I first visited this science center many years ago while I was in college. Even then, it was an enjoyable experience, although it was beginning to show its age. After hearing about the recent major renovation, I was excited to return with my family and our young children. Unfortunately, we left feeling underwhelmed. Several of the interactive exhibits we were looking forward to were out of order, which was disappointing, especially for the kids. Some areas also felt sparse, including one section that was largely just a LEGO play area. Given the investment in the renovation, we expected a more engaging and polished experience. Overall, we didn't feel the science center lived up to its potential or justified the admission price. While there are still some enjoyable exhibits, we had hoped for a more immersive and interactive experience. read more

There is a lot to love about the Science Center! Multiple floors of exhibits, plenty are hands on and there is something for all ages! Plus there are several different live shows daily along with planetarium shows (free with admission). There are also add ons like the laser show and the omnimax cinema. There is a paid parking lot right outside the science center. Parking is very reasonable ($6) but depending on how busy it is, you may end up quite far from the entrance, so keep that in mind. You can purchase admission in advance online (especially important if you are visiting one of the special exhibits) or you can get it there. Either way, you will need to wait in line to get your wrist band. There are times that there is quite a line, but they seem to be pretty efficient overall at getting people through. Some favorites of our family are the earthquake simulator, the electricity show, the model train and the submarine. (note, it is wonderful to see, but there are plenty of tight spaces so might not be great to tour if you are Closterphobic). I wish they hadn't taken out their robot area. They replaced it with a Mars exploration exhibit which is interesting, but for my kids and I it was kind of a one and done whereas the robots we would visit every single time and spend tons of time there. They area that was formerly sportsworks is currently being renovated to a gocart track which I'm sure will be fun. But it seems like with each renovation they are removing some of the more educational aspects and replacing them with things that will be more fun centered. There is a cafe on the ground floor. Typical cafe type stuff that is decently priced for museum food, but still costly. You can always pack your food or just get something to eat after your visit. Avoid the weekend of Thanksgiving and the weeks of Christmas break at all costs. I made that mistake once and it was so crowded you could barely move. Definitely not a fun experience. They often host special events for both members and the general public. I've been to a few of the 21+ nights and while they are fun, as a member they aren't worth the cost to me. One of our favorite events was the Polar Express PJ party where you started the day with some science themed activities, Santa and then hot coco and snacks for a private screening of the film. Overall, a fun museum for people of all ages (definitely not just a place for kids). read more

Tressa taught the Space Explorers workshop and our grandchildren were captivated. She even spent 10 minutes after the class discussing the solar system. Highly recommend! We were disappointed that the sports complex was closed, even though they are preparing for a new exhibit. read more

It wasn't a surprise to me that this was a kids' attraction. It was more of a surprise that I would find myself here paying a somewhat exorbitant $25 admission fee on a wintry Sunday morning. I was walking the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and in need of an excuse to get out of the bitter cold. Besides which, I saw the center houses a miniature replica of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater (Photo 2). That appealed to me since I just visited the real thing. It turned out to be a part of the Miniature Railroad & Village, an expansive display of moving trains in a model of the greater Pittsburgh area (Photo 10). Otherwise there were some marginally interesting exhibits focused on the human body and the life of an astronaut. There was also a display of famous robots and a model of the surface of Mars. Several of the more immersive exhibits appeared closed for renovation. Just by chance, I caught a documentary short about volcanoes in the Buhl Planetarium. It wasn't the most visually interesting subject for their convex projection system, but it passed the time. I think the center is best suited to families with pre-adolescent kids. They were the most willing visitors. An hour plus was enough for me. RELATED - Exploring Pittsburgh? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/h0m3wFlCdJ read more

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It was a beautiful day to be at the museum and get to see the new cities of the future film in Rangos. I asked if there would be anything from Jensens and watch until the end to get a glimpse. I am even more excited for the new exhibit the science of sport and the electric go kart sneak peak at the entrance of the museum. It was cool to see the completed mars exhibit. I need to go back and take a closer look which I love about museums. There's so much there that you need a couple of visits to soak it all in. read more

