Published March 27, 2026 · The Pittsburgh Pulse · blog.timsellspittsburgh.com
The 2026 NFL Draft is coming to Pittsburgh from April 23–25. Between 500,000 and 700,000 people are expected to show up — which means the city is about to feel very different for a few weeks on either side of the event itself.
Whether you live here and just want to get to work, or you're coming in from out of town and want to make the most of it, this guide covers what you actually need to know.
What's Happening & Where
The Draft isn't happening in one place — it's split across two sites connected by the Allegheny River.
North Shore — Acrisure Stadium The Draft Theater and main stage sit outside Acrisure Stadium. This is where picks get announced, where the cameras are, where the energy is. The stage footprint is larger than a football field. This is also why nearly 50 mature trees along Art Rooney Avenue had to come down to make room.
Downtown — Point State Park The NFL Draft Experience — the fan festival with interactive exhibits, youth programming, food, and activations — takes over Point State Park. This is the more accessible, family-friendly site. Free to explore. See the full list of attractions on the NFL's site — the Taste of Pittsburgh food lineup alone is worth checking.
Getting between them The Roberto Clemente Bridge closes to car traffic during the Draft so fans can walk between the two sites. The Fort Duquesne Bridge pedestrian path closes for safety. Walk the Clemente. Four Gateway Clipper boats will also shuttle between Station Square, PNC Park, Point State Park, and the Acrisure Stadium quay — check the Gateway Clipper website for schedules closer to the event.
Road Closures: What's Closed & When
Closures roll out in six phases. Phase 1 starts Saturday, March 28.
Phase 1 — March 28 to April 12 Art Rooney Ave, West General Robinson Street (to Tony Dorsett Dr), Scotland Ave.
Phase 2 — April 13 to April 21 Casino Drive, North Shore Drive (to Chuck Noll Way), Reedsdale Street (to Tony Dorsett Dr), Chuck Noll Way, Tony Dorsett Drive — plus Phase 1 closures. Roads reopen for Pirates home games during this phase.
Phase 3 — April 22 to April 25 (Draft weekend) The big one. Sproat Way, North Shore Drive, Mazeroski Way, West General Robinson Street, Lacock Street, Federal Street, I-279 SB Exit 1B ramp, Roberto Clemente Bridge, Andy Warhol Bridge, Sixth Street, portions of Penn Avenue and Liberty Avenue — plus all prior phases.
Phases 4–6 — April 26 to May 10 Staged reopening. Full reopen by May 10.
The bottom line: If you live or work on the North Shore or the Allegheny riverfront side of Downtown, plan your alternate routes now. Don't wait until April 22.
Getting There Without Losing Your Mind
Pittsburgh Regional Transit — the $25 Draft Pass PRT is offering a 7-day unlimited bus and T pass for $25. Goes on sale April 1 through the Ready2Ride app. Full routes, schedules, and service details are on PRT's Draft page. If you're coming from outside the city, this is the move. Expanded service runs April 23–25 including increased light rail to Downtown and the North Shore.
Park-and-Ride routes (Draft weekend) Four dedicated routes:
99N — McCandless Park & Ride (McKnight Rd) → Ross Park & Ride → Downtown via I-279 HOV
99E — Monroeville Mall → every stop on the East Busway
99S — Large Park & Ride (Peters Creek Rd) → every stop on the South Busway
99W — University Blvd Park & Ride → West Busway → Duquesne Incline → Monongahela Incline
Regional transit from Beaver, Butler, Washington, Fayette Counties, and New Castle is also being added.
The inclines Both the Duquesne and Monongahela Inclines are operating. The view of the Golden Triangle from the top of the Duquesne Incline is the one that ends up in everyone's photos — worth taking even if you don't need the transit connection.
Rideshare Designated Uber and Lyft pickup/drop-off zones will be marked near the event footprint. Surge pricing will be real. Budget extra time and extra money if you're ridesharing on Draft weekend.
Biking POGOH electric-assist bikes are available across the city. Trails and bike lanes stay open. If you're comfortable on a bike and coming from the East End or South Side, this is one of the cleaner options.
