May | June | July

Carnegie Museum of Natural History is committed to providing a wide range of lectures, workshops, and classes that tie in with our exhibits and special events.  Check these pages often for updates!

Adult Programs | Free Activities for Families | Tours for Schools & Groups

Eleventh Annual Garden Themes & Birdhouse Dreams Dinner, Benefit Auction, and Birdwalk!
Birdwalk!: May 16-22
Dinner and Auction event: May 23
Powdermill Nature Reserve

Enjoy dinner and an auction of fun and fanciful garden- and bird-related creations, donated by artists and individuals from the Ligonier Valley and beyond. Visit www.birdhousedreams.com for more information!

Can't make the event? Want a sneak peek of the entries? From May 16 through 22, enjoy strolling through Ligonier, PA during Birdwalk! as all of the entries are displayed in local businesses.

In Harmony with Nature II: Photos by Donald M. Robinson
May 17–Sept. 14, 2008
R.P. Simmons Family Gallery

In Harmony with Nature II: Photos by Donald M. Robinson is a celebration of the works of a nationally acclaimed photographer. For more than 50 years, Don Robinson has explored landscapes, wildlife, and the human condition. From the dawn of nature’s beauty to the last frontiers on Earth, these pictorial essays extend beyond documentation; the collection is a novel of personal experiences and expressions of the universe and all its glory. This vast collection is on loan to Carnegie Museum of Natural History from the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art.

Time Machines: Watches from the H.J. Heinz Collection
Through July 6
Wertz Gallery, Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems

Pittsburgh ketchup and sauce magnate H.J. Heinz (1844-1919) amassed an extensive collection of timepieces during his lifetime. These chronometers offer an array of incredible artistry and amazing mechanical ingenuity.

Through this collection, it is possible to study the evolution of watches as machines, tracing the steps in development from portable sundial to more modern sophisticated mechanical watches. Examples include a gold mechanical “repeating watch” with figures that strike the hour; a watch owned by Lord Nelson, the hero of the Battle of Trafalgar; and a music box watch with a feathered singing bird.

The Heinz Collection is regarded as one of the most important timepiece collections in the United States. H.J. Heinz donated the collection to Carnegie Museum of Natural History in 1917.

Arresting Arrangements - Photos by Craig Cutler
Through July 27
Entrance Gallery, First Floor

This exhibit features 20 large-scale photos by New York photographer Craig Cutler. Craig documented the remounting of Carnegie Museum of Natural History dinosaurs last year at Phil Fraley Productions. Craig’s photos capture the curious juxtaposition of dinosaur parts and human intervention as still life. Many of the photos include the rigging apparatuses for staging and re-posturing the multitude of fragile fossil parts.

Fur, Feathers & Fossils: The Art of Mark A. Klingler
Through Spring 2008
Powdermill Nature Reserve

Mark A. Klingler is an award-winning scientific illustrator at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Fur, Feathers & Fossils ties Klingler's love of nature into a fascinating study of the process of creating art. Selections from Klingler's body of work, accompanied by in-depth descriptions of the process, sources, and applications for the various pieces, provide visitors with a glimpse into the world of scientific and wildlife illustration.

Located in the Laurel Highlands sixty miles east of Pittsburgh, Powdermill Nature Reserve in Rector, PA is the biological research station of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Learn more about PNR and this exhibit on the Powdermill web site:
http://www.powdermill.org/special.htm

Free Family Activities

Free with Museum admission. Check at any Information desk for a list of the day's events!

Advanced Homeschool Class
Tuesday, May 30
1-2:30 p.m.

Ages 8 and up
Dynamic Dinosaurs—In this two-day, in-depth exploration, you’ll learn how recent discoveries in the field of paleontology have changed the ways we view the lives, anatomy, and relationships between dinosaurs.

Members: $16/child, $24/parent/child pair.
Non-members: $20/child, $28/parent/child pair.

Pre-registration is required. Call (412) 622-3288 to register.

