Two iconic Pittsburgh greeters went missing Friday.
For the first time in more than 10 years, travelers arriving at Pittsburgh International Airport did not get a glimpse of statues of Steelers legend Franco Harris and founding father George Washington.
We miss them already. *sigh* pic.twitter.com/fBzuuzKMHe
— Pittsburgh International Airport (@PITairport) March 15, 2019
Curators and conservators from the Senator John Heinz History Center removed the displays Friday morning for cleaning and refurbishing. The History Center will work with LifeFormations in Bowling Green, Ohio, to strengthen the figures’ arms and hands as well as repaint their facial features.
“Our passengers love George and Franco,” Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis said in a news release. “We love having them here as unofficial ambassadors of the region. We look forward to having them rejoin us here soon.”
The statues will be reinstalled at the airport this summer, where the iconic statues will remain for the foreseeable future.
The statue removal comes as the airport prepares for its own $1.1 billion makeover.
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