Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

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Hall of African Wildlife

Step inside a savanna or view a lowland gorilla emerging from lush tropical foliage in the Hall of African Wildlife. Our detailed and realistic dioramas transport you to a water hole where a giraffe, two species of zebra, African buffalo, wildebeest, and warthog have gathered. In the shadow of a Baobab tree, gerenuks stand on their hind legs nibbling leaves while termites build their impressive mounds.

The hall’s 12 dioramas invite visitors to enter Africa’s wild biomes and see exotic animals, from carnivorous mammals to fascinating insects, up close. Scenes like a lowland gorilla emerging from lush tropical foliage and a pair of zebra duikers foraging in the undergrowth capture visitors’ imaginations.

Our dioramas represent the African continent’s four major life zones—savanna, rainforest, mountain, and desert—and the unique animals that call this amazing continent home.

  • Second Floor
Section of Mammals

Meet our Mammalogists

Wible, John

John Wible, Ph.D.

Curator of Mammals

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McLaren, Suzanne

Suzanne McLaren, M.S.

Collection Manager of Mammals

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Learn about the Mammal Collection at the Museum

The Section of Mammals houses a research collection consisting of more than 118,553 specimens. The main collection is housed at the Edward O’Neil Research Center, about two miles from the main Carnegie Museum of Natural History building.

Taxonomic coverage includes 24 of the 26 living orders of mammals and 114 of the 136 Recent families. The collection includes 40 holotypes.

Learn about the Section of Mammals

Blogs about Mammals

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Hall of North American Wildlife

  • Second Floor

Witness the drama of nature in the Hall of North American Wildlife. Our 23 dioramas depict a wide variety of animals and habitats in North America. Stand right next to a jaguar feeding her young or observe two elk frozen in battle in the Hayden Valley of Yellowstone National Park. The major ecosystems of North America—tundra, coniferous forest, deciduous forest, grassland, and desert—are represented along with their diverse inhabitants with special attention given to the animals who live in Western Pennsylvania.

Broad in scope and rich in detail, the Hall of North American Wildlife presents unforgettable images of the continent and offers visitors a unique perspective on its wildlife.

Aspiring naturalists of all ages can learn all about field research and even try their hand at the type of work scientists do everyday with the “In the Field” exhibit. Grab a clipboard to make observations, check out the tools of the trade, and learn about Powdermill Nature Reserve, Carnegie Museum’s field research station in Rector, Pa.

Hall of North American Wildlife

Meet our Mammalogists

Wible, John

John Wible, Ph.D.

Curator of Mammals

Learn More
McLaren, Suzanne

Suzanne McLaren, M.S.

Collection Manager of Mammals

Learn More

Learn about the Mammal Collection at the Museum

The Section of Mammals houses a research collection consisting of more than 118,553 specimens. The main collection is housed at the Edward O’Neil Research Center, about two miles from the main Carnegie Museum of Natural History building.

Taxonomic coverage includes 24 of the 26 living orders of mammals and 114 of the 136 Recent families. The collection includes 40 holotypes.

Learn about the Section of Mammals

Blogs about Mammals

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Wertz Gallery of Gems and Jewelry

After observing the natural beauty of minerals and gems in Hillman Hall, venture into Wertz Gallery where the same natural specimens have been crafted into gemstones and jewelry. Approximately 500 gems, crystals, and pieces of jewelry are on display in the gallery’s permanent collection, which is supplemented by special exhibitions.

View beautifully crafted necklaces, extraordinary pieces of amber, large diamonds, and a full spectrum of artfully displayed birthstones. A rotating door of special exhibitions offer unusual and innovative designs including space age-inspired jewelry or garden-themed gem art.

  • First Floor

Meet our Researchers

Travis Olds

Travis Olds, Ph.D.

Assistant Curator of Minerals (Mineralogy)

Learn about our Mineral (Mineralogy) and Earth Sciences Collection

The Section of Minerals (Mineralogy) and Earth Sciences includes an outstanding suite of minerals from the former Soviet Union, a historically important suite of nearly 5,000 Pennsylvania minerals formerly owned by the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, and more than 2,700 Pennsylvania minerals acquired from the Bryon Brookmyer collection.

Learn about the Section of Minerals (Mineralogy) and Earth Sciences

  • Mineral Gazing

    Mineral Gazing

    by Debra Wilson Have you ever gazed up at the sky and noticed a cloud that looks like a face, or an …
  • Fungi make minerals and clean polluted water along the way!

    Fungi make minerals and clean polluted water along the way!

    Fungi are all around in the environment. For example, the mold that invades wet basements, the mushrooms that we cook with, and …
  • Roll Out the Beryl

    Roll Out the Beryl

    Beryl has many different varieties that you may be familiar with, the most recognized being: Emerald (green), Heliodor (yellow), Morganite (pink), and …
  • Everything Pennsylvania

    Everything Pennsylvania

    On May 10th a new temporary exhibit is scheduled to be installed in Wertz Gallery: Gems and Jewelry that will feature gemstones, cabochons, …

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Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt

Please be advised that Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt is closed for necessary conservation work. 

