Center for PostNatural History

This place can be visited in half an hour. The exhibits are interesting and thought provoking, highlighting how we have changed the course of evolution for the animals and plants that we rely on for our needs. I hope they'd acquire more artifacts and move to a bigger location. There is a suggested admission fee (more like a donation) and a small gift shop.

It seemed like the museum was trying to be unbiased in the presentation of altered items, but the choices of displays made it clear that the museum was against genetic alterations/selective breeding. The purpose of the museum was clear, so why not take a bigger stand?

It's very small. Like one room small. But, there are some interesting exhibits there. If you have an hour and are looking for something to do this could be a possibility.

Excellent little museum that provides a brief history on genetically modified organisms, some of which we take for granted in our modern lives.

The idea behind this museum is an interesting one. Instead of flora and fauna that occur naturally, this museum focuses on those things that have been altered by humans (think wolf to dog). However, the exhibits are not well labeled and they could have used some of the natural versions as a basis of comparison. So you're just left to wonder around and look at lots of specimens without context (was the modification a good thing or a bad thing ). Since we live in the neighborhood and it was free of day it was worth a visit for 20 minutes. Would I pay $10. No.

The staff was very nice despite us discovering the place just 20 minutes before closing. He offered to wait as long as we wanted. It's a tiny museum, and many artifacts lacked context or explanation. The main video was thought-provoking. 20-30 minutes was sufficient.

This is a really interesting place to visit. There are a couple rooms, but the exhibits will keep you fascinated for an hour or perhaps two. Small children will need constant supervision, but my second grader had a blast! The curator was there and he was super pleasant to speak with about the items on display.

Unique small museum located in an old storefront near the Children's Hospital. Exhibits explain and show examples of how humans have changed nature. Would recommend if you have a few minutes free on a Sunday. Friendly staff on hand to answer questions. Tour is self guided. Only issue some of the exhibits were not functioning either light was out or recorded voice option was not functioning.

SO COOL!! Highly recommend for people of all ages! such a cool experience!! i liked the exhibits with the telephones

Small museum dealing with animal experimentation and human influence on the genetic course of nature in other species - much of this is so common we don't even think about it (how many pet animals are products of selective breeding?), but much of the content of the museum dovetails with the sort of experimentation and practices that might raise uncomfortable ethical quandaries or that even may be considered the dark side of science, subject to abuse by the unscrupulous. It is one large, very dark room, partitioned off into different sections, featuring a great deal of stark black-and-white imagery and specimens in jars (not a few taxidermically preserved animal corpses among them). Much of the content is not for the faint of heart - some of the practices addressed here come across as quite cruel, and some of the exhibits can feel bizarre. None of this is a negative. You will probably learn something you didn't know (and possibly didn't want to) should you drop by this museum. A thought-provoking, sometimes frightening experience that will give you a few moments to reflect and take in what you are seeing. 10 dollar donation expected at the reception desk upon entry with the lobby doubling as a gift shop.

This museum is small (basically one room) but very thought-provoking. It's dedicated to organisms that humans have intentionally altered, from chestnut trees to Biosteel goats. Although the subject matter seems like it would be pretty specific, it's actually quite broad: GMOs, transgenic animals for research, cloning, military technology, evolution, agriculture, selective breeding, etc. If you are at all interested in any of these topics, I would definitely recommend stopping by! And don't worry if you don't have a background in science--the exhibit descriptions are very informative! The Center is free (funded by donations), but it's only open from 12-4pm on Sundays and by appointment. We chatted with the owner for a bit and he seemed like a really cool and knowledgable person. Although it won't take you more than 30 minutes to explore the museum, luckily, it's in a really cute area, so you can stroll around afterwards!

This is a very good "Off the beaten path" destination in Pittsburgh! My husband and I learned about the various ways humans have altered animals, plants and insects through genetic engineering and got to learn the story of the Biosteel goats.

This is a pretty nifty museum! Doesn't look like it would be a museum from the outside since it has a store front. They're only open 4 hours a week on Sunday from 12-4 but it's free & they accept donations. A lot of the items have an old style phone you pick up to listen about what it is behind the glass. It's a little eerie but pretty cool & informative. Only takes about 30 mins or so to get through & there is metered street parking (which is free since they're only open Sunday). Recommend if you're in Pittsburgh!

My girlfriend teases me that my geek cred is poor. (I'm not much for superhero movies or sci fi or tech stuff.) But I do like science and art, and this wee museum sits in the nexus of both. And as museums go, it's more than a bit weird, situated here on the main drag in Garfield of all places. If you have more than a passing interest in genetically engineered life forms, you'll probably see stuff in here that you already know about. But what makes this place extra special is that it's not just an offshoot of a standard natural history museum. While some of its material could be legitimately set in any credible science museum, the curator here has a day job at the School of *Art* at Carnegie Mellon, so he's not your run of the mill paleontologist. When I visited, the temporary exhibition was called "The Cold Coast Archive: Future Artifacts from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault", which examines the "meaning and function of the world's largest and most well-protected collection of agricultural diversity" by looking "beyond the vault as metaphor; to it's future utility, using media and objects to evoke the imagined collapse of agriculture informed by investigations of existing contingency infrastructure." And it's here on Penn Avenue. Free admission. How cool is that?

This is a super tiny museum that will take up about 30 minutes of your time and is definitely worth a visit! It's free admission (with a suggested donation) and one of those places that adds to Pittsburgh's unique factor. Mostly devoted to science and history of a number of genetically modified organisms, it was a definite hit for my science-loving Dad and the rest of us thought it was very interesting and worth checking out.

A wonderful little museum with a collection that has traveled to Germany, the Netherlands, and beyond. If you have an interest in transgenics, GMOs, etc, you should definitely pop in and check it out. Great stuff!

Glad we visited this little gem. It's small but I learned a lot and enjoyed our visit very much. We looked at, interacted with, and read everything and it took us about 30 minutes. It's located on a nice little strip in a nice little neighborhood too although everything was closed on Sunday. They're open from 12-4 every Sunday and admission is free. I believe there's another opening time on a weekday but can't comment on that. They do take donations so bring cash to leave one, we weren't able to.

A small, but interesting & thought provoking exhibit - worth visiting! Lots of artsy venues nearby worth visiting also

The Center for PostNatural History incites critical thought on how human initiatives have manipulated biological history, and thus raises important questions about approaching the future. Fascinating exhibits allow the observer to view genetic modification in a straight forward neutral climate. They've done an excellent job making organisms which at first glance look unremarkable (like a mosquito), visually, and more importantly, intellectually engaging. At times, one may feel disgusted by misguided actions of geneticists and at other junctures you might just be in awe by the wonder and beauty of the work of the human race. We are mad scientists. We are artists. And our desires have an eerie disposition for design.