The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh has a new exhibit inspired by Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and its spinoffs, and it's not just for looking at old puppets behind glass. Kids walking through It's a Beautiful Day to Be You get to practice being kind, brave, creative and curious through hands-on play, using imagery and characters from Mister Rogers, Daniel Tiger and Donkey Hodie.
According to CBS News, the museum created the original exhibit to focus on developing positive character traits, and it appears to be resonating with people of multiple generations. Anne Fullenkamp, the exhibit's designer and the museum's senior director of creative experiences, said the goal was to build a safe space for kids to rehearse skills that aren't always easy to pick up. “It's very hard sometimes to learn how to be brave or how to be kind,” Fullenkamp said, according to the same report.
Per Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, the exhibit helps children explore what it means to be kind, curious, persistent, creative, collaborative and brave through play and discovery. It was created by the museum in partnership with Fred Rogers Productions and funded through Fostering Character Through Children's Museums, a Lilly Endowment Inc. initiative designed to help children's museums develop or expand efforts that encourage positive character traits.
Scenarios Built for Failing Safely
Fullenkamp said the exhibit sets up scenarios where children can practice bravery and kindness, and that those scenarios are built to allow kids to fail while they're practicing the skills, per CBS News. “We wanted to create a space like Fred did that's safe to practice all these skills that we're learning as little children,” she said.
Activities include tending a flower in the Enchanted Garden, making music at Purple Panda's Spaceship Dance Party, and traveling through Trolley's magical tunnel, according to the museum. The exhibit incorporates iconic pieces of the original neighborhood, including the Trolley and the clock Daniel Tiger lived in, as reported by 90.5 WESA. The original Donkey Hodie puppet is also on display at a museum for the first time, per CBS News.
Three Years in the Making
The exhibit is the result of a three-year development process and occupies the landmark museum's traveling exhibit gallery on the first floor, WESA reports. It premiered Saturday, October 3, in partnership with Fred Rogers Productions, according to Fred Rogers Productions, with opening-weekend programming that same Saturday and Sunday featuring a costume-character appearance by Daniel, trolley rides and art-making activities.
It's a Beautiful Day to Be You will be up through January 3, 2027, and is included with admission to the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. Fred Rogers Productions confirms the exhibit will be open to visitors from October 3, 2026, until January 3, 2027.
Nostalgia Meets a New Generation
Parents and grandparents appreciate the references to the original Mister Rogers show, and visitors say Fred Rogers' message carries through both the new programs and the exhibit. Mt. Lebanon mom Lizzie Hacket said Fred Rogers was about being kind and seeking the best in people, per CBS News' report.
After it closes in Pittsburgh, the exhibit will travel the country. WESA reports that it's scheduled to begin a national tour at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, and Fred Rogers Productions says a North America tour will launch in January 2027 with venues confirmed through 2029. Fullenkamp told the station the show is booked for the next three years and is expected to be on the road for the next decade.