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Overall my family enjoyed the museum. We had a reciprocal pass and would have been disappointed if we paid full price. We arrived to the museums shortly before opening and parked in the closest lot. We received a map that was helpful to navigate since the museum is on multiple floors. Our first stop was the submarine and we were able to get the next tour. It's not really a tour but a time to access the sub and read the signs. The kids didn't really spend much time reading and rather quickly walked through. They have multiple levels of exhibits but not as much as I would expect for the size. Some of the highlights included the sports area, train display, earthquake simulator. They have several shows but the timing only worked out so we could do one. You can pay for add ons for the laser show, movies and makers label but for a family that can add up quick. We planned to have lunch there since the food menu looked like it would please our family. When it came time to eat lunch we were surprised that only a partial menu was available. Fun to check out once but not something I would do again. read more

We love visiting the science center! On this particular trip our favorite exhibit (water works) was closed for construction to bring something new. But we also got to experience something different this time! We attended a family story-time in the planetarium/theater dome. That was fun! The train room is always a big hit too - we notice something different every time! read more

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What a fun museum with lots to do. The Kamin Science Center is fun for all ages! From shooting off rockets to live animals to exploring a submarine, watching a planetarium show or a movie on the big screen, there's plenty to do and lots to learn. I loved the 4 season model train set with such incredible attention to detail. We spent several hours here on a Sunday, which wasn't very crowded. We were able to park right out front. read more

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Im torn between 3 and 4 stars. Ive been to the Science Center on several occasions and we always have a good time. I was a bit disappointed in this visit as half the museum was closed! Sport works was completely gutted, the water area on the first floor was closed, the train area was closed and when we tried to go in the Fab Lab it was closed! Im not sure why the museum was even open. We did go see a show at the Buhl planetarium which was awesome (Beginners Guide) I highly recommend. We also went in the sports 360 exhibit which was fun. We did the body and mars area as well. Basically everything we could do that was actually open. We will probably wait a bit for our next visit to make sure other floors of the science center are open. Parking was $6 which is to be expected in the north shore. There isn't a coat rack but they have lockers available for 50 cents. read more

Carnegie Science Center re-opened as the Kamin Science Center. Over $100 million in new exhibits are planned for the next decade and I can't wait to see what they come up with! read more

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The name here is soon changing because of the donor, but this museum really is wonderful. I've brought the kids here on several occasions. It is situated in a very central spot that is on your way to any sporting event in the city. Four floors to explore, and some of the exhibits change from time to time. Don't forget to see the big train that features miniatures of all of your favorite Pittsburgh locations. You also won't want to miss the second building that is dedicated to motion and how the human body works. Enjoy. read more

Kamin Science Center - What's up! - Museums Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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The Carnegie Science Center is located on the North Shore in the midst of the stadiums. They have a paid parking lot. My son is just over one year old so the fourth floor toddler area is perfect for him. There's a water table area, button wall, tumbling area with foam blocks, and more. He could've stayed in the tumbling area for an hours! He also loved the huge train display. It has immaculate details, it was really interesting to look at. Excited to keep coming back as he gets older! read more

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Carnegie Science Center is a must-visit! Mind-blowing exhibits, hands-on fun, and a vibrant vibe. Highly recommend seeing it for yourself--pure science magic! Can't wait to go back read more

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This center has an incredible location on the river, some good exhibits, and a small parking lot. I have a STEM background and am glad for anything that supports science education and am pretty thrilled that this place is still here. As noted, the view from the center over the river is really nice. There's also an outdoor sub exhibit that is open weather permitting. It was too cold the day we went, so we missed it, but it's nice that it's a thing. I hadn't been here since high school and was surprised how familiar the place felt. I'm sure some things have been updated (the Mars exhibit was definitely newer) but some things have been here for a while (the train exhibit, which always felt more history oriented to me than science). Also, a fair number of interactive exhibits were not functional. Maintenance or a total overhaul is needed in some instances. My 15 year old sister loved the human body exhibits and I loved the planetarium. I rather wish we'd visited the Pixar exhibit, but at $25 a pop for General Admission, this place is a little expensive so we couldn't manage add-ons. Also, we didn't eat here, so I can't speak to the food. I was glad we arrived early because the lot is tiny and when we left lots of people were driving circles trying to snag a spot. Overall, this is a good place, but some maintenance is in order, especially in the section about the water cycle. Exhibits should be functional! read more

