Knoxville Incline Overlook Park & Greenway

Of the 22 funiculars that once conveyed passengers and freight up and down hills throughout the city of Pittsburgh, only the Duquesne and Monongahela are still in operation. However, there is another whose bones have been transformed into a lush green space, featuring numerous walking trails, an overlook park, a stairway, and a natural clearing that provides scenic views of downtown.

Knoxville Incline was in operation between 1890 and 1960. At 2,644 feet, it was the longest incline ever built in Pittsburgh, and the only one aside from Nunnery Hill Incline to feature a curved track. It was demolished within the same month of its closure.

For several decades afterward, the path of the Knoxville Incline was used as a dump site. In the mid-2000s, major community cleanup efforts were undertaken by local citizens, resulting in the removal of hundreds of tires and other debris from the area.

In 2016, the site became the city’s newest greenway. Along with the features above, the park is also home to a bridge, from which visitors can see the heavy stone retaining walls and the trough through which the incline rode.