Carnegie Science Center Reviews

Fun place to go with the family, we had a wonderful time.

It's a great place to have fun with science and you get to experience it in an unique approach.

Outstanding place to visit. Its a must see for yourself type of experience..

Such a fun place to go with kids. We have probably circled their incredible train exhibit a thousand times. And that's just one room out of many many that feature things as far ranging as trampolines and water worlds.

My son loves going ro the Science Center, however, even though we are loyal guests, there have been multiple occasions where enployees at the center have shown lack of compassion and horrible customer service. The first incident was when my 2 year old waited for 45 min in line at Sports Works for the one of three activities he could participate in. When it was finally his turn and he was the last child in line, the worker said he could not get a turn, it was only 415 and they didnt close until 5. My son was devastated, especially because as a 2 year old you can understand how hard it must be to be patient only to be told you are not allowed to have your rightful turn. I attempted to speak with a manager before we left and I was told to call the next day. I called multiple times and my messages were never returned. Very sad. We however, did continue to come to the center because my son loved the activities so much!
Now, we bought tickets for the screening of the Polar Express last weekend. My son was extremely sick a d we live an hour away, so we could not attend. I contacted the call center manager and did not receive a return call to my message. I called again and got a return message. She simply said all sales are final, is not even willing to exchange for a pass to the center where we have supported for so long. I am extremely disappointed in the lack of compassion and care for their customers. Needless to say, we will be taking our children to other places for fun and learning from now on.

It's a great place to go hang out with the family walk around.

The science center is great. The line for the new exhibit, the ropes course, was 1.5 hours long! Unfortunately my kids didn't get to do the ropes course but got to do a lot of other stuff!

I really like this place. This museum is mainly for children, but parents can also enjoy wide variety of scientific exhibitions. Their miniature railroad exhibition is amazing! A lot of landmarks and buildings in Pittsburgh are reproduced in detail with wide variety of trains going back and forth. Their submarine tour is also thrilling. In the submarine you'll have to go through narrow corridors with a hundreds of pipes around you.

Very good science center with some wonderful rotating exhibits. It was great to see The Art of the Brick again so close to home. Always fun to go to the regular exhibits with the kids, too!

I love going to the science center. The shows in the electric, cold and hot stage is excellent. I love the year round train display . I would recommend visiting when in Pittsburgh.

This was a positive experience all around. There is so much to learn. I believe its best for older kids but there are a lot of fun play areas for little ones. I strongly suggest to go early on a weekday.

I recently visited the Mummy show which was very good. Shortly thereafter, I took two of my granddaughters to see the Halloween laser show. They loved it!

A must see if you come to the area, especially children enjoy seeing, interacting and knowing everything there is. and also visit the submarine that is on the side is spectacular. I loved seeing the robotics area and the famous robots that have appeared in so many movies. I was fascinated to know this one. I would have liked to be longer.

Great science centre. You get to take to the inside of a submarine

We are members of these great museums despite living in Maryland. Our kids can spend days exploring each one. The science center is a favorite. We enjoy all the athletic area. The water weather area gives basics in a very approachable manor. The robots are amazing. All the moving train displays are works of art.

A family favorite for over 10 years, this museum still amazes us all no matter what age the kids. Some of the permanent exhibits have changed over the years - gone are the aquariums, in is the Bodyworks - while others have stayed the same. Each of us have our favorites and we're always excited to spend time exploring them. We all LOVE the train room and can spend 30 minutes+ just taking the time to see the small details of the display and try to figure out what is new. We always make sure to have time to visit the SportsWorks building next door. They just added the ropes course last week, so the line was too long for our visit but it looks great. We were glad that they kept the "You-Yo" and the rock climbing wall. My youngest was thrilled that she was finally (after 10 years of visiting and waiting) tall enough for the nerves of steel unicycle exhibit and the space walk challenge in the main building. Bring your lunch and eat down by the riverfront or grab some food in their cafe and make it a full day of fun. We recommend getting a membership so you can also explore the other Carnegie Museums (we love them all). Worth the price!

My family always has a blast when we go to the science center. We have been members for 3 years and will renew again. The new updates on the 4th floor are fantastic! The water station is so much nicer now. My kids really enjoy the sports area. It s a fantastic rainy day or winter day activity to enjoy with your children!

