Carnegie Science Center to officially relaunch as Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center
After 20 months, the Carnegie Science Center will officially become the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center.
“It has definitely been worth the wait,” said Jason Brown, Henry Buhl Jr. director of the science center and vice president of Carnegie Museums.
Brown said that thanks to the tremendous generosity of Shadyside residents Dan and Carole Kamin, whose $65 million gift was announced in January 2024, the science center is entering a new era on Pittsburgh’s North Shore.
Work has already started on the transformation. The first phase will include new signage and uniforms for the staff as well as the unveiling of upgrades to the galleries. Brown said he can’t talk specifically about those upgrades until a press event in September but that most of the galleries will be refreshed and some will undergo major changes to be completed by the end of 2027. New exhibitions will be announced and guests will notice differences before the end of the year, Brown said.
A second phase will include the campus along the riverfront.
The project is being called a relaunch and to prepare for that, the science center will close from Sept. 2 to 12. A celebration will be held Sept. 13 with hands-on experiences, live science demonstrations, giveaways and a first look at all that’s new, as well as music and a photo booth.
“We are so grateful to the Kamins. They have set a new bar for what it means to be philanthropists,” Brown said. “People know their name, and they love this city and they want it to thrive and so do their sons. They are passing their love of this city on to the next generation.”
Brown said the Kamins’ generosity is becoming a common occurrence in Pittsburgh and that other museum leaders across the country have taken notice of the couple’s generosity.
The Kamins also donated $11.5 million to the Senator John Heinz History Center in the Strip District, which will allow for free admission to children 17 and younger year-round beginning Sept. 1.
The couple has a history of giving in the Western Pennsylvania area. They were honored with the 2024 Outstanding Philanthropists award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Western Pennsylvania Chapter.
In July, the Kamins donated $65 million toward UPMC Presbyterian’s tower and medical research in Oakland.
In February, the couple gave $25 million to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Oakland.
A gallery inside the Carnegie Museum of Natural History will be named for the couple, much like the science center.
“They are amazing,” Brown said. “This is part of their legacy. We have the wealthy names of the past who have been so generous to this city in the Carnegie, Heinz and Mellon families. The Kamins are the new family on the scene, and we are fortunate to have them in Pittsburgh.”
The Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center, which will be known as the Kamin Science Center, is at One Allegheny Ave., North Shore.
Details: carnegiesciencecenter.org.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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