Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Exhibitions

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The Stories We Keep: Bringing the World to Pittsburgh

The Stories We Keep: Bringing the World to Pittsburgh banner

Open through January 11, 2027 | R.P. Simmons Family Gallery

When Andrew Carnegie founded the museum more than 125 years ago, he sought to “bring the world to Pittsburgh,” and today, the museum cares for over 22 million objects and specimens from around the world. But why do natural history museums collect objects and specimens? How do they care for them? What is their purpose? The Stories We Keep: Bringing the World to Pittsburgh explores these big questions about natural history museums through five distinct stories featuring the vast Carnegie Museum of Natural History collection. 

Through hands-on games and activities, expansive collection displays, and digital experiences, The Stories We Keep: Bringing the World to Pittsburgh invites you to consider what it means to collect and why natural history museum collections matter. In this exhibition, you will:

• Discover stories from past and present scientific expeditions to Angola.

• Encounter the Baron Ernest de Bayet collection of invertebrate fossils, one of the museum’s earliest and largest acquisitions.

• Watch conservation and collections staff care for collections in the Visible Lab. Ask them your questions during designated Visible Lab Q&A times daily at 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

• Create your own collection drawer, play an insect guessing game, and browse archival photos.

• Uncover 1898-1922 museum director William J. Holland’s role in shaping the museum into a world-class institution. 

• Get to know the scientists who collect, care for, and study the 13 million specimens in the Invertebrate Zoology collection, and why each bug in the collection is a data point that helps us understand our world.

• Learn about Indigenous guides like Paul Commanda (Nbisiing) and George Carey (Omuskego) who led museum expeditions across northern Ontario, Quebec, and Labrador.*

• Listen to clips from season two of the museum’s We Are Nature podcast and see objects and specimens featured in the episodes.

Plan Your Visit

The Stories We Keep: Bringing the World to Pittsburgh on ABC News

Take a peek at the exhibition and the work behind its creation with Sarah Crawford, Director of Museum Experience, and ABC News: “Exhibition of rarely seen fossils now on display at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.”

We Are Nature

Dive deeper into the museum’s impressive collection on season two of the We Are Nature podcast, a companion to The Stories We Keep: Bringing the World to Pittsburgh. While the first season centered on collective climate action, the second season features items from the museum’s collections as windows into the science of the Anthropocene, as discussed by curators, collection managers, and community members. Listen to the podcast here.

Science Stories

Take a deeper look at the museum collections in the words of the experts who care for and study them.

The Stories We Keep: Bringing the World to Pittsburgh is the second installment of The Stories We Keep exhibition series, following The Stories We Keep: Conserving Objects from Ancient Egypt, which went on view in 2024. 

* All content in this section of The Stories We Keep: Bringing the World to Pittsburgh was created in collaboration with North Bay Museum. Original content for the exhibition OUR GUIDES WERE REALLY GOING PLACES NISHNAABEG E-PAAMWINGEWAAD WAASA ZHAAWAG was curated and generously shared by Joan McLeod Shabogesic, Naomi Hehn, and Kirsten Greer. All of this content was edited, with permission, from the GUIDES exhibition or created in partnership with the Nipissing First Nation, Dokis First Nation, Nipissing University, and the North Bay Museum. 

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Uprooted: Plants Out of Place

Now Open | Hall of Botany and Third Floor Overlook

Even in urban environments, we see and rely on plants daily. Many of these plants are native to where we live, but many are introduced from other parts of the world. In the groundbreaking exhibition Uprooted: Plants Out of Place, visitors explore more than 4,800 square feet of Carnegie Museum of Natural History to learn how plants ride along as passengers, not drivers, from one region to another, and the consequences when an introduced plant becomes a harmful invasive species in its new environment. Uprooted showcases the museum’s historic herbarium collection, home to the largest collection of Western Pennsylvanian plants in the world, providing a magnified view of the interactions invasive plants have with their neighboring plant and animal communities, as well as of the environmental problems they present. The exhibition also shares stories of holistic invasive species management from community organizations around Pittsburgh.

In the Hall of Botany, visitors discover the stories of invasive plant species including stiltgrass, garlic mustard, and multiflora rose, and how scientists track them. This exhibition showcases dioramas on permanent display through a new lens. What’s more, the exhibition offers a rare look at specimens from the historic Carnegie Museum of Natural History Herbarium, as well as plant illustrations from community partner Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. A plant smell station and touchable plant models engage the senses to enrich the overall visitor experience.

On the Third Floor Overlook, photos of itadori (knotweed) by celebrated Japanese photographer Koichi Watanabe, commissioned specifically for Uprooted, draw visitors in to learn more about the critical issue of land stewardship and how human actions impact plants in our ecosystems. In this striking space, visitors learn about native plants that support diverse habitats and careful language use on the subject of native and non-native plants.

