The Carnegie Institute complex, which includes the original museum, recital hall, and library, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 30, 1979.

The words "free to the people" inscribed above the entrance of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh illustrate his vision.

The museum currently has seven floors of gallery and exhibition space as well as an underground education studio and conservation lab.

The serial images derived from the culture's consumerism and conception of beauty are reified in a form of art which represent the identity of constituents in postwar American society.

[8] Images used by Warhol, which have made him famous for his contributions to pop art, include celebrities and consumables such as Marilyn Monroe and The Campbell's soup can.

Today the museum continues showcasing contemporary art by staging the Carnegie International exhibition every three to five years.

Numerous works from the International exhibitions have been acquired for the museums' permanent collection including Winslow Homer's The Wreck (1896) and James A. McNeill Whistler's Arrangement in Black: Portrait of Señor Pablo de Sarasate (1884).

Research teams that included Carnegie scientists have made discoveries such as Puijila darwini and Hadrocodium wui.

[9] The Kamin Science Center houses the Buhl Planetarium & Observatory, the Rangos Giant Cinema Theater, and a number of temporary and permanent exhibits, including Highmark SportsWorks, the Miniature Railroad & Village, and the Robot Hall of Fame.