Randyland

Randyland is fun, creative and eclectic. It’s a one-​man art installation piece that expresses a joy for life, peace and celebration. There are some cool chairs to sit on as you reflect on the murals, painting and sculpture. Best of all, you are lucky if you meet the resident artist, Randy, who is very welcoming and enthusiastic. By the way, Randyland is a short distance from Olde Allegheny Community Garden (which Randy helped found).

Unique!
Just For Fun!
Whimsical!
Amazing!
Hang out!
Enjoy!

What a fun place! There are no blank spaces anywhere. It’s a creative explosion everywhere you look. Every time you look at something you find more and more things to look at. It is a place that is bound to make you smile. I love that there are chairs that you can sit in and just take in all that there is to look at. The flowers and plants are all lush and colorful. I don’t know what sparked the idea of Randyland but it’s definitely outside the box thinking. Don’t forget to make a donation to keep Randyland going.

The was incredible and unique and thoughtful and if you’re a free spirit… Go!

This is probably one of the greatest places on Earth. Great for relaxing and hanging with friends. Also great for kids, especially the sand pile.

Here’s a typical day at Randyland.
It’s 7:00 AM and the sun is beginning to sneer triumphantly between the three story buildings of the North Side. Until it sees Randyland. Suddenly it’s not the brightest thing around anymore.
Then Randy wakes up screaming. But not from a nightmare. Simply because that is the only tone of voice he knows how to speak in. And he’s awake so of course he’s already talking. A paintbrush in one hand and a cigarette (or something) in the other, he roars outside and madly begins to splatter paint all over his brand new Hanes T-​shirt, because if he wasn’t covered in paint, who would know that he was the artist. He settles down and adds some more color and art to the already impossibly colorful art project. By the appearance of Randy himself, you might not think he could be very detailed, but the appearance of Randyland gives you an entirely different impression.
By then people are already starting to show up. If they’re new here, they walk through the gate and stop and gaze around with a complete Times Square effect. How can there be so much beautiful color and detail in one place? Around noon, KNS Tha Engineer stops by for a music video shoot. That actually happened. Look it up.
Next we make our fateful attempt at Randyland. We walk in and sit on some brilliant chairs to relax and look at the sights. Randy isn’t in right then so we’re greeted by one eye and half a mouth of Josh, his assistant. Looking for an escape from his past, Josh walked in here one day and was saved by Randy. The artist in him is revealed as he adds more detail to Randyland.
Then Randy appears. You could hear him from several blocks away it seemed. Immediately he spies the cowboy/​Pharrell Williams type hat of our Italian cowboy friend. «Oh! That is the most awesome hat I have ever seen in Randyland!!!» He continued to scream about it for nearly five minutes straight. The guy tried to hide behind some bushes but it was useless. His hat was still sticking up in plain view. Then he left. He ran away from Randy. He simply couldn’t handle the awesomeness. Later he referred to it as Willieworld. «Why?» I asked. «Because it gave you the Willies?» «Yep.» I think deep down he actually liked it pretty good, he was just scared to admit it. After all, somewhere with more color than a gay preschooler’s paint palette is far too childish for a 78 year old cowboy, right? Wrong.
There were some kids from Brooklyn there inviting Randy to their show that night. «Hey! We should do a 2-​second video about it!» Five minutes later they had a video about it. Two hundred or so people go through there a day. «Beautiful women. We get lots of beautiful women from all over the world in here,» says one of Randy’s shirtless henchmen. I’ll take his word for it. And then when it’s time to leave Randy says, «Are hugs ok?» Sure, who wouldn’t want to get a hug from from a guy as amazing as Randy?
Another day, another dollar. (No no it’s free, donations only.) Another day in the the most colorful artful part of Pittsburgh.

Lived in Pittsburgh my whole life and had never heard of Randyland. Cool place to check out, it’s free though he accepts donations, don’t be that person.
Will be back.

