Carnegie Museum of Art — Attraction in Pittsburgh

I had a pretty poor experience yesterday at the art museum and am not writing this to complain, but to inform other parents planning on making a trip here. Unfortunately none of their ridiculous restrictions were on their website, or we would have planned our trip different.

My husband and I made a 2.5 hour drive with some friends and our two year old to visit the museum and see a special exhibit. Upon arriving we put my daughter in her carrier, just like we have done at every other large museum we have ever visited, only to be told by a very grumpy and rude security guard after he watched us put her in her carrier, that we were not allowed to use a baby carrier. When we questioned this absurd request he threatened to call additional security and then told me I could not take her diaper bag in either, even though we pointed out there were many people carrying bags even larger. Apparently the rule is no bags or items on a back. We offered to let him search the bag and told him we would carry it on our side and he became more agitated. We told him the alternative was a two year old running wild through the museum, which he told us we would be removed for. We were told to carry her, but not with a baby carrier.

While I understand that this is a museum policy, it honestly makes no sense and the security guard was obnoxiously rude with us. Had we known this we would have packed a stroller (a no no in most other museums we've been to) or planned to leave her at home. I missed the exhibit I drove to see because I had to sit with my two year old in the hall while she had a melt down because she should have been napping in her carrier. At least if the regulations had been posted, I could have known in advanced to...

Disappointed from Start to Finish – Not Worth the Cost

Our visit to the Carnegie Museum of Art was deeply disappointing. The trouble started with parking. Despite paying a premium, we were directed to a lot that was partially under construction. Finding our way from the lot to the ticket counter was frustrating, as signage was unclear and poorly placed.

The ticket prices were also a major letdown. At $50 just to get in the door, the cost felt excessive for a public museum. Museums should be accessible to all, ideally free or at least reasonably priced.

Before even exploring the exhibits, we attempted to get coffee. Despite a short line, the service was slow. Just before our order was taken, a fire alarm went off. While I understand that this wasn’t the staff’s fault, the evacuation was chaotic. Employees gave conflicting directions, and once we were outside, we were told to move out from under the building’s cover into the cold rain. We stood in that weather for about 25 minutes.

Once inside, I’ll admit the exhibits were of high quality and the space was clean. However, I was disappointed by how heavily the museum leans into a worldview that conflicts with my own. I expect the arts to reflect a variety of perspectives, but it was clear that certain narratives (like millions of years and fossil records) were presented as unquestioned truth, without acknowledgment of faith-based views such as those grounded in the Bible.

In the end, paying a high ticket price and parking fee just to feel dismissed and out of place made for a frustrating day. I would not recommend this experience to others who value affordability, clear communication, and a more balanced...

A mixed bag. Parts of the Carnegie Museum of Art are truly transcendent. The Hall of Architecture is a metaphysical experience — towering replicas of Renaissance masterpieces, true beauty and spiritual order. The Grand Staircase is breathtaking, with a mural of angels.

Unfortunately, the rest of the museum goes in the opposite direction, drowning you in nihilism. There are many modern, woke, joyless, or grotesque pieces. The Heinz Galleries in particular felt like a full-on assault on my spirit - my fiancé and I could barely make it through.

I was particularly infuriated and offended by the removal of a historic Greek statue in the Hall of Sculptures, now swapped for twisted, malformed figure with blackened hands and a curved spine staring at a cell phone. Whoever made the decision to replace the original piece should lose their job - an absolute disgrace to the beauty of the hall, intended as a sanctuary of classical beauty and ideal form, now degraded by the intrusion of a grotesque figure mocking everything the space was meant to honor.

I am torn: half the museum is uplifting and enriching, half of it is demoralizing and draining. Overall, I'm not confident that the leadership at the Carnegie Museum of Art is committed to distinguishing between that which is beautiful and that which panders to modern nihilism. Art should elevate the soul, it should be transcendent and timeless - it should never bend the knee to the ugly, chaotic, soulless,...