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I took my kids to the Carnegie Science Center on a Sunday at 2:30 and it was great! There weren't many people there so we got to do a lot in a little bit of time. Extra bonus today! We got to go on the submarine!! This was a super cool experience and my kids loved it. The train room had some extra Halloween themed objects to find which was also really fun for the kids. read more

Kamin Science Center - Perfect day for a submarine tour! - Museums Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Amazing staff. Everyone was very polite and professional. The movies were very entertaining and educational. Enjoyed the submarine self-tour, but that felt a little rushed. read more

Extraordinary community asset, educational resource and a place to go for an engaging and entertaining afternoon. My favorite parts are the submarine and the Works Theater. The staff are always enthusiastic, well trained, and engaging storytellers. The model train section is something I keep going back to, especially because it often gets updated. It was cool to see a replica of the Rachel Carson Homestead, for example, as well as Kennywood and the Incline. The gift shop has some amazing educational games and gifts, so save some time to see what's there. The Science Center is also an excellent venue for outside events and meetings read more

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The science center is connected to the art museum. The science center has probably the largest collection of dinosaur bones I have seen in one place. Everything was well presented with a lot of information given. The art museum has a very nice diverse collection of classical to modern art. Everything was a bit unusual and gave me a bit of different perspective into some of these masters' works that are a little different than how I've known their work. It kept me pondering and thinking about some of the questions regarding the "art world". Though our visit was short, but the impact on me hasn't been. read more

Kamin Science Center - Museums Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Seems the monetized renaming of this longtime Pittsburgh favorite (formerly the Carnegie Science Center) hasn't done it any favors. While most of the staff are friendly and helpful, the "science" in the Kamin Science Center has been severely diluted by overly glitzy displays and what has devolved into a large collection of engineered toys. It's a tech based child's playground and that aspect is fine. But the other unnecessary distraction is the politically charged agenda that seems to be lurking everywhere, from children's books advancing topics that are anything but scientific (or even education based) to stickers and doodads being offered with slogans. Kids probably won't pick up on these things, but considering how much we paid to step through the doors (not to mention parking) - I would rather not be prompted to roll my eyes repeatedly at displays that preach anything *but* objective scientific discipline. On the upside: the train display is always worthwhile (now a long time permanent display from the Buhl Science Center days). Overall, the entire experience had an undertone of management/staff self indulgence, rather than a quality public attraction furthering a true scientific agenda. read more

This was probably our third or fourth visit to the Carnegie Science Center and it was such a blast to experience it through our toddlers eyes. We spent two hours exploring the four floors of fun and learning that the museum offers. Our adult tickets were $25 each and kiddos under two are free. The biggest draw for our visit was the large train exhibit. We probably spent thirty minutes in that room alone. There are so many intricate details and history factoids to soak in. I love how the exhibit showcases not only the four seasons but the lights change to experience both day and night. It's a beauty and fun for both adults and kids. The museum also features an outer space exhibit, shows, hands-on water features, small water creatures, Lego exhibits and more. I especially appreciated the section dedicated to those six and under with musical instruments, a climbing space, small tables, etc. I thought this museum does an exceptional job of catering to all ages. The cherry on top? Parking was $5 - not shabby. read more

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My overall impression is that the Science Center is a little worn and in need of a facelift. We got the general admission but if you pay more there are a few bonus movies and attractions. We thought it was a good place to take children and there were many groups there from the local summer camps. read more