Dinosaurs in Their Time: T. rex Returns
June 15, 2008

T. rex returns to Pittsburgh when the final phase of Dinosaurs in Their Time (the late Cretaceous Period and the end of the Age of Dinosaurs) is unveiled. The final and most dramatic part of the exhibit features two T. rex specimens locked in a battle over the fallen body of another dinosaur. This is the final phase of the renovation and expansion of the Carnegie’s collection of dinosaurs. Phase One opened in November 2007 featuring the Triassic, Jurassic, and parts of the Cretaceous periods. Click here to visit the Dinosaurs in Their Time Web site for sneak peeks and Web cams!

Bioforay 2008
June 4–8
Powdermill Nature Reserve

Always fascinating and fun, Bioforay continues at Powdermill Nature Reserve in 2008 from June 4 through 8. Scientific experts from Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the State Museum of Pennsylvania, and St. Vincent College join researchers and educators at Powdermill to lead amateur naturalists on expeditions through a 75-acre foray plot on the Reserve. Participants shadow the scientists as they collect, identify, and record specimens for study. For details and to register, please call Powdermill’s Coordinator of Education, Theresa Gay Rohall, at (724) 593-6105, or visit the Powdermill web site: www.powdermill.org/special.htm

Photo: Dr. Tim Pearce of the Division of Mollusks at CMNH discovered a new species of land snail parasite at a past BioForay!

Food for Thought
Saturday, July 19
Program: 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Satellite call: 2:15 p.m.

Ever wonder how conditions are changing in the Arctic? Or what tools scientists use in polar research? Then join Dr. Mary-Louise Timmermans of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) at Carnegie Museum of Natural History for a stimulating introduction to polar oceanography. Includes lunch; participants are invited to join a live, public satellite call with WHOI scientists in Greenland after the program.

Members: $20
Non-members: $25

Pre-registration is required. Call (412) 622-3288 to register.

Arresting Arrangements - Photos by Craig Cutler
Last day: July 27
Entrance Gallery, First Floor

This exhibit features 20 large-scale photos by New York photographer Craig Cutler. Craig documented the remounting of Carnegie Museum of Natural History dinosaurs last year at Phil Fraley Productions. Craig’s photos capture the curious juxtaposition of dinosaur parts and human intervention as still life. Many of the photos include the rigging apparatuses for staging and re-posturing the multitude of fragile fossil parts.

Natural History Summer Camps 2008
June – August - click on a camp location for more information:

Camp Earth 2008: Wild About Dinosaurs!
June 9 - August 15
Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh
Camp Earth is back for 2008 and packed with more hands-on adventures than ever! Advanced Museum Investigator camps for ages 10–12 and special dino-camps designed to complement Dinosaurs in Their Time are just two highlights of this summer’s wild adventures!

2008 Summer Programs for Children
June 16 - August 1
Powdermill Nature Reserve in Rector, PA
The summer programs offer exciting days of outdoor environmental discovery on Powdermill's 2200 acres of forest streams, ponds, and meadows.

In Harmony with Nature II: Photos by Donald M. Robinson
Through September 14, 2008
R.P. Simmons Family Gallery

In Harmony with Nature II: Photos by Donald M. Robinson is a celebration of the works of a nationally acclaimed photographer. For more than 50 years, Don Robinson has explored landscapes, wildlife, and the human condition. From the dawn of nature’s beauty to the last frontiers on Earth, these pictorial essays extend beyond documentation; the collection is a novel of personal experiences and expressions of the universe and all its glory. This vast collection is on loan to Carnegie Museum of Natural History from the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art.

Time Machines: Watches from the H.J. Heinz Collection
Through July 6, 2008
Wertz Gallery, Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems

Pittsburgh ketchup and sauce magnate H.J. Heinz (1844-1919) amassed an extensive collection of timepieces during his lifetime. These chronometers offer an array of incredible artistry and amazing mechanical ingenuity.

Through this collection, it is possible to study the evolution of watches as machines, tracing the steps in development from portable sundial to more modern sophisticated mechanical watches. Examples include a gold mechanical “repeating watch” with figures that strike the hour; a watch owned by Lord Nelson, the hero of the Battle of Trafalgar; and a music box watch with a feathered singing bird.

