mission
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh provides innovative and inclusive museum experiences that inspire kindness, joy, creativity and curiosity for all learners. We forge connections with artists, community partners and neighbors to work on behalf of children, youth and families.
vision
To transform education.
key values
- Learning
- Experimentation
- Partnerships
- Good Design, Art and Artists
- Diversity
- Kindness
- Reflection and Improvement
audiences served*
350,000 visitors annually
4,132 member families
9,321 senior citizens admissions
15,986 children visited on field trips, and of these children 8,898 visited from Title 1 schools
*Fiscal Year 2024
communities served
North Side Neighborhood
City of Pittsburgh
Surrounding counties (Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Washington, Westmoreland)
partnerships
The Museum shares its 80,000 square foot space with the following organizations who work with or on behalf of children:
In the Children’s Museum:
- Reading is FUNdamental Pittsburgh
- Head Start/Pre-K classrooms for the Pittsburgh Public Schools
- SLB Radio Productions (family radio program)
In MuseumLab:
- Manchester Academic Charter School
- Allies for Children (child advocacy group)
economic impact
More than 100 staff members
$11.5M operating budget
Fiscal year 2024
national awards
- USA Today’s Top Ten Children’s Museums list, 2024
- PA Museums’ Institutional Award of Merit, 2024
- Association of Midwest Museums’ Best Practices Award, 2024
- Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums’ Making an Impact Award, 2024
- USA Today’s Top Ten Children’s Museums list, 2023
- American Institute of Architects’ Educational Institute Design Award for Ehrman Crest Elementary, 2023
- Association of Science & Technology Centers’ Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Award, 2023
- Association of Science & Technology Center’s Most Innovative Interactive Traveling Exhibition Award, 2023
- Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2022 for Ehrman Crest Elementary, 2023
- USA Today’s Top Ten Children’s Museum list, 2022
- Building Museums Symposium’s Buildy Award for MuseumLab, 2022
- USA Today’s Top Ten Children’s Museums list, 2021
- Dezeen Award, Civic and Cultural Interior of the Year for MuseumLab, 2020
- AIA Pennsylvania Honor Award for Interior Architecture for MuseumLab, 2020
- AIA Pittsburgh Silver Award for MuseumLab, 2020
- Chicago Athenaeum: The American Architecture Award for MuseumLab, 2020
- RAIA International Award for Heritage Architecture and Sustainable Architecture for MuseumLab, 2020
- Gold LEED Recognition for MuseumLab, 2020
- PA Museums Special Achievement Award, 2020
- Architizer A+ Award for Cultural/Museum Design, 2020
- Pennsylvania Historic Trust for Preservation Construction Award, Rehabilitation, for MuseumLab, 2020
- USA Today’s Best Museums for Families list, 2017 & 2020
- ULI Pittsburgh, Award of Excellence / Visionary Place for MuseumLab, 2018
- Parents magazine’s 15 Best Children’s Museums list, 2015
- Kiwi magazine’s 6 Green Children’s Museums to Visit, 2015
- Parents magazine’s 10 Best Children’s Museums list, 2011
- Institute of Museum and Library Services National Medal, 2009
- Four-star rating from Charity Navigator – the highest rating – in FY 2008, 2005, 2004
- Western PA Environmental Award, 2008
- Rudy Brunner Award for Urban Design Excellence, Gold Medalist, 2007
- National Historic Trust for Preservation Honor Award for Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, 2006
- Silver LEED Recognition for Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, 2006
- American Institute of Architects National Honor Award, 2006
- Association of Science and Technology Center’s Leading Edge Award for Business Practices, 2005
- American Association of Museum’s Gold Muse Award for Websites (www.pittsburghkids.org), 2005
- Association of Children’s Museum’s Promising Practice Award for design partnership with UPCLOSE, 2004