dress codes and decorum rules; casual tourists expecting recreation may feel out of place.
- The layout is compact and hallways are narrow; to protect the centuries-old relics, modern climate controls are absent, getting stuffy in summer.
- The neighborhood is isolated with very limited public bus transit; driving up involves navigating steep, narrow mountain slopes with sharp turns.
- Operating hours are far more restricted than standard museums, often open just a few hours a day, making it easy to arrive to locked doors.