Carnegie Museum, Phipps Winter Flower Show, Cathedral Holiday Nationality Rooms

Let's welcome some new members! And if you joined Meetup a while ago, this event brings lots of new people together and incorporates flexibility tailored to the interests of the group.

This event begins at the wonderful Café Carnegie (inside Carnegie Museum of Art) so people can socialize and get coffee/tea/wine/drink or quick lunch Please note that Café Carnegie does not require museum admission which makes it particularly suitable as we plan the rest of the afternoon.

Because we expect a large turnout for this event (although we'll have a better idea once we know the weather forecast, etc.), we'll incorporate some flexibility.

We realize that while some people may only have a few hours of free time, others may enjoy spending the afternoon or early evening checking out all of the exhibits or perhaps meeting for an optional dinner.

After we're done meeting/eating/drinking at Café Carnegie, we'll gauge of the interests of everyone and the possibility of smaller groups (perhaps 5-20+ people) exploring the following options from 12-5 PM or even later with optional dinner or Phipps Conservatory Winter Flower Show and Light Garden.

Option A -- Spend the afternoon inside the many galleries and exhibits of the Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Of note is that there will be a docent led tour at 1 PM for the Carnegie Museum of Art.

This is also a chance to check out the annual displays of Carnegie Trees and Neapolitan Presepio. There will also be a screening of unique films at 2 PM

In addition, we expect at least 10 people will get into Carnegie Museums for free based on those in the group that have Carnegie Museums memberships that allow them to bring guests. For those that are interested, priority for free admission will be decided by the order of arrival and recognition of members that are relatively new to the group.

Option B -- Walk over to the nearby Phipps Conservatory Winter Flower Show and Light Garden 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 11/26 to minimize the chance of a sellout.

Because the Phipps Winter Light Garden is open from 5-11 PM, this also allows the possibility of combining Phipps with Option A, Option C, or Option D for a full afternoon and evening.

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.

Option C -- Walk over to check out the beautiful holiday decorations of the 31 Nationality Rooms inside the Cathedral of Learning where there will be 2:30-4 PM docent led tour. There is also a 11 AM docent led tour for those that might be interested in doing this before meeting other people in the group later on, such as those attending the 1 PM docent tour (which begins next to the Carnegie Museum of Art Gift Shop).

Option D -- 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.

In terms of Admission Charges, we'll see if anyone has memberships (e.g., Carnegie Museums, Phipps) which allow them to bring guests in for free. We expect at least 10 people will be able to get into Carnegie Museums for free and several more people for free at Phipps.

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!