Extremely exotic fake rats crooked colorful spindle shrubs paint splatters chairs statues lions frogs birds Randy! Painted bricks and real bricks, painted windows and real windows, this place just doesn’t end. The more you look the more you see! Does this «paint» a picture in your mind?
No?
Ok, Imagine yourself in a small courtyard with large old apartment buildings all around… Brilliant shades of every color imaginable are bouncing off your eyes. You look around and try to make sense of everything, is that small frog in the corner supposed to be part of the decorations? What about that army of concrete rats over there? And why are those colorful chairs hanging all over that fire escape? Were these shrubs and flowers that are haphazardly growing everywhere here before all this other organized clutter? Why those crooked and unevenly spaced spindles on that fence? The list could go on and on… What inspires this man?
Lets take a look inside. We peer in an open doorway and glimpse a smallish man hunched over a table far back in the dim and cluttered interior. He hollers at us «If you come round to this other door you can come inside». We hurry excitedly over to the dusky entrance and glance in. There’s Randy himself, hunched over one of his slate paintings. He hurrys to meet us and fist bumps us because he has paint all over his fingers, then he unleashes a barrage on our unsuspecting ears. Whoa! Is this like a new age Willy Wonka or something? This guy is sphyced! He loves to talk and is very excited about his life and what he’s doing, giving his time for the community and whatever all he does… He tells us a little of his life history how he grew up in the country and came to the city, noticing all the filth and decay and how he’s helping to give back to the city through his art and many parks and gardens.
Anyways, this place is definetly worth your time! And may you have the wonderful opportunity to speak with Randy for that truly completes the experience:)
NICE!

My sister and I had been wanting to check out this place since we first saw some of the #steelcitygrammers posting photos of it on Instagram. And now that we’ve been, I can say it really is perfect for Instagrammers and photographers. We had a blast looking at the space and snapping photos.
Randy wasn’t there and it sort of felt weird to just be in someone’s backyard but that didn’t stop it from being awesome! We left a donation and will definitely be back again this summer as the plants fill in and hopefully it’s not raining!
Thanks to Randy for being such a cool part of Pittsburgh!

We were in Pittsburgh less than 2 days and this was on my list of places to visit. First of all it was very close to the National Aviary which was our first stop. I gather that this is Randys home and he’s turned it into a work or art. The place is wildly colorful and quirky. great place to play with my camera or as a back drop for photos. I love that there is no fee. donations only and we did leave one. I think we spent around 30 minutes looking around. I enjoyed it and wish the weather had been better. It was a bit cold and rainy. Randy sometimes comes out and greats visitors. no one came out when we were there but I rather preferred to take it all in without having to make awkward polite conversation. My husband thought it was a bizarre hot mess but I liked it a lot.

Randy Land is honestly such an artsy and cute place to have an adventurous and eventful day! The different elements and art that surrounds the place are a beautiful sight to see.

Definitely a place to add to your bucket list! This place is brightly colored, and there are just so many unusual things to see. Also, a great spot for photo opportunities. I found street parking easily when I went on a Saturday.

It’s a must see! 5 min or so for downtown Pittsburg. Great place for unique photos. It’s a garden of art. I had the honor if meeting the talented artist. Very cool guy, full of positive energy. It’s a great place to bring family and friends. This place will having u walking out appreciating the simple beauty that life has to offer! Best part, it’s Free! But please donate, it’s the only way he can keep painting for us!

Talk about friendship! I asked my buddy to give me a tour of the city after our sushi dinner because quite frankly we didn’t feel like being typical and hanging out at a bar to get drunk. Unfortunately, Randyland was closed but it was still a sight to behold, I look forward to seeing this place in the future when it’s open and warm out!

A must see! Fun, quirky, colorful & just plain interesting! I highly recommend going & seeing for yourself… skip The Mattress Factory & head to this colorful spot in the city.
We met the artist. A happy talkative man. Very welcoming. Easy going & eager to answer questions. I am happy to have met him.