We invite you to visit the From Egypt to Pittsburgh display on the third floor near the entrance to Polar World. You will also be able to see our conservation team working on objects in the hall on weekdays.  

In the months ahead, we will share exciting news about upcoming exhibitions featuring the ancient Egyptian objects in our care.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

From Egypt to Pittsburgh

The museum cares for over 5,000 objects from ancient Egypt, much of which has never been displayed. But how did the material get here? A new exhibit case, “From Egypt to Pittsburgh,” is a rotating object display that brings an object (or small group of objects) out of museum storage and traces its history from ancient Egypt to the museum.

Visit the From Egypt to Pittsburgh Website

Meet our Anthropologist and Archaeologist

Amy Covell-Murthy

Amy Covell-Murthy, M.A.

Collection Manager of Archaeology, Section Head

lisa haney

Lisa Saladino Haney, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Assistant Curator, Egypt on the Nile

Kristin Gaugler

Kristina Gaugler, M.A.

Collection Manager of Anthropology

Learn about the Anthropology and Archaeology Collection at the Museum

The anthropology collection, the Section of Anthropology and Archaeology, contains major research collections of over 100,000 ethnological and historical specimens and over 1.5 million archaeological artifacts.

Learn about the Section of Anthropology and Archaeology

Blogs about Anthropology

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Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians

  • Third Floor

Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians explores four distinct Native American cultures in an exhibition organized around their relationships with the natural world. The hall explores the contemporary cultures of societies living in four major geographical areas: Tlingit of the Northwest Coast, Hopi of the Southwest, Lakota of the Plains, and Iroquois of the Northeast. Explore a large collection of Hopi Katsina dolls, touch a real buffalo, grind corn, or sit in a miniature planetarium that tells the story of how the stars got in to the heavens.

Visitors can view nearly 1,000 historical and contemporary artifacts including artwork and traditional garments. The museum partnered with approximately 50 Native people to develop Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians. Their historical and cultural knowledge, personal experiences and belongings, talents, artwork, guidance, and time has shaped the messages and impact of the hall.

The museum worked with Indigenous advisors to create this exhibit in the early 1990s. Indigenous people and cultures, just like our museum, are not stuck in time, but are living cultures, that are evolving and changing with the world around them. As a result some of the examples of “contemporary” culture, have become outdated, and it also includes some outdated themes, views and interpretations. We are working to reimagine this exhibit in today’s environment and with more self-representation by Indigenous people.

The current exhibit focuses on four distinct cultures within four different geographical areas, which means that it leaves out hundreds of vibrant, living tribes and nations with their own unique traditions and wisdom to share. It may give the impression that there is one Indigenous culture, which is wrong.

There’s no one term to refer to the many Indigenous cultures of North America. While it is widely accepted to use the terms “Native American” or “American Indian,” it is more appropriate to not use general terminology, and instead use specific tribal designations. This exhibit was named with input  from our Indigenous advisors, and in step with other museums at the time, including the National Museum of the American Indian.

Meet our Anthropologist and Archaeologist

Amy Covell-Murthy

Amy Covell-Murthy, MA

Collection Manger of Archaeology, Section Head

Kristin Gaugler

Kristina Gaugler, M.A.

Collection Manager of Anthropology

Learn about the Anthropology Collection at the Museum

The anthropology collection, the Section of Anthropology and Archaeology, contains major research collections of over 100,000 ethnological and historical specimens and over 1.5 million archaeological artifacts.

Learn about the Section of Anthropology and Archaeology

Anthropology Stories

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Bird Hall

  • Third Floor

Explore Bird Hall to discover the many shapes, sizes, colors, and characteristics of birds. Bird Hall features more than 300 taxidermy mounts and study skins of birds that range from tiny hummingbirds to massive Golden eagles. Compare the variations of owls or examine the elaborate feathery plume of a superb Lyrebird up close.

Bird Hall has an array of birds collected over two centuries that illustrate many topics: Endangered and Extinct Species, Flightless, Tropical Rainforests, Birds of Paradise, Sexual Dimorphism, Avian Reproduction, Aquatic Birds, Adaptations for Feeding, and Defining Species. The lower hallway mostly displays non-passerines (non-perching birds) found in Pennsylvania: ducks, raptors, herons, doves, shorebirds, gallinaceous birds (ground-feeding game birds), and more.

Case of colorful bird taxidermy in Bird Hall

Meet our Ornithologists

Learn about the Bird Collection at the Museum

The bird collection at the museum, the Section of Birds, contains nearly 190,000 specimens of birds. 

Learn about the Section of Birds

Some ornithologists are Bird Banders. What is that?

Learn about Bird Banding

Blogs about Birds