History center stairs encourage visitors to take SmartSteps

Health and history have joined forces to try to get folks to take the stairs. SmartSteps

John Heinz History Center

In conjunction with UPMC Health Plan

1212 Smallman Street

Adults $10/Student with ID $5

(412) 454-6000

http://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/

Health and history have joined forces to try to get folks to take the stairs.

The Senator John Heinz History Center and UPMC Health Plan have paired up to create a permanent exhibit: SmartSteps. It’s a combination of Pittsburgh history and health-smart facts and tips that now grace six levels of stairwells at the Heinz History Center. Outside of the stairwells the center has exhibits spanning across the history of Pittsburgh — from fights on battlefields to struggles on the city’s sports fields.

When visitors choose to take the stairs rather than the elevator, they will experience this new feature. The exhibit has been designed to provide both information about daily caloric requirements and different aspects of Pittsburgh history. Individual steps within the exhibit often feature different historical facts or carry the name of famous individuals throughout history.

There is no extra cost for visitors to participate in the SmartSteps exhibit as it is part of the center’s general admission. In fact, all visitors to the Heinz History Center are encouraged to take the stairs and experience the displays in the hallways, history center communications manager Brady Smith said.

The exhibit isn’t leaving the Heinz History Center any time soon. Smith explained that the professionals at the history center, working along with representatives from the UPMC Health Plan, created the SmartSteps exhibit with their own materials and resources in order to make the displays a permanent part of the experience at the venue. Smith assisted in the collecting and display of the six exhibits.

“We have worked closely with UPMC for the different themes featured on each level,” Smith said, adding that the partnership between the two Pittsburgh businesses made sense to him. “Also, all the healthy tips came from UMPC. These tips that visitors will learn are ones that will inspire a healthier lifestyle.”

Smith went on to call the UPMC Health Plan an “ally” to the Heinz History Center’s developing healthy initiative. The museum has recently changed the menu of its café to provide healthier options.

What should visitors to the SmartSteps exhibit expect on the floors?

Each floor is filled with small display cases presenting a different theme about the history of Pittsburgh. From the first to the second floor is “The Starting Line.” Here, visitors will learn about the exhibit and take in an elaborate mural of Mister Rodgers climbing stairs.

The second to the third floor exhibit presents the theme “Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation.”

From the third to the fourth floor, visitors will find a “Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum.” This exhibit is equipped with a plethora of different sports shoes as well as a baseball signed by Bill Mazeroski.

The theme on the fourth to the fifth floor is labeled “Heinz 57 and Rosie the Riveter.” This segment of the stairwell provides a mural of Rosie the Riveter and an explanation of why this female character was important to Pittsburgh during World War II.

The fifth to the sixth floor presents “Clash of Empires: The British, French & Indian War,” and displays information about our country’s beginnings.

Finally, the sixth floor’s exhibit is labeled “Library & Archives and the Finish Line.”

Diane Holder, president of the UPMC Health Plan, said the stairs will encourage more people to exercise.. “We hope this initiative will be a fun and easy way to spread the message about the benefits of incorporating light exercise into your day,” Holder said. “By choosing activities that you can easily fit into a daily routine — such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator — you can accumulate small amounts of exercise throughout the day that can provide significant health benefits.”

The spirit of the SmartSteps exhibit mirrors Michelle Obama’s national initiative, “Let’s Move! Museums and Gardens.” The first lady’s mission is to keep kids moving throughout the summer, thus promoting healthier decisions for America’s youth. The SmartSteps exhibit attempts to achieve the same goals set out within the program.

Carrie Pazehoski, physical therapist for Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy Associates, Inc., agrees that kids can benefit from the workout, but stresses that this new exhibit might not be for everyone.

“I think that taking the stairs is great, especially for kids. If the person has any physical determents or issues, however, I think the elevator is always a better choice. Because the kids will be stopping on each floor to look around and not walking up six flights of stairs at once, I think it is a healthy choice to make,” she said.

Smith mentioned that the exhibit is particularly geared toward children.

“So far, kids are really happy with it,” Smith said. When a visitor forgoes the elevator, she receives a stamp at each of the six levels of the museum. Six stamps traded in at the gift shop will get the visitor a Heinz pickle pin.