Kaufmann's Added To Science Center's Miniature Railroad Exhibit

PITTSBURGH, PA - Carnegie Science Center will reopen its holiday miniature railroad and village exhibit with a new historic replica that any Pittsburgher would recognize: the former Kaufmann's department store and clock.

Visitors to the miniature railroad, opening for its 100th season Thursday will get to see a replica of the Downtown store, known as the “Grand Depot,” complete with 15 window displays, a Swarovski crystal chandelier, and the clock at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Smithfield Street.

“Pittsburghers have a very deep-rooted ownership of their cultural institutions,” Patty Everly, the center's curator of historic exhibits, said in a statement. “The Kaufmann’s model brings to the Miniature Railroad a sense of activity, life, and local pride. Visually it’s very captivating because it is such a big piece. It brings diversity to our display and helps us tell the immigrant story.”

The Kaufmann's chain was founded by a family of Jewish-German immigrants in the 1870s as a simple men's clothing shop in the South Side, eventually growing to be the Downtown mammoth many people fondly recall.

The model’s unveiling kicks off the miniature railroad's centennial celebration. The sprawling layout was first created by Charles Bowdish in 1919 and displayed at his home in Brookville, PA to entertain the guests at his brother’s wedding.

In 1954, the display moved to Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science on the North Side. Relocated to Carnegie Science Center in 1992, the display includes more than 100 cleverly constructed animations, 250,000 handmade trees, and replicas of historic western Pennsylvania landmarks, such as Primanti Bros. in the Strip District, Forbes Field, Donora’s Cement City and
Gobbler’s Knob.