Parking: The Real Talk
Parking garages near Acrisure — leases suspended starting April 1. If you rely on a monthly lease near the North Shore, you already know. If you don't, now you do.
City-owned lots — still cheaper than private lots, but expect higher rates than normal.
Private operators — already recommending monthly leases to lock in rates before pricing spikes. That window is closing.
Hotels — downtown sold out. Rates above $1,000/night in some spots. If you're visiting and haven't booked, look at the East End neighborhoods — Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Lawrenceville — and plan on transit into the event.
Honest advice: don't drive to the North Shore on Draft weekend. The transit infrastructure was built specifically so you don't have to. Use it.
If You Live Here
The Draft is exciting. It's also a month-long logistical event that affects people who have nothing to do with football.
A few things worth knowing as a Pittsburgh resident:
Pittsburgh Public Schools go remote April 22–24. Students work asynchronously. Buildings have limited access. Plan childcare accordingly if you have kids in PPS.
North Shore workers got a raw deal. People's Gas employees near Acrisure were promised WFH flexibility during the closure period, then had it revoked with less than a week's notice. Roads close and parking garages suspend leases April 1. It's a preview of how the event's infrastructure decisions land on people who actually live with the consequences.
If your commute runs through the North Shore or Downtown riverfront: map your alternate now. Not the week of.
The Roberto Clemente Bridge closes to cars Draft weekend. That affects more than people expect — factor it into anything on either side of the river.
A new cell tower was installed near the event footprint. Signal should hold better than you'd think for a crowd that size.
What to Do Beyond the Draft
Pittsburgh isn't just a backdrop for the event — it's the reason the Draft is worth attending. Here's what to show visitors, and what's worth doing yourself while the city has this kind of energy.
Neighborhoods worth exploring with out-of-town guests:
The Strip District — Butler Street runs from 33rd to 51st and covers restaurants, bars, shops, and galleries. Saturday morning at the Strip is a Pittsburgh ritual: Primanti's, Penn Mac, Wholey's. Get there before 10am before the crowds catch up.
Shadyside — Walnut Street for dinner and shopping. Quiet enough to decompress from North Shore energy.
Squirrel Hill — Murray Avenue for food. The most neighborhood-feeling neighborhood in the city.
Mount Washington — Take the Duquesne Incline up. The view of the Golden Triangle from Grandview Avenue is the one that ends up on everyone's camera roll.
Lawrenceville — Butler Street corridor from 33rd up through Polish Hill. Bars, restaurants, galleries. The neighborhood that surprises people most when they actually walk it.
If you're showing someone Pittsburgh for the first time and they start asking questions about the city beyond the weekend — what it's actually like to live here, what the neighborhoods feel like day to day — this guide is a good place to point them.
Things happening during Draft week (April 23–25):
NFL Draft Experience at Point State Park — free, open to all
Pittsburgh Pirates home games at PNC Park — roads adjust for game days during Phase 2; check the schedule
Carnegie Museums, The Frick Pittsburgh, Phipps Conservatory — all open, all worth it, all reachable by transit
Pittsburgh Cultural District arts programming — the Trust and area museums are building programming around the Draft's national spotlight
Want the full picture on the campus design, official renderings, and what the event footprint actually looks like? Here's a closer look at the full campus layout and what to expect.
Tim's Take
Half a million people are about to see Pittsburgh on national television for three days in April. Some of them are going to see the bridges, the rivers, the skyline — and start wondering what it costs to actually live here. That's not the point of the Draft, but it's a real side effect, and Pittsburgh tends to hold up well under that kind of scrutiny.
If you're one of those people — whether you're visiting for the Draft or you've been watching the city from a distance — here's an honest look at whether Pittsburgh real estate makes sense as an investment. And if you're ready to start looking at what's actually available in Allegheny County, here's where to begin.
If you're already here, you know what they're going to find out.
Tim Pettigrew is a Pittsburgh real estate agent and the writer behind The Pittsburgh Pulse — a weekly newsletter covering the city, the market, and everything worth knowing about living here. Subscribe free →
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blog.timsellspittsburgh.comFor the full visitor picture — hotels, itineraries, things to do across the city — VisitPittsburgh's official Draft guide is the most comprehensive resource out there.
