text: I had a week off from work recently I needed it to take a little break and I decided what better way to get caught up on all the museums and cultural institutions in the BurghnnTo say that the Carnegie is THE Pittsburgh Cultural Institution is indeed an understatement and as I live in nearby Squirrel Hill I am so happy to have it within walking distance Although the day I visited I rode my bike and parked it all day Note to Yelper Mike O from Park Ridge ILI did not wipe out this timennI decided to spend the entire day at the Carnegie and believe me it was worth it As Emily H says the Dinosaurs in their time was really worth it It went from being a stuffy dull stuffed and mounted exhibit to being a really neat walkthrough one The murals really give the exhibit a sense of time and place The exhibit shows how the plants mammals fish and insects that surrounded them continue to evolve and create the biological diversity that surrounds us todaynnA longtime favorite of mine is the Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems I have always loved the bright colors of the gems and could stand there for hours in hushed awe of these beautiful stones The museum just added the Wertz Gallery of Gems and Jewelry to the Hillman Hall The gallery has an extensive collection of birthstones giving the history of each and how birthstones came to be The current special exhibit is the watches and timepieces from HJ Heinz including a stunning music box and watch piecennBut as much as I enjoy natural science I really love art The Carnegie Museum of Art includes American art from the late nineteenth century French Impressionist and PostImpressionist paintings and European and American decorative arts The Heinz Architectural is dedicated to the collection study and exhibition of architectural drawings and models I particularly enjoy Asian art and the Carnegie has an extensive collection of Japanese prints nnOne special exhibit that I really recommend will be there only until October and it is Abstract Art before Watercolors Drawings Prints and Photographs It consists of avantgarde works by European American and Japanese artists nnSo while the admission fee is it does include both the Natural History Museum and the Museum of Art To get your moneys worth plan on staying a whole day I did and I still feel like I did not see everything