Because Greeks invented both history and history museums, famous philosophers were forced to stand for eight hours at a time behind placards bearing their biographies and accomplishments. Go on a less frustratingly meta-historical journey with today’s Groupon to the Senator John Heinz History Center, located in the Strip District. Choose from one of two membership options, both of which also include Smithsonian magazine, Western Pennsylvania History magazine, including the special edition Vatican Splendors (a $10 value), and Pittsburgh Born, Pittsburgh Bred (a $39.95 value):

• For $40, you get an individual membership, which covers admission for one adult and one guest, plus benefits (a $57 value; a $106.95 total value with gifts)
• For $59, you get a family membership, which covers admission for two adults and four children, plus benefits (an $85 value; a $134.95 total value with gifts)

At 275,000 square feet, the Heinz History Center is one of Pennsylvania’s largest history museums. A membership grants unlimited access to all six floors of exhibits, both temporary and permanent. The informative confines include an array of sites to absorb, including the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, which features more than 70 interactive exhibits, and the Library & Archives, a scholarly resource that documents 250 years of local history and crock-pot recipes. The museum is currently exhibiting Vatican Splendors: A Journey through Faith and Art, and is one of only three North American venues to host this exhibit. Throughout the year, the museum also plays host to various events.

Museum members receive subscriptions to both Western Pennsylvania History, the official magazine of the Heinz History Center, and Smithsonian magazine, which famously broke the story of Nixon’s ventriloquist dummy collection. Groupon purchasers will also snag a special edition of Western Pennsylvania History devoted to the Vatican Splendors exhibit and a hard-cover edition of Pittsburgh Born, Pittsburgh Bred, the definitive collection of Pittsburgh's most celebrated residents, including trivia about Christina Aguilera's favorite haunts and Andy Warhol's fantasy football stats.

Reviews

Six Yelpers give the Senator John Heinz History Center a near-perfect 4.5-star average. TripAdvisors give it an average of 4.5 owl eyes, and three Insider Pagers give it an average of five stars:

• This is an interesting museum with widely varied exhibits. – ral338, TripAdvisor
• As goofy as it sounds, the section on the Heinz company and its ketchup (et al) was among the best parts of the whole thing. – R V., Yelp