PITTSBURGH, PA.- Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh set a new record for annual admissions at its four museums. More than 1.185 million people visited Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History in Oakland, Carnegie Science Center, and The Andy Warhol Museum in 2008, surpassing the previous 2001 admissions record of 1.013 million people.

The two Oakland museums—Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, which share a building and a single admissions price—saw the largest percentage increase in visitation year-over-year, attributed in large part to the longest-ever run of the Carnegie International (the 55th edition), Carnegie Museum of Art’s world-renowned survey of contemporary art, and the opening of the final phase of Dinosaurs in Their Time, Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s premier dinosaur exhibit. Admissions at the Oakland museums increased 30 percent over 2007, to a record 386,300 visitors. More than 279,000 people visited the Carnegie International during its seven-month run. The 04/05 International recorded 148,973 visitors while the 99/00 International brought in 162,230 visitors.

Carnegie Science Center, which hosted BODIES…The Exhibition in 2007-08, a traveling exhibition that attracted 266,000 visitors during its seven-month run through May 2008, welcomed 711,700 visitors in 2008, a 27 percent increase over the previous year. The Andy Warhol Museum, which started the year with the popular Ron Mueck exhibition, welcomed 87,400 visitors, a six percent increase over 2007.

“We’re extremely proud of our accomplishments in 2008,” said David Hillenbrand, president of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. “Admissions numbers tell an important story of how important our four museums are to the region. Our museums teach, inspire, and bring families and individuals from all backgrounds together for truly memorable experiences. They also attract people to the region; last year, we welcomed more than 200,000 out-of-town visitors.”

2009 PROGRAMMING: Horses, Robots, Art & Flowers, Darth Vader, the Return of Decorative Arts, Warhol & Music, Pittsburgh Black History, and more

“Our plans for 2009 again speak to the incredible diversity of our four museums,” Hillenbrand said. “They include opening new attractions—roboworld and SportsWorks at Carnegie Science Center—as well as bringing many one-of-a-kind exhibitions to the region that only the four Carnegie Museums could bring.”


2009 Highlights:

Now playing at Carnegie Science Center’s IMAX® theater is Grand Canyon Adventure, a film that takes viewers on an exhilarating, river-rafting adventure down the Colorado River in the company of a team of explorers who are committed to bringing awareness to global water issues.

In celebration of Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Duquesne University, and other local institutions are presenting a citywide series of Darwin-themed events. The museum will host lectures on Saturday afternoons from February through April at 1 p.m. And on February 9, in collaboration with the Drue Heinz Lecture Series, famed Darwin researcher Janet Browne will present a special lecture at Carnegie Music Hall. Browne spent 17 years editing Darwin's correspondence, and her work integrates Darwin’s science with his life and times.

Opening February 28 at The Andy Warhol Museum is The Vader Project, a must-see for fans of the world-famous Star Wars trilogy. The exhibition features re-imaginings of the Darth Vader mask by some of the world’s hottest pop artists.

Opening February 28 at Carnegie Museum of Natural History is The Horse, an exhibition that looks at the enduring bond between horses and humans, featuring spectacular fossils, models, dioramas, and cultural objects from around the world. Organized by the American Museum of Natural History in collaboration with Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

The weekend of Apri1 17-19, Carnegie Museum of Art will for the first time present Art in Bloom, an event that invites regional garden clubs to create original floral arrangements that interpret, respond to, and are inspired by works in the Museum of Art galleries, and many of the arrangements will be exhibited in the galleries. It opens with a gala fundraising event organized by the museum’s Women’s Committee.

Carnegie Science Center will open two new major exhibits in 2009: roboworld, opening June 13, and the new SportsWorks, scheduled to open in the fall. roboworld will be the country’s only full-scale exhibit dedicated to robotics and will tap the collective brain power of Pittsburgh’s extensive robotics community. SportsWorks will mark a return of the Science Center’s popular science-of-sports attraction in a new building adjoined to the main Science Center facility.

The Warhol will bring Warhol Live to Pittsburgh this summer, the first comprehensive exploration of Warhol's work as seen through the lens of music. Produced by The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in partnership with The Andy Warhol Museum, the show combines famous portraits of pop music royalty with films and sound recordings.

Opening July 18, Carnegie Museum of Art’s third installment of the Teenie Harris Archive Project will be curated by Charles “Teenie” Harris, Jr., son of the late Pittsburgh photographer. Fittingly, the exhibition will focus on the poignant family photographs taken early in Teenie Harris’s career.

Opening October 31 at Carnegie Museum of Natural History is Whales, a breathtaking traveling exhibition that explores the undersea world of whales—through stories, intriguing objects, and interactive science. Featured objects include a life-sized blue whale heart and rare whale skeletons. Developed and by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Capping off a six-year period of major renovations and expansions at Carnegie Museums’ two Oakland museums—including the renovation of the Museum of Art’s Scaife Galleries, the expansion of Hillman Hall of Minerals & Gems, and the creation of Dinosaurs in Their Time—in November, Carnegie Museum of Art will reopen the Ailsa Mellon Bruce Galleries of Decorative Arts. The enhanced Bruce Galleries will feature the museum’s beloved collection of decorative arts (furniture, tapestries), design, and craft integrated with prints, architectural drawings, and paintings.

And opening December 19 in the Heinz Galleries, the museum will present Gods, Love, and War: Tapestries of Carnegie Museum of Art, a display of rarely seen large-scale tapestries from the museum’s collection.