Insider's Guide: Carnegie Science Center

Plan Your Visit

General admission to the Carnegie Science Center includes access to four floors of interactive exhibits (including the Mars: The Next Giant Leap exhibit), Highmark SportsWorks®, Buhl Planetarium Shows, live demonstration theater shows and the USS Requin submarine.

Visit the Carnegie Science Center for free all year long with a Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Membership! Various membership packages are available and provide access to all four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, including Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History and The Andy Warhol Museum, all year long. Members also receive special perks and discounts. Learn more about the benefits of becoming a member.

NOW OPEN: Mental Health: Mind Matters

March 1-Aug. 17, 2025

Break the stigma. Build understanding. Start the conversation. Step into an immersive journey designed to break stigma, build understanding, and spark important conversations. The “Mental Health: Mind Matters” traveling exhibition brings the science of mental health to life through immersive exhibits and personal stories, offering a deeper look into the complexities of mental well-being.
Mental health is a critical part of human biology. This exhibit explores the latest research on brain function, emotions, and the factors that shape our mental well-being and provides a powerful look at how people experience mental health conditions in daily life. There are also activities that promote emotional regulation and self-expression.

Mars: The Next Giant Leap

Explore the red planet, its relationship to earth and the space missions that will get us there at Mars: The Next Giant Leap, the newest permanent exhibition at the Carnegie Science Center, and the largest since it opened in 1991. Guests will be able to:

Imagine a Martian dwelling and see how we can grow food and prioritize resources essential to our survival
Vote on the future of Mars and see how your decisions affect daily life for your colony
Imagine yourself in a space career and see how Pittsburgh could give you a start in the space industry
Address contemporary issues facing the Earth through hypothetical scenarios on Mars

Seven separate zones comprise the exhibit, allowing guests to enjoy the topics above through a View From Mars, setting up a Martian Garden, connecting Pittsburgh to our Mars destiny, and much more.

Credit |

Becky Thurner

More Exhibits, Shows & Programs

Highmark SportsWorks®

Highmark SportsWorks® inspires learning and curiosity by highlighting the laws of science that control sports. Highmark SportsWorks® offers nearly 30 interactive experiences for every age level, including recording your baseball bat swing speed, learn the accuracy of your hockey shot, experience a wheelchair race, and more.

Motion Lab turns practice into an experiment! Perform various sports-related activities while being recorded on a high-speed camera at about 200-250 frames per second. Then head to the playback station to review your motion and compare your results to a professional athlete’s.

Miniature Railroad & Village®

The Miniature Railroad & Village® captures iconic Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania landmarks, from Forbes Field to Fallingwater. The sights and sounds are endless on a short commute around wonderfully, realistic animated scenes. The adds new models and features every year.

Robot Hall of Fame

The first robots were creations of imagination rather than engineering. Through the one-of-a-kind Robot Hall of Fame, visitors can enjoy the fictional machines that sparked the creation of real robots. Robots include: Gort, Maria, The Iron Giant, HAL 9000, R2D2 and C-3PO, and the iconic Tom Servo and Crow.

USS Requin (SS 481)

Boarding the USS Requin (SS 481) Cold War submarine is truly an immersive experience! Tour the space that was once home to 80 men, who carved out a rough and adventurous life during USS Requin’s lengthy defense and scientific missions, some of which are still classified to this day.

H2Oh!

Carnegie Science Center is located on the water where the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers become the Ohio River. These freshwater rivers are a precious resource that sustain amazing wildlife and are the water source for the region. H2Oh!, overlooking the Ohio River, provides insight into the importance of water conservation and provides a unique perspective on how water flows from the rivers to your kitchen sink.

Demonstrations

Science comes to life right before your eyes on three live demonstration stages! From explosive reactions to the chemistry of cooking and the basics of biology, each program offers a unique and exciting science experience!

Buhl Planetarium

Fly to the Moon, soar to Saturn, gaze at the stars, and traverse distant galaxies, all during your trip to Pittsburgh! The newly renovated Buhl Planetarium offers a variety of music-themed laser shows and galactic shows in True-8K digital clarity on an immersive dome screen designed to delight, educate and inspire visitors of all ages!

The Rangos Giant Cinema

During your visit, be sure you make some extra time to enjoy a show! The Rangos Giant Cinema is Pittsburgh’s most immersive movie theater, boasting a 71-by-39-foot Certified Giant Screen, crystal-clear 4K images, brilliant colors and rich surround sound. The Giant Theater operates daily featuring award-winning science-themed movies.

Credit |

Nic Lockerman

Pittsburgh is KidsBURGH®!

Pittsburgh is the perfect destination for unforgettable family fun! Featuring many fantastic attractions, Pittsburgh has plenty of entertainment options for kids of all ages. Plan your KidsBURGH® trip today!

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