Experience the Murals

Learn about our in-person tours, as well as off-site programs and virtual tour options.

Tour & Program Options

Meet Maxo Vanka: The Public Tour

Immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring murals of Croatian artist Maxo Vanka on a guided tour at the historic St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church in Millvale. Discover how these striking works were painted by Vanka in 1937 and 1941 to reflect the culture and lives of the working-class immigrant congregation.

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These Walls Can Talk: The Immigration Tour

Take a deeper dive into the history and stories of St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church’s congregation, why people immigrated to Pittsburgh, and how immigrants built their lives in America while maintaining cultural connections. Rich with detail, including oral histories and archival photos, this 75-minute one-of-a-kind experience interprets a selection of Maxo Vanka’s murals in the context of world events and the cherished recollections of parishioners.

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Private Tours

Customize your experience by planning a private tour. Are you interested in history, art, social justice, or better understanding of the rise and role of Pittsburgh and its people in American history? Share your interests and we will create a unique experience for your class, club, congregation, family, or company. An outing to the murals provides opportunities for art lovers and history enthusiasts alike.

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Guests sit in the pews and in the foreground in a church decorated for Christmas.

Holiday Lights Tours

Holiday celebrations continue with the one-and-only Vanka Murals at the historic St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church in Millvale.

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Holiday Family Program

A 60-minute multi-generational interactive tour designed to engage our youngest visitors amidst the lights and festive decorations.

Learn more about our Holiday Family Program →

Events and Activities

Great times. Greater cause. Join us to save Maxo Vanka

Learn more about our Events→

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Tour FAQs and directions

The answers to general questions, directions, and parking instructions.

A page dedicated to these answers and more →

Events & Activities

Great times. Greater cause. Join us to save Maxo Vanka.

Check out the latest Events & Activities →

The Murals Experience reviews

star rating  I just finished a docent led tour of St Nicholas Croation Catholic Church in Pittsburgh with its astonishing murals by Maxo Vanka, a 20th century modernist, pacifist, and social critic. They evoke Eastern European church fresco painting and Diego Rivera, but are unique for their interweaving of religious iconography, folk motifs, and very strong social commentary with beautiful painting. Spectacular and a not-to-miss stop in the city.

athomas98
December 29, 2016

star rating  Check the website link for hours. Usually have tours on Saturday from 10 to 2 on the hour. They have just installed new lighting and are half way through a 10 year restoration. A lot of emotion as this tells as the murals tell both a Christian and Croatian story. Afterwards, check out one of the 3 breweries in Millvale.

Trainhopper
November 18, 2017

star rating  The only murals of which I am aware that come anywhere close to Maxo
Vanka's in terms of artistic brilliance and emotional intensity are those of
Diego Rivera. They are truly one of Pittsburgh's neglected masterpieces.

Joseph W
May 30, 2013
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