Stories and Resources

Before or after your visit to the museum, dive into introduced species Science Stories written by museum researchers and educators.

two people outdoors looking at plants
Museum researchers studying the effects of invasive species.
Garlic mustard, introduced as a kitchen herb.
multiflora rose
Multiflora rose, intentionally planted and now common in forests.
knotweed specimens
Herbarium specimens track centuries of environmental change.
Koichi Watanabe photographing itadori (knotweed).

Callery pear, a common ornamental illegal to sell in Pennsylvania.

*Thank you to our community partners!*

Allegheny GoatScape
Dr. Craig Barrett, West Virginia University
Dr. Jocelyn E. Behm, Temple University
Dr. Rachel Reeb
Dr. Raja Adal, University of Pittsburgh
Erin Mallea
Garfield Community Farm
Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation
Koichi Watanabe
Lauren Kosslow, West Virginia University
Meining Wang
Peyton Phillips, Temple University
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
Sean Stewart and the Lab at Silver Eye 

This work was made possible through support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

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Spotlight on Science

The approximately 10,000 specimens and objects on display comprise fewer than 1% of the 22 million in our care. Every single one holds valuable information. Spotlight on Science shines a light on current museum research to uncover more about the past, present, and future of life on Earth. Visit Spotlight on Science to discover what museum curators, collection managers, collections assistants, visiting researchers, and others are investigating right now in Pennsylvania and around the world.

Current Spotlight on Science displays feature research from the Sections of Mammals and Mollusks. Future displays will highlight research from more of the museum’s 12 scientific sections.

Learn About Our Science

A pangolin Photo by David Brossard, courtesy of Flickr

SPOTLIGHT ON SCIENCE: Mystery of the Mammals

The mammals that lived alongside dinosaurs were housecat-sized or smaller, but after the extinction of most dinosaurs 66 million years ago, placental mammals suddenly grew to the size of modern-day cows! John Wible, Curator of Mammals, and other researchers at the museum and around the world are digging into why. Spotlight on Science: Mystery of the Mammals invites visitors to learn how research teams are using methods like DNA and morphology to understand these mammals’ evolutionary relationships. See real teeth from Paleocene mammals and touch replica teeth to discover how researchers know what these creatures ate. Play a matching game to guess which mammals are most closely related.

Learn More about Mammals
Spotlight on John Wible
A megaloceros giganteus skull and scientific tag
A selection of bones in a specimen drawer
A tagged skull from the section of mammals

SPOTLIGHT ON SCIENCE: Where’d You Find That Shell?

Did you know that shells you collect on the beach can provide valuable information to scientists? In Spotlight on Science: Where’d You Find That Shell? explore research conducted by Assistant Curator of Mollusks Tim Pearce, Collection Assistant Sabrina Spiher Robinson, and other researchers on mollusks of the eastern seaboard. Understand what shells are made of, how they grow, and how to identify common shells and the mollusks that can live inside them. Learn about georeferencing and why it is important to record the locations of shells you find. Listen to a healthy oyster reef and discover why sea mollusks are important for future ocean health.

Learn More about Mollusks

seashells on a beach. Photo by Ed Chechine, courtesy of iStock
Spotlight on Tim Pearce
A person holds a whelk shell to show the inside of it Photo by Matt Tillett, courtesy of Flickr
Two shells that look like kitten paws in the sand
A black shell that looks like a bird's wing in the sand

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Chirp, Chitter, Caw: Surrounded by Bird Song

Chirp, Chitter, Caw logo with a pileated woodpecker

July 1 – September 4, 2023

Presented by The World According to Sound and Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Explore the world with your ears in the new exhibition Chirp, Chitter, Caw: Surrounded by Birdsong. Relax in a listening lounge, mimic unusual bird calls, and stroll down Bird Hall to hear sonic snapshots created by artists Chris Hoff and Sam Harnett—founders of The World According to Sound. Listen to the low rumble of the Southern Cassowary, the Superb Lyrebird mimicking the songs of other birds, and the rhythmic knocks of the Pileated Woodpecker. Tune into the world of birdsong and discover the beauty and complexity of avian communication that surrounds us. Enjoy the museum’s birds like never before.

Turkey Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Southern Cassowary
Pileated Woodpecker
Superb Lyrebird
Northern Cardinal

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Exhibitions

Featured Exhibitions

Uprooted logo

Uprooted: Plants Out of Place

Explore humans’ role in the history and future of invasive plants in this groundbreaking exhibition.

historic photo of people looking at a bird specimen

The Stories We Keep: Bringing the World to Pittsburgh

Discover what it means to collect and why natural history museum collections matter.

Preparing Fry Bread

Keeping Traditions Alive

Learn about the Quapaw Nation, an Indigenous community living and thriving today, in the words of community curators Betty Gaedtke and Carrie Vee Wilson.

Spotlight on Science

Explore current museum research from the scientific Sections of Mammals and Mollusks.

Fragment of Akhenaten’s Name Inscription

From Egypt to Pittsburgh

Trace the history of museum objects from ancient Egypt to the museum online and in person.

Permanent Exhibitions

Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Hall of Dinosaurs

Home to dozens of real, original fossils displayed in scientifically accurate reconstructions of their ancient habitats.

Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems

Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems

More than 1,300 specimens from all over the world that come in a large range of striking colors, fascinating forms, and dramatic shapes.

fossil in the hall of geology

Benedum Hall of Geology

Discover how fossils are formed!

Art of the Diorama

Art of the Diorama

Discover the craft and artistry behind Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s famous nature dioramas. 

child in a tunnel in Discovery Basecamp

Discovery Basecamp

Slow down, look closely, and explore everything.

Presented by Reach Cyber Charter School.

dire wolf display

Age of Mammals: Cenozoic Era

Discover life on Earth in Age of Large Mammals, like Mammoths and Dire Wolves.

Creataceous Seaway

Cretaceous Seaway

While dinosaurs ruled the land, amazing creatures resided in the sea in the Age of Dinosaurs. Step into an underwater world in Cretaceous Seaway.

kids digging for bones

Bone Hunters’ Quarry

Dig for fossils in a recreation of Dinosaur National Monument in Utah.

Gems on display

Wertz Gallery of Gems and Jewelry

View beautifully crafted necklaces, extraordinary pieces of amber, large diamonds, and a full spectrum of artfully displayed birthstones.

mushrooms in botany hall

Hall of Botany

Investigate the incredibly diverse plant life of North America and Western Pennsylvania.

Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians

Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians

Explore four Native American cultures and their relationships with the natural world.

Rhino in the Hall of African Wildlife

Hall of African Wildlife

Step inside a savanna or view a lowland gorilla emerging from lush tropical foliage in the Hall of African Wildlife.

Brown Bear in the Hall of North American Wildlife

Hall of North American Wildlife

Witness the drama of nature across North America in artistically and scientifically recreated dioramas.

Polar World: Wyckoff Hall of Arctic Life

Traversing 4,500 years of Inuit history, learn about the Canadian Inuit and how they’ve adapted to the environmental challenges of life in the Arctic. 

Bird Hall

Bird Hall

Discover the many shapes, sizes, colors, and characteristics of birds all over the world.

So Many Bugs bug hall picture

Bug Hall

Explore Bug Hall to learn about the creatures that make up more than 80% of all life on Earth: arthropods.

Red salamanders in a display case

Amphibians and Reptiles

Check out the reptiles and amphibians of today while looking out over prehistoric reptiles that existed millions of years ago.

heiroglyphs

Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt

Closed for conservation.

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We Are Nature: Future Thinking

By: Pat McShea

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Although activities in the Future Thinking Lab section of We Are Nature seldom focus on the past, historic examples of the process are important. Some 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, travelers on the Pennsylvania Turnpike pass steel and concrete proof of regional future thinking dating back to at least the 1960s.

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Photo credit: Gibson-Thomas Engineering

At mile mark 100.5, where the busy east/west route crosses over the crest of the mountain fold known variously as Laurel Hill, Laurel Mountain, and Laurel Ridge, the highway passes under the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail.

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Photo: Gibson-Thomas Engineering

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This 70-mile long footpath winds along the ridge crest between water gaps carved by the Conemaugh River on the north, and the Youghiogheny River on the south. The turnpike crossing is located between mile posts 36 and 37, as measured from the trail’s southern terminus in Ohiopyle.

Credit for this recreational resource, which was officially dedicated in 1976, rests largely with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Pennsylvania’s Bureau of State Parks. The WPC, an 86-year-old Pittsburgh-based conservation organization, began acquiring key tracts on the ridge in the 1960’s for state parks, game lands, and forests. The Bureau of State Parks, which constructed the trail across the resulting patchwork of public and private land, has maintained the path under the auspices of Laurel Ridge State Park.

The trail is but one “product” from decades of future thinking, future planning, and future actions by many organizations and individuals. Far-sighted land conservation efforts on Laurel Hill, which include the establishment and operation of the Museum’s Powdermill Nature Reserve, also protect water supplies and biodiversity, and create recreational opportunities ranging from bicycling to downhill skiing.

Patrick McShea works in the Education and Visitor Experience department of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

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American Eel

American Eel image rendered in glass beads and porcupine quills

For an image rendered in glass beads and porcupine quills, an American eel featured in Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians conveys a surprising amount of movement.

 

Clan Animal images created by Onondaga artist Lisa Thomas Boots

The snake-like fish, one of nine Clan Animal images created by Onondaga artist Lisa Thomas Boots, is positioned in a full-body
“S” curve, and seems capable of swimming out of its circular confinement with the next undulation.

Real-life movements of this widely -distributed species occur in both saltwater and freshwater, from spawning grounds in Sargasso Sea of the North Atlantic to historic feeding areas far up the river systems of the eastern North America.

The presence of small numbers of American eels in Pittsburgh’s rivers is described in a recent Pittsburgh Post-Gazette essay about fish migration.

To read the essay please visit: http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2018/05/13/The-Next-Page-Pittsburgh-below-the-waterline-Patrick-McShea/stories/201805130010