Museum Chart for Kohanim

A kohain may not become defiled by contact with a corpse or parts thereof. This includes being under the same canopy, roof, ledge or natural tree or rocky outcrop. This applies to corpses of non-Jews as well. However, in cases of necessity, please consult with your rav.

The common places of concern include: cemeteries and their surrounding streets, hospitals, museums, crime labs, and universities with medical schools and those that teach biology, forensics, physical therapy and the like.

This is a list of some local museums that have been checked out to the best of our knowledge:

Museum

Address

Organization

Status for Kohanim

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

4400 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Not suitable

Carnegie Museum of Art

4400 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Not suitable

Carnegie Science Center – main museum

1 Allegheny Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Not suitable

Carnegie Science Center – Sportsworks

1 Allegheny Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Suitable

Tickets must be purchased by non-kohain in main museum

Carnegie Science Center – Submarine

1 Allegheny Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Suitable

Tickets must be purchased by non-kohain in main museum

Andy Warhol Museum

117 Sandusky Street, Pittsburgh PA 15212

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Suitable

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum

4141 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Soldiers and Sailors

Suitable. There are cremains in storage, but visitors have no contact with them.

Senator John Heinz History Center Museum, including Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum

1212 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Heinz History Center and Smithsonian

Suitable. The storage building next-door (unknown contents) is not continuously connected.

Fort Pitt Museum

Point State Park, 601 Commonwealth Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Heinz History Center and Smithsonian

Suitable

Fort Pitt Block House

Point State Park, Pittsburgh, PA

Daughters of American Revolution

Suitable

Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village

401 Meadowcroft Road, Avella, PA 15312

Heinz History Center and Smithsonian

Suitable. Avoid anything that looks like a grave

Kelso Museum of Near Eastern Archaeology

616 N Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

Suitable, bones in a display, but not enough to cause problems

The Clemente Museum

3339 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15201

Clemente Museum

Suitable

The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

10 Children’s Way Allegheny Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

Suitable

Fort Ligonier Museum

200 South Market Street, Ligonier, Pennsylvania 15658

Fort Ligonier

Suitable

Braddock’s Battlefield History Center

609 6th St, Rankin, PA 15104

Fort Ligonier

Suitable

The National Aviary

Allegheny Commons Park, 700 Arch Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

National Aviary of Pittsburgh

Suitable

Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

Highland Park 7370 Baker Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

Suitable