Location: Mansions on Fifth on Fifth Avenue in Shadyside

Featured guests: Marissa Musico, director of event sales at Mansions on Fifth

3 things that surprised me:

1. Marissa explained that this impressive mansion was built for Willis McCook, who was legal counsel to Henry Clay Frick, in the early 1900s. Willis and his wife Mary, had 10 children, and they built a grand structure that included a billiards room, lounges for both the men and women and even a personal chapel where they attended Mass every weekend. Before construction was finished, their daughter Bessie got engaged. They built an additional, slightly-more-modest house on the property as her wedding gift.

2. By the 1930s it was becoming difficult for the McCook Family to maintain the large estate. The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department eventually seized the property because of back taxes owed. In 1949 the Bonavita family bought the house at a sheriff’s sale for $28,000. To offset the maintenance costs, they rented a few of the rooms to Carnegie Institute of Technology students. Marissa heard rumors that these renters included Andy Warhol, Albert Brooks and Shirley Jones.

3. The original stone foundation is still visible in the basement. Though Marissa says she has heard rumors of secret underground tunnels, she hasn’t been able to find any. She did show us the mansion’s original wine cellar, still well-stocked. The men’s smoking lounge has been painted in brighter hues — it now serves as a space where brides can prepare for on-site weddings.

One thing that didn’t make the final cut: In 2004 a fire broke out on the upper floors and caused serious damage. Those upper floors had to be rebuilt, but one piece of furniture survived: a unique triangular closet. Once restored, the building opened as a hotel and event space in January of 2010.

Additional info: You can learn more about Mansions on Fifth or book a night in one of their rooms at their website.

Want more Yinzer Backstage Pass? Check out our visit to CMU’s Entertainment Technology Center where video games and theme park rides are born.