The Carnegie Museum of Natural History will take you on a journey through time, around the world and deep underground, as you explore our planet and its inhabitants.
The museum has a host of different galleries where you can discover nature and the history of the Earth through interactive displays. There are more than 22 million specimens in the museum’s collection, with around 10,000 on display at a time.
Pittsburgh is famous for its dinosaur fossils, and scientists at the Carnegie Museum made headlines when they unearthed the skeleton of Diplodocus carnegii in 1899. Head to the Dinosaurs in Their Time gallery to come face to face with Tyrannosaurus Rex and learn how to dig for bones in a hands-on exhibit.
Head deep underground to a sparkling mineral cave in the Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems. Here you can learn about how these intricate structures are formed, mined and then shaped into the beautiful jewellery on display. There is a special focus on local geology and mineral production. For more information on how the Earth has moved and is still moving beneath our feet, and what impact this has on our natural environment, a visit to the Benedum Hall of Geology is in order.
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History also looks at living creatures and peoples. The Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians provides a unique insight into the indigenous people of this land and how they interacted with and relied on the natural world around them to survive. Interactive displays tell their story.
Animals in all shapes and sizes are on display. Visit the Hall of North American Wildlife and meet buffalo and eagles, or see the gorillas in the Hall of African Wildlife.
The museum has its own field research station, located 90 kilometres south of Pittsburgh. Powdermill Nature Reserve is free to access and includes information about the conservation efforts in place here in indoor and outdoor exhibits.
The Carnegie Natural History Museum is located in Oakland, east of central. The museum is closed on Mondays and stays open late on Thursdays. Visit the website for opening times and for a list of public holiday closures. Buying a ticket to the Carnegie Natural History Museum will also give you entry to the neighbouring Carnegie Museum of Art.
