Heinz History Center Set to Reopen on July 1
In accordance with new guidelines set by state and local officials, the Senator John Heinz History Center and its family of museums – including the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, Fort Pitt Museum, and Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village – will reopen to the public beginning on Wednesday, July 1.
All History Center museums will begin operating at 50% capacity and will eventually accommodate a larger percentage of visitors once permitted. All sites will implement new social distancing policies for its visitors and staff while taking extensive measures to ensure all spaces are safe and sanitary, including the frequent and thorough cleaning of high-touch areas and the addition of hand sanitizing stations throughout the museums.
“We are eager to reopen the Smithsonian’s home in Pittsburgh and our family of museums, and we’ll do so with the health and safety of our visitors and staff as our top priority,” said Andy Masich, president and CEO of the Heinz History Center. “Throughout our museum closure, our staff has worked hard to preserve our region’s history, develop new virtual content and programming, and prepare us for this moment. As we reopen our doors, we’re excited for visitors to experience our museums, explore our exhibitions, and draw inspiration from the past.”
More details on advanced ticketing, timed-entry policies, and new procedures will be announced later this month. Please visit www.heinzhistorycenter.org for the most up-to-date information.
History Center to Debut New Exhibit: Smithsonian’s Portraits of Pittsburgh
When the History Center opens its doors on July 1, the museum will debut its powerful new exhibition, Smithsonian’s Portraits of Pittsburgh: Works from the National Portrait Gallery.
The exhibition will feature original paintings, sketches, prints, and photographs that showcase more than 100 Americans with Western Pennsylvania connections.
It is one of the largest loans of artwork ever shared by the prestigious National Portrait Gallery, which is the only museum in the U.S. dedicated solely to portraiture.
It features musicians, actors, and entertainers such as Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Martha Graham, and Mary Lou Williams; trailblazing journalists and innovators such as Jane Grey Swisshelm, George Westinghouse, Jonas Salk, and Gertrude Stein; and world-class athletes like Josh Gibson, Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, and Roberto Clemente.
The Smithsonian’s Portraits of Pittsburgh exhibition will also feature select paintings and artifacts from the History Center’s collection, including Gene Kelly’s plaid wool suit from the iconic film “Singin’ in the Rain” and the dagger used in the failed assassination attempt on Henry Clay Frick.
The exhibit is sponsored by The Heinz Endowments, Richard King Mellon Foundation, and supported by the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD). Funding for this project was provided by the Quentin and Evelyn T. Cunningham Fund and the W. Paul Spencer Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation.
For more information and images from this new exhibition, please visit www.heinzhistorycenter.org/portraits.