Carnegie Science Center
 | |
  Location of Carnegie Science Center in Pennsylvania | |
| Established | October 5, 1991 |
|---|---|
| Location | One Allegheny Ave. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 40°26′44″N 80°01′05″W / 40.445614°N 80.018181°W |
| Type | Science museum, Technology museum |
| Visitors | 500,000 (2017)[1] |
| Director | Jason Brown |
| Nearest parking | On site (paid) and street |
| Website | carnegiesciencecenter |
The Carnegie Science Center is one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Chateau[2] neighborhood. It is located across the street from Heinz Field.
Overview
The Carnegie Science Center is the most visited museum in Pittsburgh. It has four floors of interactive exhibits. Among its attractions are the Buhl Planetarium (which features the latest in digital projection technology), the Rangos Giant Theater (promoted as "the biggest screen in Pittsburgh"), SportsWorks, the Miniature Railroad & Village, the USS Requin (a World War II submarine) and Roboworld, touted as "the world's largest permanent robotics exhibition." The Roboworld exhibition contains more than 30 interactive displays featuring "all things robotic", and is also the first physical home for Carnegie Mellon University’s Robot Hall of Fame. It is closed on Sundays when there is a Steelers home game.
Updates
According to Nicholas Efran, "The Carnegie Science Center has been a gathering place for kids and families for many years." However, currently there are many new exhibits that staff are "Not able to include because of the smaller size of the building"[3] In June 2018, the museum's new wing opened, allowing the museum to host new and larger exhibits.
In August 2021, the Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment extended the Center's use of its 450-space parking lot until 2026, at which point it will need to significantly reduce the space number to 75 spaces to conform to zoning regulations.[4]
In October 2021, the Center received funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Communities for Immunity initiative because of its support of vaccine confidence in the Pittsburgh community. It used the $10,000 award to contribute to its COVID-19 vaccination awareness programs.[5]
History
Its predecessor was the Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, which opened on October 24, 1939. The Buhl Planetarium was the fifth major planetarium in the United States, and was popular for several decades. However, by the 1980s it had begun to show signs of age. An expansion was ruled out, so the institute was relocated to the Chateau neighborhood. However, it became apparent to the Buhl Institute that the relocation efforts would require more staffing than they were able to provide. At this point, the Carnegie Institute (under the leadership of Robert Wilburn) stepped in, showing interest in merging with the Buhl Institute. Both parties agreed to the merger in 1987. On October 5, 1989, construction began on the $40 million building, designed by local architect Tasso Katselas, which was renamed the Carnegie Science Center as a result of the merger.[6] The Henry Buhl Jr. Planetarium and Observatory was reinvented in this new facility. The Center opened in October 1991.[7]
Roboworld
The Roboworld area is the second-floor attraction at the Carnegie Science Center. It is touted as "the world's largest permanent robotics exhibition", with more than 30 interactive displays featuring "all things robotic".
The first robot encounter in Roboworld is Andy Roid, the Robothespian, an interactive, animatronic robot that introduces visitors to the concepts of robotic sensing, processing and acting. The area's other exhibits showcase different types of robots and videos about them.
The Robot Hall of Fame features famous robots from science fiction films, television, and video games, such as R2-D2, C-3PO, Data, the T-800 Terminator, R.O.B., Maschinenmensch, Gort, Robby the Robot, Robot B-9, HAL 9000, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie from Silent Running.
Highmark SportsWorks
Highmark SportsWorks (formerly UPMC SportsWorks) is one of the major, permanent exhibits of the Carnegie Science Center. It is one of larger science and sports exhibitions in the world, with over 30 interactive experiences in which visitors can participate. SportsWorks features three themed areas: Physics of Sports (exploring the science of balance, trajectory, center of gravity, momentum, etc.), LifeWorks (featuring information for keeping a healthy lifestyle), and Sports Challenge (demonstrating various physical activities present in many sports).
The previous sponsor, UPMC, ended its sponsorship of SportsWorks in 2006. On November 13, 2008, the Carnegie Science Center unveiled plans for a new 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m2) SportsWorks, sponsored by Highmark. It reopened in the Fall of 2009.[8]
From October 8, 2007, until May 2008, SportsWorks housed the controversial exhibit BODIES... The Exhibition. At least one employee of the Carnegie Science Center left her job due to the implementation of this exhibit.[9]
A committee of the Pittsburgh Port Authority recommended in 2007 that the site be purchased and that SportsWorks be demolished to allow for construction of tracks for the North Shore Connector, an extension of Pittsburgh's light rail line to the North Side of Pittsburgh.[10]
E-motion cone
The E-motion cone is a white-colored, inverted cone which sits atop the Science Center building. It was installed in 2000. At night, it is lit with different colors, signalling the weather forecast from WTAE-TV for the coming day.[11][12]
| Red | Warmer |
| Green | No change |
| Blue | Cooler |
| <flashing> | Precipitation |
| Yellow | Severe weather |
See also
- Miniature Railroad & Village
- Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
- List of museums in Pennsylvania
- Seddon Bennington - director of the museum from 1994 until 2002.
External links
References
- ^ Sundaram, Arya (June 11, 2018). "Science just got 'cooler' at Carnegie Science Center's new PPG Pavilion". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
the North Side museum, which welcomed 500,000 visitors last year
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-07-26. Retrieved 2010-09-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Carnegie Science Center: Home". www.carnegiesciencecenter.org. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
- ^ "Carnegie Science Center can keep 450-space parking lot until April 2026, zoning board rules". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
- ^ "Carnegie Science Center receives funds to support vaccine confidence". Observer-Reporter. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
- ^ Roy Lubove (August 1995). Twentieth-century Pittsburgh: The post-steel era. p. 188. ISBN 9780822971672. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ "Our History". Carnegie Science Center. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ^ "Carnegie Science Center". Carnegiesciencecenter.org. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ^ "Sunday Forum: Exhibition of exploitation | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Post-gazette.com. 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ^ Silver, Jonathan D. (2007-09-21). "Port Authority plans to buy, demolish SportsWorks | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Postgazette.com. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ^ "E-Motion Cone". Carnegie Science Center. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Art Places". Pittsburgh Art Places. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