Went here on one of the free days in the summer. It was packed with people, but the staff kept it organized. A really fun place for people of all ages. Wish they had more movies for their Omnimax theater though.

We spent an amazing rainy afternoon learning, playing and soaking in so much fantastic creativity at it's finest!! The Art of the Brick display was phenomenal and for any child or adult who has ever loved Legos or still does, (even people who don't will appreciate it) this is truly a magnificent display of dedication, artwork, determination and lot's of hard work. This is a very talented man who needs more recognition around the world. There is also water play while learning, animal's to learn about & see up close, how light work's with different object's, NASA play & learn area, movie theater (New Grinch movie in 3D was playing the day we went), and an old submarine that was in use for 23 year's with 81 men on board that you could explore & see what it would've been like. So much to do, see and learn about in a fun & exciting way for young & old.

Amazed at how great this place was; so interactive and fun for my 4 yo and 6 yo (and for dad too!). Price was reasonable for all it included and staff were pleasant and helpful. Also, you get dibs on the science of sports complex next door, which was crazy challenging and fun. My daughter and I had a fantastic bonding experience doing the "ropes course" - she's 6 and I am afraid of heights :)

Fun science center with many interesting things to see and interact with. Very well done.

Wow!! I took a quiet shy 12 year old, we stayed for hours and had an amazing time!!!!

I look for any excuse I can to come here to check out the exhibits! If you come during the day it will be flooded with kids taking the place over-so I highly recommend going to one of their adult only evening events! They are so much fun!

Awesome science center for children of all ages. They also have a submarine and a ropes course. The exhibits are mostly hands on. The planetarium is also great and has age appropriate shows (Big Bird is the guide for the children's show). This is an attraction that shouldn't be missed. My only complaints are that parking is an extra expense and the cafeteria is over priced for the low quality food.

Is a great place, but its almost always loud and crowded.

I'll categorize my review into
1. Staff
2. Display artifacts
3. The imax screen and shows
4. Accessability

The Staff:

The staff were very polite and always willing to help and assist. Their tolerance with kids running around and dealing with the questions was commendable. . They were always there to guide everyone and patiently answer each question we had.

The Display Artifacts :

There is no doubt that the artifacts kept were classy and very educational. Definitely serving the purpose of the science Centre. Wish we had such exhibitions while growing up, then science would have been so much fun to learn and understanding the concepts would have been so much easier.
The miniature train museum was super classy. We could spend hours simply observing those toy trains and the landscape curved out.

The Imax Screen :

We've seen a couple of shows and by all means each show is as spectacular as the previous one. The screen and sound is awesome. Definitely should not miss this.

Accessability :

It's conveniently located and has ample parking. At $5 parking it's very reasonable. However it could have been made free for those buying tickets at the science Centre just to deter others from using those parking meant for the science Centre.

Over all, a must visit for kids and adults.

My family and I drove from northern Virginia to visit. As a huge Steelers fan, this was a great place to take my family for a "not so football" experience in Pittsburgh. When we visited, "the art of the brick" by Nathan Sawaya, was on display for an additional admission charge. The exhibit was well worth the price of the admission to the museum and the add on charge. We didn't have enough time to really experience the rest of the science center, but we really enjoyed our time.

This is one of the best ideas in Pittsburgh for everyone. Little too pricey when you have a family.

Had a great time the place was super busywe had a great time

Clean, organized, interactive and very friendly staff.

This place is just an awesome place to take your kids, even your date to. It's filled with interesting and interactive exhibits. It also has a theater that shows document movie (you have to pay for it though: $9/person.) i watched Apollo11 and it's a very well-made document movie. It has 4 floors and each floor has different exhibits. They are mostly interactive and very well presented. I enjoy almost all of them and i, as an adult, find them very entertaining as well. On the second floor, it has a planetarium that have free shows you can watch. It has different shows at different time.

