Secret Pittsburgh

Address: 1501 Arch Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Hours: Saturday - Sunday  12 PM - 7 PM

Website: https://www.facebook.com/randylandpgh/ 

Admission: Free, donations encouraged

Transportation: Bus, car (street parking), bike (no onsite lock site), and walking

 

 

Since its establishment within Pittsburgh’s Mexican War Streets 21 years ago, Randyland has made a name for itself worldwide. Though visitors will see more than enough motivational quotes to get them through the year, it’s more than just the painted and printed words that make this outdoor art gallery so special.

Meet the visionary behind it all, Randy Gilson, a man with bleached blonde hair and a contagious attitude that will make you want to talk with him for hours. When Randy moved into the neighborhood many years ago, he was disheartened by the area’s drabness. He recycled materials he found laying around, and covered them in colorful designs. Eventually, he invested in an abandoned building and made it his home and canvas, for everyone to see. This was the start of Randyland.

This place is one of Pittsburgh’s best-kept secrets. The moment you spot the building, you can feel the positive energy surrounding it, which only grows as you enter the colorful courtyard. Randy’s proud, kind voice seems to always be floating through the air as he preaches to visitors about his childhood hardships and the life lessons he’s learned from them.

Randy grew up with five siblings, was raised by a single mother, and often struggling to find food and places to live. He faced a hard time in school, and was hard on himself as a result. But then he discovered the sanctuary of his art, and made it his mission to give back to others and be an inspiration to all. Today, he is doing just that.

Although Randy himself is more than enough incentive to visit this spectacle, his creations are mesmerizing. Everywhere you turn, you find a new cluster of details that bundle together, giving profound visual and spiritual experiences. From the flowers painted on the purple trellis, to the rainbow of metal lawn chairs lining the next-door fire escape, you are bound to find at least one part of Randyland that will resonate with you.

The magical courtyard is open “almost everyday,” as the website shares. It is free to visit, but donations are appreciated to help with maintenance. The gallery is easily accessible by bike, car, and public transportation, and is not hard to miss on the corner of Arch and Jacksonia Streets. Pittsburgh’s rich history and culture make hidden gems like Randyland inevitable to exist, but this one will surely leave its mark.