Heinz History Center

01/25/2025

in 1890, New York World reporter and Western Pa. native Nellie Bly finished her 25,000-mile journey around the world. Completed in 72 days, 6 hours, and 11 minutes, it shattered the previous record for circumnavigation of the globe. Cannons were fired the moment that Bly landed on the platform at a train station in Jersey City, and it was reported that 15,000 people were there to welcome her home.

Nearly 131 years later, we’re sharing her adventures in real time. Follow her thrilling journey around the globe here now through January 2021. Note to Readers: The language and terminology used in these historical materials reflects…

01/23/2025

in 1899, Duquesne Gardens opened to the public.

Located on North Craig Street in Oakland, it served as an ice-skating rink, indoor sports arena, and a theater. At the time, it was billed as the biggest skating rink in the world by the Pittsburg Post. It was also home to the Hornets, Pittsburgh’s American Hockey League team, from 1936 until it was demolished in 1956.

📸 Duquesne Gardens, c. 1940-56. Allegheny Conference on Community Development Photographs, Detre Library & Archives

01/22/2025

Did you know that the Heinz History Center was once an icehouse? 🧊

The building was originally owned by the Chautauqua Ice Co., which sold ice harvested from Chautauqua Lake in Mayville, New York. Constructed in 1898, it replaced a nearly identical building that had been destroyed by a fire in the same year.

Chautauqua Ice strategically designed its Pittsburgh operations for the optimal transport, storage, and manufacture of ice, as the Allegheny Valley Railroad lines provided its warehouse with convenient transport and delivery options. The company had gigantic freezing tanks, storage areas and wagon sheds on site. Its ice supply was shipped by rail and distributed throughout Pittsburgh on horse-drawn carts.

By 1901, Chautauqua Ice merged with other local ice companies to form Consolidated Ice Co. Advances in refrigeration technology allowed Consolidated Ice to make its own ice on demand, so the company shifted its focus from ice storage to merchandise storage, establishing Consolidated Storage in 1907.

📸 Joseph Rieke makes a delivery in Bloomfield for Chautauqua Ice.
📸 A view of the Consolidated Ice Company building, c. 1906. Consolidated Ice Company Records, Detre Library & Archives at the Heinz History Center.

01/22/2025

Get ready for glamour and good vibes on Friday, March 7, as the History Center gets glitzy for History Uncorked: Mirror Ball, presented by UPMC and UPMC Health Plan.

🎟️ Tickets go on sale on Monday, Jan. 27 and general admission tickets are 20% off for one week only with code: GETUNCORKED2025.

This year’s party will include:

🪩 Craft cocktails and one-of-a-kind sips from Penn Brewery and Pennsylvania Libations
🪩 Decadent bites from Pittsburgh’s top restaurants
🪩 An all-night dance party with DJ Bonics
🪩 Live music from DJ Cake in the Great Hall
🪩 An interactive scavenger hunt for glittering artifacts throughout the #1 History Museum in America
🪩 A glitzy photobooth where you can step into the spotlight with friends
🪩 A silent auction featuring exclusive merchandise, luxury experiences, and more!

History Uncorked has SOLD OUT the past two years, so don’t wait – text your friends and plan to snag your tickets while they’re on sale!

Pittsburgh's #1 party for young professionals!

01/20/2025

Today, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This photo from 1966 shows Dr. King addressing students at the William Pitt Union on the University of Pittsburgh campus.

📸Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addresses students, c. 1966. Detre Library & Archives.

01/19/2025

North Park Ice Skating Rink has been a beloved winter destination for generations of Pittsburghers.

Construction for the rink began in 1958, and on February 18, 1961, the first skaters took to the ice for its grand opening. For over six decades, the rink has hosted hockey games, skating lessons, festive gatherings, first dates, and nights to remember.

What memories do you have at the rink?
📸 North Park Ice Skating Rink, c. Feb. 22, 1964. Allegheny Conference on Community Development Photographs, Detre Library & Archives.

01/18/2025

in 1976, the Steelers clashed with the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X and won their second championship 21-17.

More than 80,000 fans gathered in Miami’s Orange Bowl to watch Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain defense deliver the back-to-back Super Bowl win. Franco Harris dominated the running game with 27 carries for 82 yards, and Super Bowl MVP Lynn Swann’s 64-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter sealed the win.

📸 Steelers vs. Cowboys, Super Bowl X, c. Jan. 18, 1976. Courtesy of Pittsburgh Steelers.

01/17/2025

A beautiful snowy day in the neighborhood ❄️ Thanks for capturing, Dave DiCello Photography!

01/16/2025

❄️Snowy Pittsburgh scenes from artist Ron Donoughe's 90 Neighborhood Series❄️

In 2013, Ron Donoughe set out to paint all 90 of the city's neighborhoods. Inspired by a map, he decided to paint the neighborhoods in alphabetical order and to complete the project within a single year to capture the changing seasons. Donoughe tried to paint two neighborhoods a week, often driving or walking each area before deciding on his subject. A plein-air painter, he worked outside, capturing the natural light and shadows, and often attracting the interest of neighborhood residents.

See all 90 of these incredible paintings in person in the History Center’s fourth floor Special Collections Gallery.

🖼️ Oil paintings by Ron Donoughe, c. 2012-14.

01/15/2025

in 1953, ground was broken for Point State Park as part of Pittsburgh's Renaissance. Eight years prior, Pa. Gov. Edward Martin committed funds for creating the park with hopes to revitalize downtown.

