IMPROVEMENTS — The Fort Pitt Museum will temporarily close for exhibition updates and facility improvements ahead of the NFL Draft and America’s 250th anniversary. -- Contributed

PITTSBURGH — As Point State Park prepares to welcome thousands of visitors ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft and America’s 250th anniversary, the Fort Pitt Museum — part of the Senator John Heinz History Center’s family of museums — will temporarily close from Thursday through Feb. 28 for exhibition updates and facility improvements.

The museum will reopen to the public on March 1.

During the closure, the museum will prepare new exhibitions that showcase Pittsburgh’s role and impact during the American Revolution.

Opening on March 1, the Pittsburgh’s Revolution exhibition will feature rare artifacts, interactive activities and powerful imagery that explore Fort Pitt’s history as the epicenter of the Revolutionary War in the West. Focused on defense of the expansive Ohio Country frontier, Pittsburgh served as the hub of American diplomacy and conflict with the Native tribes of the Ohio Country.

In June, just ahead of America’s 250th anniversary on July 4, the museum will debut a temporary exhibition exploring the unique weapons and tactics used on the 18th-century frontier.

During the January and February closure, staff will complete deep cleaning of galleries and public spaces, annual maintenance of the Fort Pitt diorama, upgrades to permanent interactive exhibits and preparation of newly acquired artifacts to be displayed throughout the year.

For information, visit heinzhistorycenter.org/fort-pitt.