Heinz History Center and Fort Pitt Museum to Reopen on Jan. 9

-The museums will continue to operate with extensive health and safety measures in place-

Following a temporary closure to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Senator John Heinz History Center, Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, and Fort Pitt Museum will reopen to the public this Saturday, Jan. 9.

“We are excited to welcome back visitors to the Smithsonian’s home in Pittsburgh,” said Andy Masich, History Center president and CEO. “Our museums will continue to operate with the health and safety of our guests, staff, and volunteers as our top priority.”

To ensure a safe and comfortable experience for its visitors, the History Center will continue to implement extensive health and safety measures:

• Masks are required to be worn at all times inside of each museum.
• We strongly encourage all visitors and staff to practice social distancing (at least six feet apart) at all times.
• Visitor capacity has been capped below the allowed 50% occupancy to ensure social distancing and visitor safety.
• High-touch points (door handles, countertops, elevator buttons, etc.) are cleaned and sanitized hourly.
• The History Center utilizes high efficiency MERV-13 filters that screen out airborne particulates down to 0.3 microns in diameter. Our filter systems, which rival hospital grade systems, capture 99.97% of airborne particulates, well above the level of an N-95 mask and supply an air change rate (ACR) of 8.5 per hour, or approximately once every seven minutes.

Explore the History Center this Winter  

 With six floors of exhibitions and 370,000 square feet of space, the History Center is the perfect place to enjoy a family-friendly cultural experience this winter.

The museum has extended its holiday installation, A Very Merry Pittsburgh, through Jan. 18. Visitors can explore Christmas artifacts from Kaufmann’s and Horne’s department stores and learn how Western Pennsylvanians have celebrated Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, and more as part of this special display in the first-floor Great Hall.

As the Pittsburgh Steelers begin their quest for a seventh Super Bowl championship, fans can relive their favorite championship moments in the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum’sSuper Steelers exhibition, featuring newly added game-worn jerseys and artifacts.

Families can take a nostalgic stroll through “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” design Pop Art and construct bridges in the interactive Discovery Place, and take a selfie in front of a larger-than-life, 11-foot Heinz ketchup bottle in the Heinz exhibit.

Visitors are strongly encouraged to purchase timed tickets in advance. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Please visit www.heinzhistorycenter.org to purchase tickets and for more updates on reopening.

The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and the largest history museum in Pennsylvania, presents American history with a Western Pennsylvania connection. The History Center and Sports Museum are located at 1212 Smallman Street in the city’s Strip District. The History Center’s museum system includes the Sports Museum; the Fort Pitt Museum in historic Point State Park; and Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village, a National Historic Landmark located in Avella, Pa. in Washington County. More information is available at www.heinzhistorycenter.org.  

Following a temporary closure to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the Heinz History Center and Fort Pitt Museum will reopen to the public this Saturday, Jan. 9. Visitors can safely explore the museum’s six floors of exhibitions, including the “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” exhibit.