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| - I visited the Carnegie Museum of Natural History with my parents when they were in town this weekend. I'd been there many times before, but it had been awhile, so it was nice to have the opportunity to show them one of Pittsburgh's treasures. This museum is definitely one of the best of its kind in the country, besting even its Smithsonian counterpart when it comes to dinosaurs thanks to Andrew Carnegie's philanthropic efforts.
Needless to say, the dinosaur exhibit is the highlight here, as it's one of the best in the country and the world. Unlike many other museums, most of the bones of the dinosaurs in the main exhibit are real, rather than casts. This exhibit encompasses three very impressive skeletons of carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs that give a real sense of the gargantuan size of these beasts. There are several other skeletons, including one of two T-Rexes, that are also cool but aren't as genuine, since their bones are mostly casts.
After the dinosaur exhibit, my second favorite exhibit is the minerals sections, which includes crystals and gems of numerous different colors, shapes, and sizes. While most of these structures are in their natural form, there are some that demonstrate human workmanship, including the precious gems in the back room. While this exhibit is fascinating, the museum loses out to the Smithsonian on impressiveness, since they have the actual Hope Diamond. A replica of the Hope Diamond can be found here, however, for your viewing pleasure.
Another notable exhibit is the hall of architecture, which contains casts of many architectural features demonstrating different styles, eras, and origins. The most impressive one is the central feature--a cast of the front facade of a church in France from many years ago. Apparently, collections of casts such as these used to be more common in museums before people traveled so much, and their purpose was to allow patrons to experience different types of architecture without leaving home.
I enjoyed showing the Museum of Natural History to my parents, and they were quite impressed with it. We were able to see the whole museum within 3.5 hours, which surprised me, given that it took me at least two visits to see the entire museum in the past. While it's true that there are several exhibits that are more child-focused, many of the exhibits are sophisticated enough for adult enlightenment and enjoyment. Whether you live in Pittsburgh or are visiting, be sure to check out this museum--it's one of our cultural gems!
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