NOV. 16, 2019 – JAN. 5, 2020
During the holiday season, relive holiday memories and make new ones with your family at the History Center’s A Very Merry Pittsburgh exhibit.

A Very Merry Pittsburgh will include a special section featuring family keepsakes, artifacts, film, and imagery that explore how Western Pennsylvanians have celebrated major winter holidays, including Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa, through the years.

Visitors can wrap up their holiday shopping in the History Center Museum Shop, featuring quirky Heinz products, Pittsburgh-proud T-shirts and apparel, award-winning books, and more!

Meet Santa Claus

No trip to Santaland is complete without a visit from old Saint Nick. Join us from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on select dates through Christmas Eve to take photos with Santa Claus and see the original chair from Kaufmann’s Santaland display.

This holiday season, the Heinz History Center is proud to partner with the Best of the Batch Foundation’s Batch-A-Toys holiday toy drive.

Drop off new and unwrapped toys at the History Center now through Monday, Dec. 23 to help make the season brighter for hundreds of families in the Pittsburgh area.

Thank you for your support!

Exhibit Must-Sees

  • An interactive play area with retro toys for kids of all ages to enjoy;
  • Historic gifts and toys from the 1840s through today that showcase the evolution of gift-giving in Western Pa.;
  • Holiday decorations and artifacts from downtown Pittsburgh department stores like Kaufmann’s/Macy’s and Horne’s;
  • Memorable objects from Kaufmann’s Santaland, including Santa’s original chair, giant Mr. and Mrs. Claus ornaments, and the mailbox where thousands of Pittsburgh children mailed their Christmas wish lists to the North Pole; and
  • Holiday music and décor.

Guided Tours

On select dates throughout the run of the exhibit, meet a History Center docent under the Kauffman’s Clock for a guided tour of A Very Merry Pittsburgh. Hear the stories behind the artifacts on display, play with original Wolverine Toy Company toys, and share family holiday traditions.

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