PITTSBURGH -- At least 5,000 people from around the country -- and even the world -- converged in Pittsburgh over the weekend to tour perhaps one of the most famous neighborhoods.

Forty years have passed since Fred Rogers started production on his famous show that touched generations of viewers. On Saturday and Sunday, WQED-TV in Pittsburgh hosted free tours of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood of Make Believe.

The neighborhood was covered in plastic for nearly a decade and other parts were put into storage. Everything was brought out and dusted off just for the occasion.

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"The only thing that I regret is that Fred's not here today, but it's nice to be where he once walked," said Linda Nolin, of Mercer.

They lined up out the door to see King Friday XIII's castle, X the Owl and Henrietta Pussycat's tree in person. Mr. McFeely and all of Mr. Rogers' friends were there -- all reminders of more than just the show, but the man and his message to children: "You are special."

The people at WQED know the impact Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood has had on the world. That's why they knew the free tour would be a huge draw.

"This morning, in line, we had people who said they came here from Alaska, Tennessee, Chicago. There were a couple people who said they were here from Korea (and) saw some things on the Web," said Rosemary Martinelli of WQED.

Mr. Rogers died of cancer in 2003.

"When the show was produced here, he was like a father figure to most of the individuals who worked here, and it was kind of a family atmosphere. So, in honor of him, we've been talking about putting the set together for one last time -- so this was the weekend," Martinelli said.

Mr. Rogers' beloved trolley is preserved in Plexiglas at the Fred Rogers Center in Latrobe.

The free public tours were offered on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.

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