During construction and grading in the 1950s and 1960s, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History conducted archeological surveys to rescue any items of historical significance and identify the locations and outlines of Fort Duquesne and Fort Pitt. Both studies discovered original bricks, mortar, and stone.

The construction of the park was completed in 1974, and today, the 59-acre Point, bounded by Stanwix Street and the Allegheny and Monongahela riverbanks, includes multiple office and residential towers, four bridges over land and water, one of the world’s tallest fountains, and the Fort Pitt Museum.

📷 Point State Park in its final stages of development. Allegheny Conference on Community Development Photographs, Detre Library & Archives at the Heinz History Center.

01/14/2025

Marie Torre marked a Pittsburgh milestone when she arrived in 1962 to join KDKA’s Noon News Team. Born in Brooklyn, she started working as an entertainment journalist for New York City newspapers, climbing from copywriter to reporter. She earned national fame in the late 1950s, when she refused to reveal the name of a source for a story critical of Judy Garland. The battle resulted in a landmark court case and a 10-day jail sentence for Torre.

She made the jump to TV newscaster in Pittsburgh, working with legendary KDKA personalities such as Bill Burns. Torre eventually joined the evening news team and hosted her own daily weekday talk show. Her work interviewing major national figures, including President Lyndon B. Johnson, Muhammed Ali, Jane Fonda, and Billy Graham helped clear the way for other women working as broadcast professionals in Pittsburgh.

Learn more about the women who made history on the air in the A Woman’s Place exhibition. This is the final week to see the exhibit before it closes on Jan. 20!

📸 KDKA News Anchors pose in studio. (from left, Marie Torre, Bill Currie, Bill Burns, Bob Perkins). Jim Papariello Photographs, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center

01/13/2025

The #1 History Museum in America has once again been selected for USA Today’s 2025 10Best Readers' Choice Awards list for Best History Museum!

This is the third consecutive year that the Heinz History Center has been nominated for this honor by USA Today’s panel of experts and editors. Last year, we were thrilled to take the top spot and we’re ready to do it again!

Vote for the History Center to help us earn the title of back-to-back champs!

Heinz History Center: Vote for your favorite history museum!!

01/12/2025

01/12/2025

50 years ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers won their first Super Bowl when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings in New Orleans.

Out of the 333 total offensive yards the Steelers generated in Super Bowl IX, Franco Harris accounted for a record 158 of them – more than the entire Minnesota Viking offense. He scored the first of two touchdowns in the Steelers’ 16-6 victory and was named Most Valuable Player.

This ring, on view in the Sports Museum, was made by Jostens for the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory. See all four of Harris’ Super Bowl rings in the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum’s Super Steelers exhibition.

📸Franco Harris’ Super Bowl IX Ring, c. 1975.
📸 Myron Cope leads a crowd of fans in celebrating Super Bowl IX, note Joe Greene behind him and Franco Harris to his left, January 1975.

01/11/2025

The Heinz History Center is seeking a dynamic leader to join our team as the Director of Museum Stores and Visitor Services!

This role is at the heart of our visitor experience, overseeing front-of-house operations, admissions, both on-site and online Museum Shop, café services, and visitor accessibility. If you’re someone who thrives on providing exceptional customer service, has a flair for retail and product development, and loves creating memorable experiences for visitors, this could be the perfect opportunity for you!

Learn more and apply: https://visithei.nz/3DJ96h5

01/10/2025

Josephine Vicari grew up in Butler, Pa., and became one of the first employees of WQED-TV in 1953, before it was even on the air. Adopting the stage name “Josie Carey,” she made an impact as a performer, composer, and songwriter. She paired with Fred Rogers to create the very popular show, “The Children’s Corner,” which ran on WQED from 1954 to 1961 and was also briefly syndicated on NBC.

As the onscreen host of “The Children’s Corner,” Carey became the public face of WQED. Her show’s success helped to keep the station on the air during its early years. Josie’s talent opened other opportunities. She also offered a children’s show on KDKA-TV in the 1950s, Josie’s Storyland. She was such a local star that the Pittsburgh Junior Chamber of Commerce recognized her during their “Man of the Year” awards in 1958, the only woman out of 15 awardees. More comfortable with commercial TV than Fred Rogers, she continued to host children’s programming, largely on KDKA, but also in South Carolina, through the 1990s.

Learn more about Carey’s life and career in the A Woman’s Place: How Women Shaped Pittsburgh exhibition before it closes on Jan. 20!

📸 Josie Carey and her husband, Henry Massucci, opening fan mail for the Children’s Corner program. Fred Rogers is seated in background. Rogers collaborated with Josie Carey on both the scripts and music to produce “The Children’s Corner” program.

01/09/2025

The early airports of the 1920s were dirt or grass fields—anywhere flat and not surrounded by too many trees.

There were several informal landing strips in Allegheny County, including Mayer Field in Bridgeville and Rodgers Field in O’Hara. In 1925, enterprising local businessmen consolidated farm fields above Dravosburg in Mifflin Township to create Pittsburgh-McKeesport Airport.

It barely resembled the airports we know today—just two dirt landing strips and a few wooden farm outbuildings. In only a few years, it would grow to include hangars, a terminal building, and paved runways. But in those early years of aviation, it was the epicenter of air-minded Pittsburgh. And in less than half-a-year, it would be renamed Bettis Field.

Learn more about Bettis Field and the golden age of air travel in Pittsburgh in the History Center’s new book, “Bettis: Where Pittsburgh Aviation Took Off,” by Brian Butko and Sue Morris. The book is available in our Museum Shop, snag your copy in-store or online!

📸 Bettis Field. Scholter Photographs, Detre Library & Archives.