Many people are saying that this is for young kids well it's not I'm 12 and this is one of my favorite place ever I don't uink they r dated at all and there are so many fun things to do. The 2 only things I have a problem with is they got rid of the trampoline wothch was rly fun and 2 someone soar there was a pedifile working in a cafeteria full of kids and that's alarming

A bit expensive, good for kids and all. Lines take FOR EVER!

I found the museum quite impressive. But the toilets were just optimum moisturizers and really helped me out with the cheese flavors and lettuce

Super cool place for both children and adults. Parking can be a little confusing but there is someone there to ask. The miniature railroad exhibit is a must-see.

It's a family friendly place. Children and the child at heart have lots of fun.

The Customer service representative sold us the expansive ticket just a little time before they close and when most of what they have is closed. Not clean at all. Very Overpriced for nothing. I will not go there again and I don't recommend anyone to go there.

People who work there could smile and be more friendly

This was pretty cool. The kids liked the water table stuff the most. There are two different ones here. There are LEGO s and a few other play areas for them. I did not do the mummy tour as it was extra. The laser show is pretty cool. Overall good family trip.

Today on our visit, were 3 adults and 7 kids. We started at 1030am in the Sports Works area and ended out the day at 7pm in the same place. We visited and enjoyed all 4 floors, did the zero gravity station, enjoyed the FIRE show in the Works Theater, toured the submarine, at great food in the Cafe, got souvenirs from the gift shop and visited the restrooms on each floor I think . Not to mention that multiple staff members wished Happy Birthday to the 3 celebrating birthday girls, who happened to all be 8 at the same time!! I'd like to give a VERY SPECIAL THANKS to the entire team at the new ROPE WALK ADVENTURE!...And a SUPER SPECIAL THANKS to Zach and 'Quan for helping these kids conquer fears today and create awesome birthday memories!!! You ALL were truly wonderful and we'll be back again. Thank You

Really nice. Laser shows are on the better side, but nothing mindblowing. I highly recommend the submarine tour!

Great for kids. Long lines at best attractions. Especially obstical course and submarine

Well designed Science Center that has four floors of substantive STEM based hands-on fun.

They do not value their members because they already have your money. You wait longer in line to enter than non-members. The parking lot is filled with people using mass transit. Exhibits are regularly malfunctioning or inoperable and are only repaired or refreshed by private donors. Omnimax/ art of the brick cost significantly extra. The place is flooded with children from summer camps or field trips during the school year. I feel bad for the staff because most of them are volunteers and seem to be overworked. If there is an event going on here forget about parking there it will just arbitrarily clothes ...Perhaps they should ve level the whole science center and just put up a parking garage since the space is more valuable to sell his parking spaces then for customers to utilize the science center

Overrated daycare center not meant for children older than ten. Exhibits are lame, if they work, and the place is too overcrowded. Kids not waiting their turn and jumping lines. I've been to other science centers in different states. They were better organized and actually had science. Typical Pittsburgh. A non science center with a rotting submarine, that is no more than a overcrowded daycare. Save you money on this overpriced feeble attempt of a science center.

Just came from The Royal Wedding Viewing. Friendly staff and well organized. We will definitely be coming back to see more of the Rangos showings.

Just a wonderful place to take the family. It was a wonderful experience.

I do NOT recommend Carnegie Science Center during covid19 mask mandated time period! The tables you eat at are dirty and food all over them, but they will harass you over a mask in one hot second. They have people everywhere harassing you to wear your masks correctly or you will get a warning to be thrown out. You pay top dollar as preCovid19, yet half of every thing is closed because of covid. Save ur money!

The exhibits are repetitive, half are broken, and are 10 years out of date (oh, and the robots? blatant advertisements for local universities). Highlight of the visit was undoubtedly the rabbit and woodchuck spied from a 3rd floor window. Also the Dippin Dots vending machine in the cafeteria was broken eliminating the remaining reason for a visit.

We went on a rainy day that school was out of session. Needless to say the place was lively. The crowd size did not take away from our experience. The kids had a blast seeing and interacting with all the exhibits. The beer in the cafeteria made it all the better experience.

I took my kids there and they had a blast! Informative and fun learning experience that the whole family can enjoy. Highly recommended. The ingredients of a good life are learning, earning and yearning!

I think that the exhibits, both static and interactive were great. I really like the star field image device (antique)!

