Carnegie Museums of Art & Natural History with Nandanik Dance Troupe performance

This event is planned so people may take advantage of RAD Pass where Allegheny County/Carnegie Library card holders may reserve a one-time free admission pass online per year for up to 4 people at the Carnegie Museums of Art & Natural History during December 2025.

Thus, people can visit Carnegie Museums several times as guests with their family/friend's RAD Pass reservations during December 2025. By taking advantage of RAD Pass, people can save compared to the usual Carnegie Museums Admission charges of $25 Adult, $20 Senior, and $15 Student. With this approach, people may see first-hand the great work and think about becoming (or gifting) Carnegie Museums Membership which also includes the Carnegie Science Center and Warhol Museum along with many benefits.

This event begins at Café Carnegie (inside Carnegie Museum of Art) from 1-1:30 PM so people can socialize and get coffee/tea/drink or quick lunch. Because Café Carnegie doesn't require museum admission, we'll gauge the interests of everyone and get a firm headcount to ensure we have enough RAD Pass reservations to get everyone in for free.

We expect everyone will get into Carnegie Museums for free with RAD Pass reservations and those with Carnegie Museums memberships that allow guests.

At 1:30 PM, the group will depart Café Carnegie to check out the Hall of Architecture with the holiday Carnegie Trees on display and grab some seats together for the 2-3 PM performance by Nandanik Dance Troupe.

After the Nandanik Dance Troupe performance ends around 3 PM, the group may decide to stay inside Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Museum of Natural History which will be open until 5 PM.

During 3-5 PM, people can have leisurely free time (or break off into smaller groups) to check out Neapolitan Presepio (on view through January 11, 2026), Fault Lines: Art, Imperialism, and the Atlantic World (on display through January 25, 2026), Charles Harlan on display through February 22, 2025, or many other exhibits inside Carnegie Museums in order to take full advantage of their RAD Pass admission.

It's also OK if people in the group decide to walk over to the nearby Phipps Conservatory Winter Flower Show and Light Garden which will be open until 11 PM. However, advanced timed tickets are required, especially since Phipps usually sells out on weekends. For this reason, it is recommended that advanced timed tickets be ordered before 12/26 to minimize the chance of a sellout. This is also a chance to check out the Tropical Forest Panama exhibit. When possible, it is recommended people arrive in the afternoon to experience the incredible beauty of the Phipps indoor gardens as the lighting ambiance transitions from daylight to twilight to evening.

Depending on the interests of the group, people can discuss if they'd to have lunch or dinner at a nearby restaurant such as The Porch in Schenley Plaza or one of the many restaurants along Craig Street, Forbes Avenue, etc.

Parking The Carnegie Museum has plenty of parking which is conveniently located near the museum entrance at the corner of Forbes Ave & S. Craig Street. Here is a link with more info about parking and directions http://cmoa.org/visit/directions-maps-parking/

Stay Tuned for updates!