The Smithsonian’s Home in Pittsburgh

The Heinz History Center is proud to be the flagship Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

Since 2000, this collaborative partnership with the world’s largest museum system has allowed the History Center to bring world-class Smithsonian exhibitions and artifacts to Western Pennsylvania.

Iconic Smithsonian artifacts, such as the world’s oldest jeep or one of the first commercial radio transmitters, are always on view at the Smithsonian’s only affiliate museum in Western Pennsylvania.

As a Smithsonian Affiliate, the History Center regularly hosts groundbreaking, award-winning exhibitions developed in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), such as Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission, Portraits of Pittsburgh, American Democracy, and more.

In addition to exhibitions, the History Center and the Smithsonian work closely on a wide scope of projects, including public programs, educational workshops, professional development, and publications.

New Exhibit Alert: Smithsonian’s The Negro Motorist Green Book

Stay tuned for more information about the History Center’s newest Smithsonian exhibit, The Negro Motorist Green Book, opening in May 2023. In collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and award-winning author Candacy Taylor, The Negro Motorist Green Book will offer an immersive look at the reality of travel for African Americans in mid-century America and how the annual guide served as an indispensable resource for the nation’s rising Black middle class.

Join the Smithsonian

Did you know? If you become a History Center member, you also join the Smithsonian!

That means receiving amazing perks like free access to Smithsonian museums, a subscription to the award-winning Smithsonian magazine, discounts on the online Smithsonian shop, and more.

 

Smithsonian Spotlight

Portrait Bust of George Westinghouse. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.

Bantam Reconnaissance Car, Number 007, 1940. Affectionately known as “Gramps,” this is the oldest surviving Bantam jeep.  The U.S. Army donated Gramps to the Smithsonian Institution in 1944.  Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.

Patent model, Roebling wire rope. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History 

Model of the Rodman Process pioneered at the Fort Pitt Foundry, c. 1864 (base added in 1878)   The first gun built using the Rodman hollow casting process was made at the Fort Pitt Foundry in the 1850s. In 1860, the War Department commissioned Rodman to build the world’s first 15-inch cannon. By 1864, Rodman had also supervised the fabrication of a massive 20-inch gun. This model depicts the specialized intricate casting apparatus used in making the first 20-inch Rodman, which required nearly 80 tons of molten iron poured from three furnaces. A complex four-piece mold was required to shape the cannon, which was cast in an upright position. The completed 20-inch gun barrel, one of six made at the Fort Pitt Foundry, weighed 117,000 pounds. This model educated West Point Military Academy cadets on the casting techniques pioneered in Pittsburgh.     Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History 

KDKA transmitter, c. 1921  In the days when there were few regulations for radios, Frank Conrad, a Westinghouse engineer, built a makeshift studio in his garage and played records over the airwaves. His supervisor at Westinghouse, Harry P. Davis saw Conrad’s hobby as a great way to sell more radios, and they applied for the first commercial radio license. On October 27, 1920, they received the call letters KDKA and set up a small studio in Westinghouse’s East Pittsburgh Works. On November 2, KDKA broadcast the election results between Harding and Cox, credited as the first commercial radio broadcast.    Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History  This replica transmitter retains some parts from Frank Conrad’s original, which is credited with the first commercial radio broadcast.