'A watershed moment': Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh receives $11.5M donation

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The grant, in part, will fund a free admission program for kids



Pittsburgh Post-Gazette link: https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2025/06/03/heinz-history-center-kamin-gift/stories/202506030045

The Heinz History Center has received an $11.5 million donation in what its director called a “watershed moment” for the institution. The money will go to a free admission program for kids and the planned new wing for the Strip District-based facility, stakeholders said during a Tuesday news conference at the Heinz History Center.

“Kids are the building blocks of our community, and we don't want there to be any obstacles to kids learning about history and civics,” Andy Masich, president and CEO of the Heinz History Center, told the crowd.

Among those gathered were the benefactors, Daniel and Carole Kamin, who in 2024 gave $65 million to the Carnegie Science Center. The couple’s “free for kids” initiative is set to begin Sept. 1, making admission to both Heinz and the Fort Pitt Museum Downtown free to those ages 17 and under.

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The donation is the largest single contribution to the museum to date, said Masich, noting that Daniel Kamin is a history buff and “a Civil War guy, just like me. This is a watershed moment in the history of the History Center and maybe the history of Pittsburgh,” Masich said.

The grant will also support the previously announced four-story wing at the museum, 80,000 square feet that will house an auditorium, exhibition spaces and more. Construction began this week, Masich said.

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