My first time at Randyland was a complete accident. I was visiting the Mattress Factory Museum with my sister and on the way I noticed a large yellow building with a mural painted on the side (Randy’s home). After visiting the museum, my sister was in a rush to go home but after a little arguing I convinced her that we needed to explore this colorful mystery house.
As we walked up to Randyland, there was Randy talking to two standoffish North Side punks about their band and how he shares a birthday with Mozart and that he thinks music is one of the most special things there is. Even these «too cool» guys couldn’t help but smile. I have since been to Randyland several times and never fail to be enlightened and inspired upon leaving. Randyland itself is really just Randy’s backyard, full of beautiful little pieces of art. The garden is set up in a way that every person who visits is able to see a unique beauty in what is there. It’s hard to explain what it looks like because there is so much going on and it is always changing (as well as always free and always open!)
The best times are when Randy himself is there to talk to. Aside from being a brilliant artist, he is such a kind, happy, creative soul and he cannot help but radiate this and pass it along to everyone he speaks with. In fact, his business card is actually called a «Happy Card.» The time I spoke to Randy with my sister he said to us, «I want to be like Andrew Carnegie was to the community, but instead of books I want to share dreams and ideas.» This review might be more about Randy himself than Radyland but to me they are one in the same – each one would not exist without the other. Randyland is definitely worth paying a visit next time you are in the North Side or are feeling a little down on life! You certainly won’t be disappointed.

another day in paradise
!

Owney’s Bottomline: Make a trip, enjoy one man’s artistic vision and if you are inclined, make a donation to support community arts!
Pretty much Randyland is some guy’s backyard where he pieces together his artistic visions to create a visually stunning cacophony of wild imagination and color. But to be clear, it is some guys backyard, so don’t get angry when you get there and you think «This is some dude’s backyard!»
I had seen this place on TV years ago and when we passed by it I was like we absolutely have to go. As we got out of the car Randy himself greeted us and talked to us at length about our visit to Pittsburgh, his artistic vision and the origins of Randyland.
Randy is a pretty long winded guy and by his own admission can talk your ear off. Normally I’m annoyed by people who talk to much, but his positive outlook on life and enthusiasm for art was infectious. Still, he even says if he is talking too much let him know.
I give this place 5-​stars because its free, unique and I consider it a special treat to be invited to someone’s home, talk to them about how they live and have them share their passion with me. Randyland fits that bill.
There is ZERO pressure to donate, but we dropped some cash. We had wasted money on the garbage food at Primanti Brothers, we could donate a little to help the local community make art.

Randyland is quite possibly one of the most unique places to visit in Pittsburgh. I say this not yet having been to the taxidermy museum in Swissvale (
), but am confident each place fills its own niche within the city.
I am not sure how often he opens Randyland to the public, but one fortuitous Sunday we were driving by to share the exterior of this place with a friend and were delighted to see that it was open. When you walk into Randyland you may be initially overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff that surrounds you, but as you take it all in will start to notice that, strangely, it all just fits together. A few minutes after we entered, Randy, the owner who can best be described as a curious combination of Bob Ross/​Willy Wonka/​Bob Dylan, came out to greet us and that is when the fun began. Never have I met an individual who was so genuinely excited to talk to and share something with other people. A self-​proclaimed eccentric, Randy shared with us the history behind the property and spoke passionately about its purpose– a place of self expression where negativity and hate are left at the door– and his hopes for its future. Randy’s goal is to raise enough money to pay off the property and then donate it to a local organization for use as a museum and center for aspiring artists, classes, etc. Randy claims to not be an «artist», but anyone who takes a tour through Randyland would certainly beg to differ.
If you do come to check out Randyland, be prepared to stay for a while. Not only are there a plethora of painted walls, doors, pots, etc. and hundreds of re-​purposed items to look at, but as Randy mentioned an article once noted about him– you ask him a question and are answered with a waterfall. Not only will Randy share his unique perspective on life, but he will also share a wealth of information about the history of Pittsburgh, particularly the North Side.
Words really cannot do justice, so do yourself a favor and head over to the North Side and check it out for yourself. You can also check out this video, although it is a bit dated and missing some of the updated artwork and projects: