Croghan-Schenley Ballroom

Hidden within the University of Pittsburgh’s renowned Cathedral of Learning is a room that is unknown to most. Although most people who visit The Cathedral of Learning come to see the Nationality Rooms, there is another treasure tucked away. The “Picnic House,” as it came to be called, was built in 1835 in a neighborhood which is now called Stanton Heights. William Croghan Jr., father of Mary Croghan Schenley, called this his home. 

Unfortunately, the mansion was demolished in 1945 to make room for a housing project. The University of Pittsburgh’s chancellor at the time, John Bowman, was given an offer he could not resist: the Ballroom and oval room of the 19th century mansion would be excavated and restored in chancellor Bowman’s very own pride and joy, the Cathedral of Learning. Upon request, visitors can stand in the very room that once belonged to the Pittsburgh famous Schenley family. Inside the room, one can find a beautiful chandelier, a dinner table, and portraits of both William Croghan and Mary Schenley, formerly Mary Croghan. There is also a fireplace within the Ballroom that is said to have led to a secret tunnel at one point in time. Rumors have been circulating that the ghost of Mary Schenley haunts the room. The state of the room has been preserved to appear as it did 180 years ago. If you do decide to visit the room, make sure to familiarize yourself with the Mary Schenley scandal and why her story is so intriguing and mysterious. Knowing the history behind “Picnic House” makes the whole experience that much more surreal.