Heinz History Center. (Jim Harris/Pittsburgh Business Times)

By Riley Dunn, Pittsburgh Business Times

Beginning Sept. 1, a transformative gift of $11.5 million will give all kids under the age of 17 year-round, free admission to the Senator John Heinz History Center and Fort Pitt Museum. This new gift comes from longtime History Center supporters Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin and will also cover admission costs for all school groups. 

“It’s a watershed moment in the history of the History Center and maybe the history of Pittsburgh,” Andy Masich, president and CEO of the History Center, said.

Masich revealed the full scope of the “Free for Kids” initiative at a press conference Tuesday morning, in which he also spoke to a crowd of fourth graders from St. Therese School. He called the gift the “most significant individual contribution the History Center has ever received” and emphasized the need to remove obstacles that keep young students from learning about their history. 

“We’re poised on the anniversary of the 250th year of our country in 2026,” Masich said. “1776-2026, that’s 250 years and yet, six out of 10 Americans couldn’t pass the citizenship test right now. Well, we need to change that. We need our building blocks, our kids, to know their history and civics.” 

Along with kids being able to attend the History Center for free and as often as they like, the grant will also be used to support expansion efforts by the center, which were announced earlier this year.

The planned expansion will add around 70,000-80,000 more square feet, along with new exhibit galleries, classrooms and a new auditorium. There will also be a new welcome center, which the museum is developing through a partnership with VisitPittsburgh, and a new museum focused on African American history. 

“It’s going to be the largest history museum, certainly in Pennsylvania, and maybe one of the biggest in the country,” Masich said. “And what city deserves the best history center in the world?” 

“Pittsburgh,” Carole Kamin said, without hesitation. 

Construction on these projects will start this summer and are planned to be wrapped up in 2028. 

“There’s much more to come, but the History Center has always been the people’s museum. We tell the stories of people — stories that inspire us and stories that make us want to do better and build bigger,” Masich said. 

Both Daniel and Carole Kamin have a long history of working to contribute to the preservation and teaching of western Pennsylvania’s history and culture. Currently, the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Courtyard sits in the museum’s Great Hall, welcoming kids into the Kidsburgh exhibition, Liberty tube slide and cafe. In 2024, the Kamins announced a $65 million gift to the Carnegie Science Center, which is soon to be renamed the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center in their honor. The gift will support new programs and exhibits, an expansion of the Science Center’s North Shore campus and more. Earlier this year, the Kamins also donated $25 million to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, which will fund the renovation of the museum’s dinosaur exhibit and an endowment to support research.

“Thanks to the leadership and generosity of Dan and Carole Kamin, kids from western Pa. and beyond will have more access than ever before to the History Center’s award-winning exhibitions and programs,” Howard W. “Hoddy” Hanna III, chairman of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services and chairman of the History Center board of trustees, said in a release. 

Hanna also said that the gift will help secure long term sustainability for the museum and help to further position the History Center as a premier cultural attraction in Pittsburgh. 

The Kamin Family Foundation is committed to community service and has been involved in organizations promoting the sciences, education, history and the arts. Carole Kamin was also recently named a 2025 Woman of Influence by the Pittsburgh Business Times. 

“Learning and understanding history has never been more critical. We are proud to support the Heinz History Center and its important mission,” Carole Kamin said. “Dan and I hope this gift helps to eliminate one barrier for families and schools alike, so they can explore our region’s rich heritage and be inspired to make a difference.”

Riley Dunn is a student at the University of Iowa and one of 10 Pittsburgh Media Partnership summer interns.