The Heinz Collection is regarded as one of the most important timepiece collections in the United States. H.J. Heinz donated the collection to Carnegie Museum of Natural History in 1917.

Time Machines: Watches from the H.J. Heinz Collection
Last day: July 6, 2008
Wertz Gallery, Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems

Pittsburgh ketchup and sauce magnate H.J. Heinz (1844-1919) amassed an extensive collection of timepieces during his lifetime. These chronometers offer an array of incredible artistry and amazing mechanical ingenuity.

Through this collection, it is possible to study the evolution of watches as machines, tracing the steps in development from portable sundial to more modern sophisticated mechanical watches. Examples include a gold mechanical “repeating watch” with figures that strike the hour; a watch owned by Lord Nelson, the hero of the Battle of Trafalgar; and a music box watch with a feathered singing bird.

The Heinz Collection is regarded as one of the most important timepiece collections in the United States. H.J. Heinz donated the collection to Carnegie Museum of Natural History in 1917.

Dinosaur Birthday Parties
Select weekends
Ages 4 and up

Dinosaur Birthday Parties at Carnegie Museum of Natural History include a variety of special dinosaur activities and supplies for up to 24 guests. Parties include cake, ice cream, an interactive dino-talk led by museum staff, a casting activity, a guided exploration of Dinosaurs in Their Time, and much more! For more information, visit the Birthday Party Web site.

Food for Thought
Saturday, July 19
Program: 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Satellite call: 2:15 p.m.

Ever wonder how conditions are changing in the Arctic? Or what tools scientists use in polar research? Then join Dr. Mary-Louise Timmermans of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) at Carnegie Museum of Natural History for a stimulating introduction to polar oceanography. Includes lunch; participants are invited to join a live, public satellite call with WHOI scientists in Greenland after the program.

Members: $20
Non-members: $25

Pre-registration is required. Call (412) 622-3288 to register.

Arresting Arrangements - Photos by Craig Cutler
Last day: July 27
Entrance Gallery, First Floor

This exhibit features 20 large-scale photos by New York photographer Craig Cutler. Craig documented the remounting of Carnegie Museum of Natural History dinosaurs last year at Phil Fraley Productions. Craig’s photos capture the curious juxtaposition of dinosaur parts and human intervention as still life. Many of the photos include the rigging apparatuses for staging and re-posturing the multitude of fragile fossil parts.

Natural History Summer Camps 2008
June – August - click on a camp location for more information:

Camp Earth 2008: Wild About Dinosaurs!
June 9 - August 15
Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh
Camp Earth is back for 2008 and packed with more hands-on adventures than ever! Advanced Museum Investigator camps for ages 10–12 and special dino-camps designed to complement Dinosaurs in Their Time are just two highlights of this summer’s wild adventures!

2008 Summer Programs for Children
June 16 - August 1
Powdermill Nature Reserve in Rector, PA
The summer programs offer exciting days of outdoor environmental discovery on Powdermill's 2200 acres of forest streams, ponds, and meadows.

In Harmony with Nature II: Photos by Donald M. Robinson
Through September 14, 2008
R.P. Simmons Family Gallery

In Harmony with Nature II: Photos by Donald M. Robinson is a celebration of the works of a nationally acclaimed photographer. For more than 50 years, Don Robinson has explored landscapes, wildlife, and the human condition. From the dawn of nature’s beauty to the last frontiers on Earth, these pictorial essays extend beyond documentation; the collection is a novel of personal experiences and expressions of the universe and all its glory. This vast collection is on loan to Carnegie Museum of Natural History from the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art.

Setting Trends: National Jewelry Institute Designer Showcase
Opens July 26, 2008

See the designs that inspire tomorrow's jewelry trends! This exhibit will feature 39 designers including Gucci, Cartier, Bulgari, and more.

Photo: Silver, Sapphire, Aquamarine, Diamond, and Pearl Octopus by Marchak