It’s a beautiful day on Mister Rogers’ Pa. trail
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the classic PBS children’s television show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” hosted by the late Fred Rogers. A new documentary, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” has helped rekindle interest in his legacy.
Those who grew up watching the show, which aired from 1968 to 2001, and fans of the new film, may want to visit Pennsylvania’s Fred Rogers Trail.
The trail, promoted by VisitPA.com, comes with an invitation to “lace up your tennis shoes” and “zip up your cardigan,” just as Mister Rogers did in the introduction to every episode. The three-day itinerary ranges from Pittsburgh, where the show was produced, to Rogers’ hometown of Latrobe, about 40 miles away.
In Pittsburgh, the Senator John Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St., hosts a permanent display called “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” that includes the entryway and living room set that Rogers walked through at the start of each episode.
At the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, at 10 Children’s Way, original puppets from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” are on display along with Rogers’ sweater and sneakers.
A bronze statue of Rogers at a waterfront memorial on the Ohio River, on Pittsburgh’s North Shore Drive, depicts him tying his sneakers. The building housing WQED studios, where the show was filmed at 4802 Fifth Ave., is a popular selfie spot.
Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, the Idlewild & SoakZone amusement park in Ligonier is home to Daniel Tigers’ Neighborhood, a ride based on the trolley that was a beloved feature of the show. Stops include a sculpture of Rogers at 200 Main St., as well as the house where he was born and the cemetery where he’s buried.