Overall, not too much has changed in 20 years. I was pretty disappointed when I took my family to the Rangos theater. I wanted to show them the Omnimax, but now it s just a regular screen. We have bigger theaters in Oklahoma...

I don t know how anyone could rate this below five stars! Coming here is so much fun and is a blast every time I m here! It s such a family friendly experience and I hope I can come back! They offer such a cool experience. Bring your children here someday! They will have fun and learn things at the same time.

My rating is probably not fair to some degree, but it's my experience so I'm sticking with it. This place is just not geared towards adults for the most part. My favorite part was the miniature railroad exhibit which brought back so many memories of visits to the Buhl Planetarium as a kid. Beyond that, almost everything is here for kids. I guess I just expected a little more variety.

Great spot for a day of exploration. Great for adults and especially kids.

Great Place! I've been going there every year since I was 6, great place for most/all ages! All the improvements to the building have been good for the most part. I don't really like how they have removed the indoor roller coaster but I can understand it was for safety measures or such. Anyway definitely recommend for people!

We loved Da Vinci! The robots! NASA exhibits & the human body. Membership is worth the experiences

We only had one day in Pittsburgh and we decided to visit the Science Center. It was amazing. Our kids loved all the interactivity. My son was amazed by the robot that could shoot basketballs and he loved the model train set. I think he nearly died when he saw it. My daughter loved the submarine and learning about weather. It was probably one of the best days we had on our vacation. This museum is very clean and has very friendly staff.

Not only did we have a fun and interactive experience at the Carnegie Science center, but we also had a close call. So after we left the parking lot, right as the Steelers fans began swarming in for the evening game, I realize I had left my phone. I panic, turn around, come back through the parking gate. First, the parking attendant let me through, no charge because of my circumstances(I had both my young children abd only myself). The front desk clerk and security guard stay with my kids and color as I run upstairs to, thankfully, find my phone where i knew i had left it. Come back to see my little ones content and happy to see me return. I really wanted to make sure that folks know how wonderful the staff is at the CSS! I cannot be more grateful for such treatment while I almost lost my mind. Also, the cafeteria crew was also on point on a Sunday!

This place is great. It teaches the children while they are playing. They always have new displays and great events. My kids enjoy coming here. They are 13 and 5.

It's a good exhibition overall. It's highly targeted to children, so not the perfect museum for college students.

Our family had a great time here. A lot of learning while having fun. I love to see my son get excited about learning and this is the place to do it. Everything from the exhibits to the staff are top quality. Parking isn't the best but I would definitely recommend it. We will be back soon.

Very crowded, many interactive displays don't work, pay for parking, long lines just to pay admission, fly to the Moon show disappointing, great laser show( you have to pay extra), submarine closed, get Bob to give you a tour at the miniature railroad, he is great.

Great place. Lots of interesting exhibits, Imax theater and you can go through a WW2 submarine! Liked this the best.

Plenty of fun for all ages! Check out the submarine and the space feeling exhibition! Really neat, nerdy stuff. Cafe is basic, Amerocan food!

Second floor plantarium should have a sign that says no strollers and when you leave them outside some should be watching them. I stood on line and missed a show because of it. I'm not leaving a $300 stroller, $150 stroller artic bag outside with no one watching it

We have 4 boys under 10 years old and for us it was perfect Half a day was not nearly enough. Great staff, very varied exhibits, going back tofay

This place is amazing ! With lots of cool exhibits and hands on experiences . In these experiences i saw many wonderful things with my family !(: PS: DO NOT GO HERE FOR GIFT SHOP THE SHOP IS OVER PRICED !!!!($

IMAX Musical Journey is a biased and poor representation of musical history, a waste of my money

I really enjoyed the tour of the USS REQUIN. I have a better appreciation for Sailors aboard WWII Era Submarine. Also I loved the model train display, such awesome detail and helpful staff.

OK place to visit for small kids. Not as good as Franklin institute in Philadelphia. The submarine is better than the one in Charleston, SC

It's a great place for kids and adults...there are a lot of creativity and tun activities to do that keep you engaged...

Always had a great time coming here as a kid and still do! can be packed but come check it out it is worth it!