The largest history museum in Pennsylvania is the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, with 370,000 square feet of exhibit space. It's made up of the historic ice house seen below as well as a sizeable modern addition. I've visited here many, many times over the years and have seen several temporary exhibits, but in this post, we're looking at the first-timer highlights!
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| Here's a video of the amazing neon sign. |
At left, we see a "Ford DeLuxe Sedan with stainless steel body from Brackenridge, Pa., 1936." The "Heinz Hitch" on the right dates from the late 19th century; it was restored in 1978 after being neglected for decades in a Central Pennsylvania shed - it had a tree growing through it. From 1986 to 2006, the wagon was used for promotional purposes by Heinz, appearing in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, among others.
This "combination fire engine" was made by the American LaFrance Fire Company in Elmira, New York in 1919 and was used by the Pittsburgh Fire Department. I once saw a kid sitting in the drivers' seat - pretty sure you're not allowed to do that! ;-) The covered wagon in the background is from c. 1784.
A vehicle that you can climb aboard is this, one of the old trolley cars that used to crisscross the city.
Although John Heinz, the museum's namesake, is famous for being a US Senator, there is a small exhibition about the Heinz Company. It includes some photogenic focal points.
Here's a Wikimedia photo of Heinz's downtown factory. Since the merger with Kraft, ketchup production has moved out of Pittsburgh, but some products are still made in the city.
One of the museum's main attractions is the house set from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, as well as a few pieces from the Neighborhood of Make Believe. I really enjoy coming here often, as there is very rarely a crowd, even on the weekends. When you combine this with the first and last episodes of the show playing on Picture Picture, this exhibit is a favorite.
I'm probably the last generation to have grown up with Mister Rogers, which is too bad. Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood isn't the same.
Although Mister Rogers is a well-known Pittsburgh celebrity, sports and steel are the most popular images of the city. Reflecting this, the History Center includes a two-story "second museum" dedicated to the Steelers, Pirates, Penguins, and everything else under the sun, from bocce to marbles.
Of course, I want the Pirates to be better. This is the uniform Bill Mazeroski was wearing when he hit a walk-off home run against Yankees in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, clinching a Pirates victory.
Back on the ground floor, this view is looking straight up through the central atrium that runs through all seven of the History Center's floors.
This exhibit traces Pittsburgh history from the French and Indian War through to the present.
Like the rest of the museum, A Tradition of Innovation is a well designed space.
There are many interesting artifacts here, but let's focus on some pop culture subjects. George Washington Ferris, the designer of the first Ferris wheel, lived in Pittsburgh.
Check out the measuring stick behind Andrew Carnegie!
Behind the house facade a couple of pictures above is a reproduction of a mid-century living room and kitchen.
There's also a focus on Westinghouse, including a reproduction of Elektro, the famous mechanical man of the 1939-40 World's Fair. I want to see the original in Mansfield, Ohio someday.
To me, the Heinz History Center is definitely the best museum in Pittsburgh! Don't miss it if you visit the city.
7 comments:
I had never heard of this museum. They have quite an eclectic collection! I see they also have a reproduction of Elektro's dog (Sparko?). Do you know how old those reproductions are, and whether or not they are functional?
That fire engine reminds me of the one at Disneyland. That makes sense, though. I'm sure Disneyland's Main Street Fire Engine was inspired by a real vehicle.
I didn't know that Heinz and Kraft merged. Did one of them buy out the other? And will they be continuing to use both names on products? I know sometimes when one company buys out another, one of the names disappears.
I think my favorite piece might just be that restored trolley car. Oh, and Elektro and his dog!
Thanks for the museum tour, Andrew!
TokyoMagic!, I've always wondered about those Elektro and Sparko reproductions. There isn't anything on the informational plaque about how old they are... when I was little, I just assumed they were the actual ones from the Fair! I doubt they work, as they were probably made for the museum.
You're right, the fire engine is a dead ringer for the one at Disneyland!
The Kraft/Heinz merger was a mutual agreement between the two companies, I think. They're now the "Kraft Heinz Co." I also found some articles that said they have been having a hard time because less people buy processed foods.
This looks like a really neat museum. I love that Pittsburgh Railways PCC car.
I've just realized that the only time I've ever been to Pittsburgh was to change planes at the airport. I think I need to fix that. The Mr. Rogers sets would be worth the trip alone.
Sad to think that no new generations will grow up watching Mr. Rogers. Even as an adult, I loved watching the show with my own kids. It always calmed me down.
I remember the day he passed away. I was teaching at the university level at the time, and all of the students were pretty down that day. It felt like we'd all lost a family member.
Thanks for the post, Andrew!
Chuck, the PCC streetcar is "the look" of a midcentury trolley.
Months after Mr. Rogers died, my parents went to a Pittsburgh Symphony performance, and they did a musical tribute to him. My mom was pregnant with me, her first kid, and she remembers that that performance was one of the first times she felt me kicking in the womb. I'm sure you read that Joanne Rogers, Fred's wife, passed away recently. :-*(
If you ever come to Pittsburgh in the future, send me an email at andrewpaulmcl@gmail.com - I'd love to meet you. :-)
Andrew, I enjoyed touring the Heinz History Center with you, here, and would love to see more!
Why does Andrew Carnegie have that measuring stick behind him??
I love the house facades, and feel "at home" in that mid-century kitchen. (Where's a picture of the living room?!) It's sort of freaky when you see your past, now in a museum. In another 40 years, it will happen to you, too. ;-)
Thanks, Andrew!
Sue, the measuring stick is just to show that Carnegie was on the shorter side. I guess you're right, 35-40 years seems to be the "lag time" before something shows up in a museum. But I doubt that people will ever be as nostalgic for the 2000s as they are for the 50s and 60s. Here's a picture of the living room I found. It's pretty small.
Andrew, thanks for the link to the living room! It does look small, but a lot of people had small living rooms (small houses), especially back then.
I think people will be nostalgic for the 2000s, but not until another 10 to 20 years pass. So many people thought that NO ONE would be nostalgic for the 1970s, but those were THE BEST YEARS, from my point of view.
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