Carnegie Museum of Natural History, one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, is among the top natural history museums in the country. It maintains, preserves, and interprets an extraordinary collection of artifacts, objects, and scientific specimens used to broaden understanding of evolution, conservation, and biodiversity. Carnegie Museum of Natural History generates new scientific knowledge, advances science literacy, and inspires visitors of all ages to become passionate about science, nature, and world cultures.
VISION
The world’s most relevant natural history museum
MISSION
To find inspiration in our collections and advocate for a sustainable future.
Awards
BEST MUSEUM – Best of the ‘Burgh 2017-2020
Pittsburgh Magazine‘s “Best of the ‘Burgh” is an annual reader poll happening for over a decade identifying the best restaurants, services, entertainments, personalities and more in the Pittsburgh region.
Best Local TikTok – Best of Pittsburgh 2020
As part of City Paper’s 20+ year tradition of reader polls, “Best of Pittsburgh” included new categories in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, including Best Local Tiktok.
2016 BREASTFEEDING FRIENDLY PLACE AWARD
Allegheny County Health Department awarded Carnegie Museum of Natural History an award for being a breastfeeding friendly place in 2016 following the installation of a private, quiet, and comfortable space for mothers to breastfeed their babies in the museum.
2014 RACIAL JUSTICE AWARD
In appreciation for having presented the exhibition RACE: Are We So Different? and related programs, Carnegie Museum of Natural History has been honored with a 2014 Racial Justice Award from the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh.
Our Statement in Support of Evolution
Carnegie Museum of Natural History is a scientific institution and strongly supports evolution as the only scientifically rigorous and strongly corroborated explanation for the amazing diversity of life on Earth—now and in the past. Evolution is a process of inherited change that takes place over time. Evolution explains both the diversity of life on Earth as well as universal similarities among all living things. It is based on observable evidence from the fields of biology, paleontology, and geology. We join with our colleagues at natural history, academic, and science institutions worldwide in affirming evolution.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History collects and cares for specimens and artifacts that document the history of life on Earth. Through field studies and collections-based scientific research, we generate new knowledge and promote stewardship of the Earth and its natural resources. Through public exhibitions, programs, and educational partnerships, we share the results of our scientific research, in order to enhance scientific literacy by illuminating the processes of evolution and adaptation that have shaped the diversity of our world and its inhabitants.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History will continue to provide public engagement activities that explore and explain evolution. We affirm that all organisms on Earth share a common ancestry and that life’s unfolding has encompassed billions of years of time. Our educational goal is to help visitors understand and explore the theory of evolution, the observable evidence that supports it, and the scientific questions and debates that are taking place at the edge of exploration about the mechanisms of evolution and its consequences.
The museum does not involve itself in matters of individual or institutional religious beliefs or practice. We respectfully leave those concerns to institutions dedicated to the study and practice of spiritual and religious matters.
