Here at Pitt, your student ID is your life. Not only do you need it to get into your dorm,… Here at Pitt, your student ID is your life. Not only do you need it to get into your dorm, but it also serves as a big money saver by granting you free admission to local Pittsburgh museums.

This semester, the Senator John Heinz History Center has been added to the list of places where your Pitt ID serves as a VIP pass, a list that already includes the Carnegie Museums, Phipps Conservatory, The Andy Warhol Museum and the Mattress Factory.

The new partnership with the History Center was developed in celebration of PITT ARTS’ 10th anniversary. Thanks to PITT ARTS, which looks to connect students to Pittsburgh’s art scene and the city’s culture, students can learn a little more about the city, free of charge.

The History Center is a museum that contains more than 250 years of Western Pennsylvanian history. Currently at the History Center, students can view a show called “Soul Soldiers: African Americans and the Vietnam Era.” A new Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum teaches students about the great Pittsburgh sports teams, displaying the glory of Super Bowl, World Series and Stanley Cup victories, as well as high school football traditions that have produced around 50 professional quarterbacks from the Pittsburgh area.

The History Center has the dresses of the First Ladies on display, or if you’re more into exploration than fashion design, you can check out the famed Lewis and Clark exhibition. Heinz History Center also features exhibits on local Underground Railroad sites, the Pittsburgh steel industry and local sports history.

If you haven’t had enough learning yet, head over to the Heinz History Center, located on 1212 Smallman St. in Pittsburgh’s historic Strip District.