During its early years, HSWP leaders held meetings in homes and churches, but in 1893, were granted space for the organization's archives at the new Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in the Oakland neighborhood.

[2] The century-old Chautauqua Lake Ice Company building was renovated and adapted by the Pittsburgh office of the architecture firm of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, who did the design and oversaw construction.

Select artifacts include Franco Harris' "Immaculate Reception" cleats; Mario Lemieux's hockey skates; Satchel Paige's baseball glove; the pitching rubber from the 1960 World Series; Billy Conn's boxing gloves and light heavyweight champion belt; Arnold Palmer's sweater and golf bag; Chip Ganassi's 2000 Indy 500-winning race car; the "Ultimate Steelers Fan's Car;" the Homestead women swimmers Olympic medals from the 1920s and 1930s; and hundreds of Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cards.

The History Center's Detre Library & Archives is an extensive scholarly resource documenting 250 years of life in Western Pennsylvania.

[18] The History Center also operates Meadowcroft Rockshelter, a world-renowned archaeological site south of Pittsburgh near Washington County's Avella community.

The History Center operates this as a living museum, with re-enactors recreating rural life in the 19th century Upper Ohio Valley.

[23][24] The museum tells the story of Western Pennsylvania’s pivotal role during the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and as the birthplace of Pittsburgh.