University Times

The Carnegie will launch its centennial celebration on Oct. 6 with the kind of event that only comes along once every century.

For 28 straight hours, from 5 p.m. Oct. 6 through 9 p.m. Oct. 7, all of The Carnegie's locations — Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History, the Science Center, Warhol Museum and the Main Library — will be open free of charge.

During that period, The Carnegie also will sponsor numerous special programs, including hands-on activities, behind-the-scenes tours, exhibitions of seldom-seen treasures from its collections, interactive computer demonstrations and historical tours.

About 80 Pitt students, faculty and staff signed up during the University's Volunteer Fair on Sept. 18 and through the Volunteer Pool of the Center for Public and Community Service to help during the 28-hour event.

Pitt's volunteer contingent is one of the largest volunteer groups assisting during the celebration. "We're glad they are supporting the institute and their neighborhood," said Sheila Savits, director of The Carnegie's volunteer program. "They'll be helping to direct the public around our facilities and what we are calling focal points." Among those focal points will be The Carnegie's world-famous Dinosaur Hall. Visitors to that area of the Museum of Natural History will see how fossils are prepared in the field and in the laboratory.

Other focal points in the Museum of Natural History include the new World of Whales, where children will be able to construct a puppet of the right whale; a sneak preview of the Hall of North American Wildlife, which is scheduled to open in November, and a behind-the-scenes-look at the museum's life science collections.

The Andy Warhol Museum will feature silkscreen demonstrations; create a centennial time capsule, in which visitors will have an opportunity to contribute their own mementos to a time capsule; "Shopping with Andy," a self-guided gallery game, and Warhol films. At the Science Center on the North Side, the Omnimax Theater will show clips of coming attractions; maintenance crews will demonstrate how they repair and modify the center's famous miniature railroad and village, and scientists will reveal the secret workings of robots.

The World War II submarine USS Requin, docked on the Ohio River outside the Science Center, also will be open for self-guided tours.

For visitors with more sedate interests, the Main Library will feature readings by Pittsburgh authors, a photo exhibit of the "People and Places of Pittsburgh, 1895-1995" and a quiz show game of who's who in favorite children's stories.

From 5 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 6 and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 7, visitors to the library also can watch and question conservators who are working to remove decades of grime and industrial soot from the John White Alexander murals above the grand staircase.

A progressive "wee-hours" program called "The Carnegie Crawl" is scheduled to run from 10 p.m. Oct. 6 to 5 a.m. Oct. 7. It will feature a sneak preview of the new Pearl Jam laser show, a dance party at the Science Center, a concert by the Nixon Clocks at The Carnegie Music Hall and a "drag" party at the Warhol Museum.

The 28-hour opening event of The Carnegie's centennial celebration will conclude at the Science Center on Oct. 7 at 9:30 p.m. with a 25-minute fireworks, laser and water atmospheric extravaganza choreographed to music, including The Beatles' "Birthday" and Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons." "This event is The Carnegie's way of saying 'thank you' to the community for its support and patronage during our first 100 years," said Pam Pochapin, assistant director of marketing.

–Mike Sajna