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According to the Carnegie Science Center's website, General Admission includes the Miniature Railroad and Village, Mars: The Next Giant Leap, Highmark SportsWorks (in a building next door), four floors of interactive exhibits, Buhl Planetarium astronomy shows, and the USS Requin submarine (in the nearby river). Other areas of the museum--the Rangos Giant Cinema, the Laser Show, and the current Vikings exhibit--are NOT included in General Admission and cost additional money. I have visited this science center at least a few times over the past several years. In previous visits, I toured the main building and submarine and watched a laser show. During my visit today, I toured the main building and paid extra to tour the Vikings exhibit. Two parking lots--the Main and the North--are available, and they cost $5, which is paid at the end of the visit. I initially tried to park in the Main lot, but the parking arm/gate would not go up, and no employee answered the help button, so I ended up parking across the street in the North lot. I had bought tickets through the website days earlier, but I still needed to have an employee scan my tickets. The front desk had several employees, but they initially ignored me. Two employees were reading books! After a minute, one employee said that she could help me. The main building consists of a ground floor and four upper floors. I do not have children, but I saw many children playing with the interactive exhibits and having fun. Some of my favorite exhibits were the Miniature Railroad and Village, the displays about preparing for life on Mars (e.g., growing microorganisms and plants), and the full-scale replicas of the International Space Station. I appreciated the volunteers who monitored the exhibits and provided educational information. The Vikings exhibit contained artifacts that were well over 1,000 years-old, including swords, axes, arrowheads, horse stirrups, and brooches. I felt interested in the small boat that was reconstructed out of wood, steel, a wool sail, and ropes. I spent about 20 minutes in this Vikings exhibit. At the end of my visit, I shopped in the gift shop, the XPLOR Store. I chose to buy astronauts' ice cream and a bee house. The cashier did a good job with ringing up my purchase, processing my payment, and bagging my merchandise. Other important information: The on-site restaurant is called the RiverView Café, and it sells foods such as pizzas, sandwiches, soups, and salads. read more

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This review is for the Titanic exhibit only. The exhibit itself is small. They have personal items recovered belonging to the victims, items from the ship such as a few cabin items, nautical items, a porthole, and pots & pans from the kitchen. The largest displays are of the cabins. They have two completely furnished exemplars. I'm not sure how much is from the ship, though. Much of the exhibit is projected text describing how the accident happened. You exit through the exhibit gift shop where you can purchase prints of your picture that was taken at the entrance. Personally I was disappointed with the Titanic exhibit. read more

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I took my 5 year old here today and he loved it. We started at the top floor and worked our way down. This was a great place to visit for a few hours during the rain. We didn't make it out to the sub but I did get a good picture of it. Great interactive exhibits and I enjoyed this more than the Children's museum. read more

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Went to the Titanic Exhibit this past weekend. It was packed!! We had to park in a parking lot adjacent to the center and paid $6 for parking. Luckily we bought tickets online so getting checked in was a breeze. At check in we were assigned an individual from the Titanic to be. The exhibit was pretty neat. Lots of information that I did not know and some pretty cool artifacts. Thought it was pretty cool to have an 'iceberg' to touch and feel. Then at the end you could scan your ticket to see if your person survived or not. Would recommend in going and honestly would go again in the future. read more

Way too expensive and not worth the money or time. The sports works next door is closed, the train room is closed, the submarine closed, the new "sports exhibit" isn't nearly as fun for kids as the old robotic exhibits. Tons of money spent on renovating the entry but exhibits leave a lot to be departed. My 6 year old was done and bored and ready to go home after an hour. read more

I've LOVED the science center ever since I was little. It's such a great way to spend an afternoon. I'm saying this as a drinking age adult lol. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because Sportsworks has really gone downhill since I was a child. There is a lot less to do. Most of the activities are a lot less physical which is okay just a bummer. read more

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We recently went to the Science Center to see the Pompeii Exhibit. We hadn't been there for a while due to covid. The Pompeii Exhibit was amazing. They had so many cool artifacts that were unbelievably intact considering how old they are and what happened to the city. They also told the story of the poor people from Pompeii so well via two videos and the posters in the exhibit. I also love going to see the laser light shows set to music. They are so much fun and so interesting. Little kids love going there to explore the cool exhibits. They are so engaging and really getting them excited about science and all the various applications. The Sports Works really make kids happy. They have so many different ways to play sports and see how science and sports intersect. They also have an iMax which plays all different types of nature and cultural films. read more

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The science of Pixar was amazing! But if you are going here just come to this. The rest of the museum was overcrowded, and ramped with unsupervised children. Most of the exhibit seemed rather run down. It was hard to enjoy a lot of the interactive elements. It was also extremely expensive to come here. Three people was over 100 dollars! I wouldn't recommend coming here. The crowds and the price are screaming stay away. read more

We paid $5 to park & $30 admission. We have timed tickets for the submarine. There is a cafe & big gift shop. The Rocky Mountain express film is on the hour and $7 extra. We started at the robotics lab where we created tunes, programed robots, saw their role in in healthcare, transportation and sports. There was a lot to see & play with at the bodywork's exhibit. Fascinating how we could see our heartbeat, intestines & brains. We went on a :20 tour of the USS Requin. We walked through this submarine seeing the engine room, navigation, sleeping and dining quarters. We walked quickly through the space place going inside the international space station. The top floor was a children's playroom with lots of Legos and climbing equipment. There were many presentation rooms with scientists doing experiments live. read more

