Check out the recent press release from our partners at the Heinz History Center. Howard Hanna is proud to partner with them to provide free admission to kids under the age of 17 from now until Jan. 8, 2023.
PITTSBURGH – This holiday season, the Smithsonian’s home in Pittsburgh is offering free admission for kids ages 17 and under now through Jan. 8, 2023, at the Senator John Heinz History Center, Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, and Fort Pitt Museum. Kids free admission is generously supported by community partners Howard Hanna Real Estate Services and UPMC.
“We remain proud to support the Heinz History Center and Pittsburgh community,” said Howard W. “Hoddy” Hanna III, chairman of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services and chair of the History Center’s board of trustees. “The History Center is a cultural gem of the region, and it is our hope that families are able to enjoy time together during a visit this holiday season.”
Santa at the History Center
On select dates this holiday season, visitors can take a photo with Santa in an exact replica of the chair from Kaufmann’s Santaland.
Old Saint Nick will appear from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25; Saturday, Nov. 26; Saturday, Dec. 10; and Saturday, Dec. 17. On Christmas Eve (Saturday, Dec. 24), Santa will appear from 10 a.m. to noon. Santa visits, included with regular museum admission, are supported by Howard Hanna Real Estate Services.
Special Installation Explores Pittsburgh Holiday Traditions
Beginning this Saturday, Nov. 19, the History Center will showcase artifacts and images throughout its first-floor Great Hall that will explore how Western Pennsylvanians have celebrated major winter holidays, including Christmas, Chanukah, Diwali and Kwanzaa, through the years. Visitors can also explore memorable objects from Kaufmann’s Santaland, including Santa’s original chair and giant Mr. and Mrs. Claus ornaments, and see the mailbox where thousands of Pittsburgh children mailed their Christmas wish lists to the North Pole. The installation is on view through Jan. 8.
Sports Museum to Showcase New Franco Harris Artifacts
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum has added rare artifacts and historic images to its Super Steelers exhibition that examine the life and career of Franco Harris.
The new installation includes the football from the Immaculate Reception, Franco’s “Italian Army” football helmet, and his Pro Football Hall of Fame jacket; along with other iconic objects that are displayed year-round at the Sports Museum like the cleats and field turf from the play. The football is on view through Dec. 24.
Holiday Shopping for Uniquely Pittsburgh Gifts
The Heinz History Center Museum Shop is a one-stop shop for uniquely Pittsburgh gifts. From Heinz ketchup pajamas to a new Franco’s Italian Army sweatshirt, the Museum Shop 2022 Holiday Gift Guide offers one-of-a-kind gifts for Pittsburgh fans.
Shoppers can visit shop.heinzhistorycenter.org or the museum at 1212 Smallman Street daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. No museum admission is required to visit the Museum Shop.
Purchases directly support the museum’s exhibitions and educational programs.
Last Chance to See Pittsburgh’s John Kane Exhibition
Time is running out to see the History Center’s new exhibition, Pittsburgh’s John Kane: The Life & Art of an American Workman, open now through Jan. 8. The exhibit features 37 works of art from America’s most prestigious museums, such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Carnegie Museum of Art, American Folk Art Museum and others.
The exhibition is made possible thanks to The Heinz Endowments, Hillman Family Foundation and Richard King Mellon Foundation.
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 family of museums 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 heinzhistorycenter.org.
