PHOTO COURTESY BRIAN CONLEY | CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART

Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh has introduced new community access memberships meant to expand entries to its four museums by making membership more affordable, according to a press release. These include a free teen membership, a $20 family access membership and a complimentary organizational access membership available to eligible community-based nonprofits.

“A milestone anniversary is a time to remember how far we have come, but it’s also a time to dream how far we can go. So we are using the occasion of our 125th to look beyond the doors of our museums and imagine new ways of opening them to the communities we serve,” said Steven Knapp, president and CEO of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, in a press release.

“As part of this effort, we are turning our attention to the future of our community — our young people — with a free membership that invites teenagers to experience the power of our museums to connect them with each other and with the inspiring and mind-expanding worlds of art and science,” he added.

All Community Access Memberships include one year of free general admission to Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, Carnegie Science Center and The Andy Warhol Museum.

The free teen membership covers all those between the ages of 13 and 18. Teen memberships will remain active until the teen turns 19.

Families and individuals who qualify for public assistance can get a family access membership for $20. In comparison, the cost of a non-discounted annual single membership is $75, and a family membership is $150. Premium memberships, which include “increased reciprocal privileges with select art and natural history museums, and 10 half-off coupons on educational films at The Rangos Giant Cinema,” can climb as high as $250 per year.

Eligible nonprofit organizations serving at-risk youth, foster youth, individuals experiencing homelessness and seniors receiving public assistance can also register to receive a complimentary organizational outreach membership, which admits up to 11 people per visit at no cost.

As part of its community access initiative, all four Carnegie Museums plan to expand their lifelong learning experiences through more teen-centric offerings and programming targeted to seniors.