There so many wonderful sites to see in Pittsburgh, so it was difficult to choose what to visit on our past trip. However, when I read about the
Heinz History Center, I just knew that we had to visit! You see, it has 6 floors packed full of history! With so much history, there is definitely something everyone will love. We ended up spending over 3 hours there!
At the
Heinz History Center, history just jumps out at you. No dusty shelves here! When you enter, you are immediately greeted by interesting vehicles including a steel car, a Conestoga wagon from the 1700's and a wagon that transported Heinz products back in the day. Already, history is more tangible, perfect for kids to grasp those things that they have read about in books.
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| Shiny! |
Of course, kids need to play! In the Great Hall, you will find Kidsburgh, a two
tier play area where kids can learn about Pittsburgh through activity. Once kids are finished playing in Kidsburgh, they can wind down a red
slide back to the main hall. There is a video screen set up so parents can watch their kids in Kidsburgh without having to climb to the top tier themselves. Nice!
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| I see you! |
After experiencing the Great Hall and Kidsburgh, we headed to the special exhibit on 1968. This exhibit and its use of multimedia just blew us away. Each portion of the exhibit showcased important events as well as day to day life in 1968. The exhibit intermixes the difficult events of the year with some more lighthearted pieces of culture. When you first enter the exhibit, you immediately encounter the ominous humming of a medic helicopter like those from Vietnam. However, soon you find yourself greeted by '60's TV screens full of the popular shows of 1968.
The Monkees,
Laugh-In, or
Mission Impossible anyone? My daughter loved that part and probably would have sat in front of the TVs for an hour. Another highlight--the section on Mr. Rogers. What a way to transport some of us back to childhood?
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| Won't you be my neighbor? |
