Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Refurbished Fort Pitt Museum Opens Doors Saturday

In August the Fort Pitt Museum closed its doors due to a of a lack of funding. But thanks to a state contract allowing the John Heinz History Center to operate the museum, it will be open to the public once more. History Center CEO Andy Masich says they spent the past few months refurbishing the facility. He says the infrastructure was outdated and it needed fresh paint, electrical maintenance and a lot of work on the exhibits–including adding new artifacts, changing labels and building new forensic figures that bring museums to life. Another problem is that the museum, situated in Point State Park, is hidden in plain sight. To that end, Masich says they're putting up new signage, mounting a marketing campaign and making it a destination for school field trips. They also plan to stay relevant through ever changing exhibits, programs and activities. This weekend the museum will hold special events like musket firing and colonial craft demonstrations. A shuttle will run between the Fort Pitt Museum and the Heinz History Center every 15 minutes and a ticket bought at one facility will get visitors into both buildings. More information is available at heinzhistorycenter.org.

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