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My kids enjoyed it. I haven't been to the science center in about five years and I did notice that some things were different while others are still the same. Admission is a decent price and includes the sports center next door as well as a few other things. The map says the submarine is included in the admission though when I went outside to go to the submarine, there was a sign that said tour pass required. Not too sure what that was about but I decided just to turn around and opt out of going inside it. Parking was $5. read more

Kamin Science Center - Museums Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Cool place. Went to see the Titanic exhibit. It was interesting how they had boarding passes with the names and information of passengers. A lot of reading and some nice artifacts. Definitely a good experience for adults to like historical events. read more

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This place is great and I'm glad it changes now and again. The submarine is always my favorite but the boys are huge fans of the sports works. We really could stay here from open to close. There's just so much. It's my favorite Pittsburgh museum. read more

Kamin Science Center - The mesmerizing basketball robot. - Museums Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Another 18+ Night review -- this one the Halloween special, Heroes and Villains. Activities included science demonstrations, a live drawing battle between Marvel comics illustrators, karaoke, and a cosplay competition. All of that was great. Visitors also had access to the Guitars exhibit, which was a nice perk because it is usually an additional fee on top of admission. Many of the traveling exhibits like that are excellent -- Mummies stands out as a personal favorite, and I recall the Bodies exhibit making a big splash when it came through probably close to two decades ago -- but the Guitar one I think I would have been bummed about if I'd paid extra to see it specifically. The giant guitar was cool, and so was seeing guitars of rockers from around the world. There were a few interactive pieces about the science behind music and sound, but overall, not as detailed as I was expecting after seeing past shows. They closed the food court promptly at 9pm, which left my group a little hangry. We stood in front of the counter for 5 minutes picking drinks and reviewing the menu options, at which point we stepped up to the counter to order. The woman there -- who had not mentioned to us the entire time we stood there that they were closing -- told us the kitchen closed at 9, sorry. It was 9:01. And I get it, it was the late shift and she was ready to go. But they even shut down the vending machines T_T read more

Very interactive. Great variety for the kids. Well thought out. Labyrinth puzzle, lego places to build, basketball shooting, climbing for kids, much much more. My favorite part of the museum personally was the railroad village. Didn't care much for the submarine since I had been in one before. read more

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My 4 year old loves this Science center. There Is so much to do and see. He especially loves the train room and the 4th floor. The science center is perfect for so many ages. read more

Kamin Science Center - 4th floor water table - Museums Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Due to Covid they have limited entry. It' still seemed a little busy And by 230 all of the submarine tours were gone. The tours run every 20 minutes for a group of eight only. I did use my veterans discount which I am glad, it cut the price in half. This was much more reasonable four the amount of time that we spent there. This is good for kids of all ages but I would say it is geared to those 10 and under. Also with Covid some of the attractions were not available, which is understandable, but also sort of confusing because just about everything in there gets touched. Just bring your own hand sanitizer. read more

Kamin Science Center - May namesake - Museums Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Decent museum. The David Bowie laser light show is great but feel it should be limited to children 13-14 years and up. Small children seemed to just try to out screech each other. The techs that presented the show were great! It wasn't too cold in the theater. There were several interactive exhibits. read more

The science center offers fun and interesting exhibits for both kids and adults. Right now, the Carnegie Center has the world's largest playable electric guitar, and the area of the museum has a lot of cool guitars and string instruments to look at. There is a space (no pun intended) dedicated to learning about the solar system, where you can build a space station, launch a rocket, and drop a parachute. There's a floor dedicated to human anatomy and an area to see fish, lizards, and learn about the ecosystem. My two favorite areas in the museum were the model city room (it's HUGE and has 100 moving pieces, include a few electric trains) and the sports building, which is outside of the main entrance and let's you test your sprint speed, basketball shot, wheelchair racing speed, baseball bat swing, skateboarding balance, and more. read more

Kids should find it fun enough. The quick walk through the USS Requin submarine is cool.