Moonshot Museum — Attraction in Pittsburgh

We were not able to view the lander being built because the curtains were down on the day we visited. This was the primary reason our family went to the museum and we felt it was extremely misleading that the staff allowed us to all pay for our tickets and watch the intro video before mentioning that we wouldn't see the spacecraft. Had we known this, we would have come another day. Sure, there are other things to look at in the museum, but not enough to warrant the ticket or keep you occupied for over an hour. We spoke to the museum director about this, and she insisted that there is no way for them to know if Astrobotic will have the curtains down despite the windows being 15 feet from the front desk. There were people who entered 20 minutes after us who also came specifically to see the lander and were equally upset, so this proves that the front desk is instructed to keep guests in the dark until after they pay for tickets despite knowing that their main attraction is not viewable. With this in mind, you'll want to ask at the front desk before buying your tickets if you'll be able to...

This is an advert for a company, not a real museum. It is Ok if a company sponsors a nonprofit that promotes public's knowledge of the general area in which the company works. This is not the case here: not only the museum is located inside Astrobitic's headquarters, the museum visit starts with a film hyping Pittsburgh aerospace industry with a spotlight on the company. The visitors can then enjoy a scavenger hunt for the relics of the employees and executives of the company (and their business partners), and feel the thrill at being "spontaneously" accosted by museum employees exclaiming that they overheard that the company moon mission will be controlled "from this very building". The agenda is equally visible elsewhere -- for example one of exhibits asks visitors to decide what to do with lunar geological wealth, with the nod to the infomercial video which pitched this as a benefit of the...

Had no idea that this was going on in Pittsburgh - a real space vehicle designed to transport items to and from the moon being built in front of your eyes. The museum is small, but packed with information and activities for kids. Such a brilliant idea to put science on display and it helps dispel those old Pittsburgh "steeltown" tropes that the region has clasped to for far too long. Pittsburgh is a city of science and that's a 21st century reality to be extremely proud of! The staff could have been friendlier or more knowledgeable about the space industry and we thank them for their warm welcome and hospitality! Definitely...