Batman himself was summoned to Pittsburgh’s Strip District on Monday — but no bat signal went up.
Rather, it was the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame inaugural induction ceremony that drew actor Michael Keaton back to his hometown.
Though he’s best known for his title roles as Batman, Birdman and Beetlejuice, Keaton has appeared in nearly 100 movies and TV series. He was born and raised in Kennedy and Robinson townships and began his career at WQED, where he made his first TV appearance on “Mister Rodgers’ Neighborhood.”
In an outdoor ceremony on Smallman Street filled with pomp, circumstance and jazz tunes, Keaton’s new star was unveiled alongside nine other honorees.
I’m here in the Strip District — where the first 10 stars in the new Pittsburgh Walk of Fame are about to be unveiled on Smallman Street in front of The Terminal.
Actor Michael Keaton is set to receive one and speak. Stay tuned with me for more @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/ipZqNv8Wsv
— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) October 20, 2025
A view of some of the big family names on chairs in the front row @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/kwCVFdpF6X
— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) October 20, 2025
The movie star told the audience in his speech that this was one of the greatest days of his life.
“This is ridiculously nice,” Keaton said of the ceremony. “There’s nothing like being recognized by your hometown.”
Watch actor Michael Keaton make his entrance here at the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame induction ceremony @TribLIVE @MichaelKeaton pic.twitter.com/M7PZy2f1uu
— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) October 20, 2025
To be selected for a star, nominees must have been born in or spent their formative or creative years in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington or Westmoreland counties. Their contributions must have had a national impact.
The first class of 10 honorees included:
George Benson, a famed jazz musician born in the city’s Hill District
Nellie Bly, a pioneering investigative journalist, who was born in Armstrong County
Andrew Carnegie, the industrialist and philanthropist who led the expansion of the steel industry in the late 19th century
Rachel Carson, a conservationist and writer, who was born in Springdale
Roberto Clemente, the Pittsburgh Pirates legend, who also is remembered for his humanitarian efforts
Michael Keaton, the Oscar-nominated actor who has played Batman, Birdman and Beetlejuice
Fred Rogers, who was born and raised in Latrobe and hosted the iconic children’s TV show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”
Jonas Salk, who led the University of Pittsburgh medical research team that developed the polio vaccine
Andy Warhol, who was raised in Oakland and is considered among the most important artists of the 20th century
August Wilson, a Hill District native and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright best known for plays chronicling the experiences of America’s Black community
Each star also includes a commemorative plaque underneath that explains more about the honoree’s life.
Here they are — the first 10 stars in the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame @TribLIVE ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/kAyOWwT0k4
— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) October 20, 2025
Nancy Polinsky Johnson, the project’s founder and executive director, previously told TribLive that more than 250 Western Pennsylvania icons had been nominated in the first round.
Johnson anticipates adding 10 people each year for the next three years before slowing the pace to about three per year.
Founder & Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame Nancy Polinsky Johnson speaks to the crowd @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/RWU6dh48dN
— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) October 20, 2025
There is a Pittsburgh Walk of Fame app available for download. People will be able to point their phone at each star and have more information about that inductee at their fingertips, Johnson explained during the ceremony.
“I don’t think there’s a better place,” Dan Onorato, executive vice president and chief corporate affairs officer at Highmark Health, said of the stars on Smallman Street. Highmark Health was the presenting sponsor of the event.
He encouraged audience members to read the inductees’ bios in the program, as some people might not recognize all of the names. That’s the point, he said — to allow more people to understand the broad history of the Pittsburgh area and all of the people who have made an impact.
“Our history will get lost if we don’t tell it … you can achieve anything growing up here,” Onorato said.
Megan Swift is a TribLive reporter covering trending news in Western Pennsylvania. A Murrysville native, she joined the Trib full time in 2023 after serving as editor-in-chief of The Daily Collegian at Penn State. She previously worked as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the Trib for three summers. She can be reached at mswift@triblive.com.