Basic Information for Mattress Factory
Address: 500 Sampsonia Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Hours: Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 11AM - 8PM
Thursday - Sunday 11AM - 6PM
Website: mattress.org
Admission:
Free for Members, Children Under 6, University Partners*
Adults $20
Seniors $15
Students $15
Veterans and Active Duty Military $10
Visitors w/ Limited Mobility $10
Northside Residents** $10
Transportation: Bus, car (parking available)
Access: Elevator, some exhibits might have limited accessibility
About the The Mattress Factory
The Mattress Factory sits down a back alley in the middle of the Mexican War Streets of Pittsburgh’s North Side. Much like it’s surrounding neighborhood, rich with culture and a diverse population of Eastern European immigrants to artists of all types, the Mattress Factory offers unique and unexpected experiences at every turn. The Mattress Factory blends into its surrounding neighborhood by spreading the exhibits across multiple nearby buildings. All of these buildings have been a part of the neighborhood for at least 100 years and have a varied history with everything from a private residence to a convenience store and of course, a mattress factory.
Established in 1977, the Mattress Factory boasts a combination of permanent installations as well as temporary exhibits created by artists from all over the world. This eccentric museum is filled with art that involves the observer in an experience like no other, giving the visitor a broad and immersive sensory experience with exhibits that sometimes fill an entire room or building. This encouragingly interactive museum allows its visitors to play a role in the artwork, reflecting and welcoming us into the lives and minds of the artists.
One of the most popular permanent exhibits is by Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese artist whose exhibits have been on display there since 1996. Kusama’s work features rooms covered in mirrors and polka dots meant to portray the vastness of space and invoke a feeling of eternity; these rooms also prove to be a great opportunity for photographs to commemorate your visit to the Mattress Factory. Much like Kusama’s installations, many of the other installations are made to play on your senses with everything from multi-colored lights to optical illusions.
While moving from building to building you will also get to experience the charms of the surrounding neighborhood, everything from the Germanic architecture to the houses artfully painted by the City of Asylum, a local project which has turned the neighborhood into a refuge for “endangered literary writers.”
Combined with the range of exhibits in the Mattress Factory, this hidden area offers a wide range of experiences rich with culture and history which you will struggle to find anywhere else in Pittsburgh.
The Historical Tapestry of Pittsburgh: Northside Then vs. Now
Allegheny Center is a neighborhood that covers 36 blocks of Pittsburgh’s Northside. The city’s original plan was created by John Redick, who sought to bring together the community of historic Northside back in 1784 (Allegheny Commons). The Center is now home to Buhl Community Park at Allegheny Square, The Buhl Planetarium, Allegheny Commons Municipal Park, The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, the National Aviary, and New Hazlett Theater (formerly known as the Carnegie Free Library of Pittsburgh). More recently, Allegheny Center has included high-rise apartment buildings and townhouses.
The Rebirth of the North Side
The North Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh is one of contrasts—a conflict between the old and the new, revitalization and rich history, and the past and the future. When exploring the North Side, you are entirely immersed in a flourishing and diverse culture. You can see the influences of different decades, styles, and values in the buildings scattered throughout the neighborhood and the people who live there. However, this cohesiveness of changing times wasn’t always the case.