Carnegie Science Center unveils latest addition to Miniature Railroad & Village
The last surviving business from Chinatown in Downtown Pittsburgh is the newest addition to the Carnegie Science Center Miniature Railroad & Village.
A model of the Chinatown Inn debuted on Thursday during a media preview at the museum on the North Shore.
The Miniature Railroad & Village exhibit will reopen Saturday after a temporary closure for maintenance.
“Our close collaboration with the community has been key to the Miniature Railroad tradition, allowing us to highlight local history and share amazing stories from Western Pennsylvania with our visitors,” Jason Brown, the Henry Buhl Jr. director of the Carnegie Science Center, said in a statement.
Each year, the soon-to-be Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Science Center invites visitors to vote for three notable landmarks and/or businesses to be added to the Miniature Railroad & Village.
The new model of the Chinatown Inn honors the city’s Chinese American community.
The area where Chinatown Inn is located on Third Avenue received Pennsylvania State Historical Landmark status in 2021. Three generations of the Yee family have operated the restaurant since it opened in 1943.
At the reopening of the exhibit from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, there will be dances and martial arts demonstrations, along with musical and theatrical acts.
The Miniature Railroad & Village has been a Pittsburgh tradition since 1954 when it was first displayed at the Buhl Planetarium & Institute of Popular Science. The exhibit was created by Charles Bowdish of Brookville, Pa., who began building miniature railroad villages in 1919. It found a permanent home at the science center in 1992. The display is 83 feet long by 30 feet wide and features 57 models.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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