Fort Pitt Museum

05/29/2026

in 1763, three men reached Fort Pitt with news that American Indians had raided Col. William Clapham's plantation on the Youghiogheny River, near what is now West Newton.

This uprising, later called Pontiac's Rebellion after the Ottawa chief who played a key role, brought together tribes from the Great Lakes and Ohio regions. They aimed to push the British army and settlers back across the mountains to keep control of their land. A few days after the raid on Clapham's plantation, Native American forces began a siege of Fort Pitt, which lasted until early August.

📷 A painting by Nat Youngblood that shows the picketed Ohio Bastion with the burned remnants of the Lower Town (destroyed in hopes of denying cover to the attacking force) in the background.

05/20/2026

Back in 1992, the Fort Pitt Museum’s roof came alive with living history during a Colonial Fair, filled with reenactments and demonstrations that brought the 18th century to life. Three Rivers Stadium stands in the background, capturing a different chapter of the city’s skyline.

The tradition of bringing history to life continues today at the Fort Pitt Museum. Make it part of your summer plans and experience 18th-century life with outdoor rifle demonstrations, cannon firings, and more right in Point State Park!

05/16/2026

Raise a glass to history this !

This rare 18th-century copper still on display at Fort Pitt tells the story of the Whiskey Rebellion, a flashpoint moment in early American history.

In 1794, a federal tax on whiskey, approved by George Washington and championed by Alexander Hamilton, placed a heavy burden on small distillers across Western Pa. While larger operations could absorb the cost, smaller producers struggled to stay afloat.

Frustration quickly boiled over into protests and violence, as farmers and distillers pushed back against what they saw as an unfair tax.

This still, modeled after 18th-century European designs, is one of only a handful of surviving copper examples and offers a powerful glimpse into the people and tensions behind the rebellion.

05/14/2026

to big ideas in miniature! 🌆

Long before Point State Park became the scenic landmark we know today, it started as a vision gathered around a small-scale model in 1945.

Civic leaders and business minds came together to reimagine the Point, transforming it from an industrial hub into a space for public life, reflection, and connection.

📷 (L to R) H.J. Heinz II, head of the Heinz Company; County Commissioner John J. Kane; Edgar J. Kaufmann, head of Kaufmann's department store; City Councilman Frederick G. Weir; Mayor-elect David L. Lawrence; Mayor Cornelius D. Scully; Robert E. Doherty, President of the Carnegie Institute of Technology; Arthur E. Braun, banker and publisher; Tom Killgallen, President of the City Council; and Park H. Martin, executive director of the Allegheny Conference.

05/08/2026

Join the Fort Pitt Museum tomorrow, Saturday, May 9, for a program exploring Native diplomacy and power on the 18th-century frontier.

Sarah Donovan, a Ph.D. student at William & Mary, will discuss how the Seven Years’ War sparked conflicts over who controlled relationships with Native nations, and how groups like the Paxton Boys challenged authority in the years that followed.

The program is included with admission and takes place in the Fort Pitt Auditorium on the museum’s first floor.

Join the Fort Pitt Museum to explore Native diplomacy and power struggles.

05/05/2026

Step into the story of a revolution that started right here in Pittsburgh! ⚔️

Fort Pitt’s new exhibition, Pittsburgh’s Revolution, explores the region’s critical role in America’s fight for independence. Set at the Forks of the Ohio, this was a place where military strategy, diplomacy, and conflict shaped the course of a nation.

Discover rare and fascinating artifacts, from an original 1775 Westmoreland Battalion flag bearing the iconic “Don’t Tread on Me” motto to weapons, letters, and personal items that tell the human stories behind the Revolution.

This immersive experience highlights the people, alliances, and tensions that defined the Revolutionary War on the frontier, reminding us that the road to independence was shaped right here in Western Pa.

Plan your visit now and see where Pittsburgh’s story and America’s story changed forever!

It happened right here.

04/30/2026

Don’t miss the next Speaker Saturday at the Fort Pitt Museum on May 9 at 1 p.m.!

Explore Native diplomacy and power struggles on the mid-Atlantic frontier with Sarah Donovan, Ph.D. student at William & Mary. Learn how the Seven Years’ War sparked a crisis in British–Native relations, and how competing claims to authority shaped policy, trade, and conflict across the region.

Discover how groups like the Paxton Boys and Black Boys pulled frontier settlers into the struggle, revealing just how contested power and legitimacy were in the mid-eighteenth century.

Join the Fort Pitt Museum to explore Native diplomacy and power struggles.

04/28/2026

Due to the 2026 NFL Draft moving out of Point State Park, the Fort Pitt Museum will remain closed today, Tuesday, April 28.

We look forward to welcoming visitors back to the Fort during regular operating hours tomorrow.

04/24/2026

The Fort Pitt Museum will be open today (April 24) from noon to 5 p.m.!

We'll see yinz soon!

04/22/2026

the Fort Pitt Museum marked the very first Earth Day in April 1970 with a special exhibition? 🌎

The exhibit explored how people have used rivers over the past two centuries, highlighting the waterways that helped shape Pittsburgh’s story.

During its run, Sewickley native Captain Frederick Way, Jr. stopped by after piloting the iconic Delta Queen steamboat all the way from San Francisco, through the Panama Canal, and up the Mississippi River!

Visitors could even check out a detailed model of the Packet Queen City, bringing river history to life inside the museum.

📷 Packet Queen City. Courtesy of Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling, WV.