Entry No. 16 — the Pittsburgh file — filed under: outdoor
The Carrie Deer
A magnificent 40-foot-tall deer head sculpture built covertly in 1997 by a group of guerrilla artists who snuck onto the abandoned industrial site and constructed it using salvaged metal pipes, tubing, and wire.
The story
In 1997, long before tour buses or official site preservation, the abandoned Carrie Blast Furnaces along the Monongahela River were off-limits—a decaying steel complex surrounded by chain-link and silence. Under cover of night, a crew of guerrilla artists led by local sculptor Tim Kaulen snuck onto the site. They didn't come to spray-paint tags on the brickwork. Instead, they spent months secretly welding and weaving a 40-foot-tall deer head wedged directly between Blast Furnaces 6 and 7.
The entire sculpture was fashioned out of whatever industrial trash was lying around the overgrown plant floor: salvaged metal conduit pipes, wire, tubing, and discarded iron scraps. For years, the towering stag existed as an open secret known only to trespassers, urban explorers, and the artists themselves.
When Rivers of Steel assumed stewardship of the property to preserve the historic iron works, they didn't scrap the illegal artwork—they embraced it. In 2014, community fundraising efforts were launched to reinforce and stabilize the aging armature, cementing the sculpture as a permanent symbol of how creative renegades and natural wilderness reclaim industrial ruins.
What it's like
To see the deer legally today, you can't just scale a fence at dusk—you need to reserve a spot on an Arts & Grounds tour through Rivers of Steel. You'll walk the unpaved path between the colossal, rusting furnace towers until the wire-and-pipe stag comes into view. The area around its base has been left to wild volunteer flora known as the 'Iron Garden,' where plants like Queen Anne's lace grow straight out of the slag. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes, expect plenty of dust or mud depending on the weather, and bring a camera—photos don't quite prepare you for how massive the sculpture is in person.
The move: Book an Arts & Grounds tour of the Carrie Blast Furnaces to see this massive piece of industrial salvage art up close, then wander through the wild, post-industrial 'Iron Garden' together.
- 📍 Swissvale / Rankin
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 801 Carrie Furnace Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15218
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Rivers of Steel (Carrie Blast Furnaces) — Since the deer stands on the furnace grounds, booking an official Rivers of Steel tour is your direct key past the gates.
- Trundle Manor — Located less than a mile away in Swissvale, this weird private house full of taxidermy and dark curio art keeps the offbeat neighborhood excursion going.
- Center for PostNatural History — Pair a massive piece of salvage art inspired by wildlife with a Garfield storefront museum dedicated to real organisms modified by human hands.
Good to know
Can I visit the Carrie Deer on my own whenever I want?
No. The deer sits inside the fenced, protected Carrie Blast Furnaces site. Access is strictly by booking an official guided tour with Rivers of Steel.
What materials were used to construct the Carrie Deer?
It was made entirely from salvaged materials scavenged on-site in 1997, including metal piping, conduit, structural wire, and iron scrap left behind after the steel mill closed.
Who created the sculpture?
It was built covertly by a collective of guerrilla artists, with local sculptor Tim Kaulen playing a primary role in its creation.
Where exactly is the sculpture located on the property?
The 40-foot deer head is situated between Blast Furnaces 6 and 7 inside the historic mill grounds in Swissvale/Rankin.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: riversofsteel.com · nps.gov · post-gazette.com · pghcitypaper.com · pittsburghearthday.org
last checked: 2026-07-21