Memory Lane — Naptime Inspirations

Hall of Dinosaurs. Those small windows along the back are the library.

One of the twins’ favorite places. For a while Hayley aspired to be a paleontologist.

Many years ago, we lived in Pittsburgh, in the Oakland neighborhood, better known for college student housing than families with kids. But somehow we found the cutest little bungalow on one of the last streets that hadn’t yet been gobbled up by slum lords. Before I even saw the inside of the house I wanted it—it had a backyard. A level backyard. This means something in Pittsburgh. So we bought our first house and that is where our family grew. The location was fantastic! A short walk across the Panther Hollow bridge took us into Schenley Park, one of Pittsburgh’s Victorian gems from yesteryear. Continuing our journey through the park took us face to face with Phipp’s Conservatory and its outdoor gardens (no admission required!). And just a stone’s throw beyond Phipp’s (and across a third bridge) was the Carnegie Library/Museum of Natural History/Museum of Art. Despite the frequency of our visits, I don’t think I ever took for granted the privilege it was to be able to walk to these amazing places. The gift of a museum membership for several years meant that we could load up the stroller and take brief visits to the museums. I would ask Hayley and Ellen (preschoolers at the time) what they wanted to see and we’d visit those 2 or 3 parts of the museum that morning.

Since interactive exhibits are closed during the pandemic, there is no corn in here to “grind.” But this was one of Ellen’s favorite activities.

Today I indulged in a little trip down Memory Lane. I drove a friend to her doctor visit in Pittsburgh and while she was occupied, I decided to spend a few hours in the museums that were so familiar to me 20 years ago. (20 years ago?! How is that possible?!) Our last year in Pittsburgh the museum was renovating its capstone Hall of Dinosaurs display and I had not been back to see the final product. That’s where I headed first today. What impressed me the most, besides the giant reptiles, of course, was the wall of windows on one end of the room. These windows belong to the public library that adjoins the museum. How cool to be browsing the stacks and look down upon the late Jurassic era! Another favorite of the twins was the Bone Hunter’s Quarry, where guest would don safety glasses and with brushes and blunt chisels they too could unearth fossils! (Closed now for COVID)

In the Native American wing I was reacquainted with familiar displays, the favorites of which were also closed due to COVID. See the photos for more details. I also walked leisurely through the Hall of Gems and Minerals and the Egyptology exhibit. I’m still stunned by the actual mummified remains behind the glass cases.

Admittedly the Museum of Natural History held preschooler attention spans a bit better than the Museum of Art. But we did visit the art with preschoolers too. We just walked those galleries a little faster… Today I had time to mosey! I took a few pictures of some of my favorites. And I marveled at how close I could get to these priceless works of art—inches from my masked nose. Sidenote: My in-laws recently introduced us to the YouTube phenomenon that is Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration. You’ll either be fascinated or you’ll quickly fall asleep to the soothing rhythms of Mr. Baumgartner’s voice. Having just watched my first fine art restoration video a few days ago, I viewed these museum pieces with a tad more appreciation.

I’m grateful for this opportunity today. Not only was it nostalgic for me, but the time to wander a museum alone was a luxury. I love to take my time in museums and read the information cards thoroughly. Today I could spend as much time as I wanted where I wanted. It was refreshing to my soul. If you had 2-3 hours to wander a museum, where would you go?

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Naptime Inspirations