New Mister Rogers 50th anniversary display opens March 20 at Heinz History Center
The 50th anniversary of “Mister Rogers' Neighborhood” will be commemorated at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh's Strip District with a display of Fred Rogers' sweater and shoes from the iconic children's show, beginning March 20 – which also marks Rogers' 90th birthday.
A green cardigan and blue shoes worn during the 1980s will be installed in the History Center's fourth floor “Mister Rogers' Neighborhood” display, which is the world's largest collection of original items from the show.
Cardigans knitted by his mother and Sperry shoes, which Rogers donned at the beginning of each show, were a staple of “Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,” which aired nearly 900 episodes nationally from Feb. 19, 1968, through Aug. 31, 2001.
Also featured in the display are:
• The show's entryway and living room set;
• King Friday XIII's Castle;
• Great Oak Tree, the residence of Henrietta Pussycat and X the Owl;
• Picture Picture, an interactive media display;
• Mr. McFeely's “Speedy Delivery” tricycle;
• Other items from the “Neighborhood of Make-Believe,” including King Friday XIII's telephone, Henrietta Pussycat's outfit, Chef Brockett's hat, Harriett Elizabeth Cow's desk and the bench that Mister Rogers sat on, and
• A lifelike figure of Mister Rogers.
The center also has added three new media clips, including portions of episodes from “Mister Rogers' Neighborhood” and “Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood” focused on courage and bravery; and Fred Rogers' 1968 testimony to Congress defending public television from budget cuts.
The center's next Google Arts & Culture virtual exhibition, to be posted online this month, will focus on “Mister Rogers' Neighborhood” and feature artifacts from the collection.
Details: 412-454-6459 or heinzhistorycenter.org
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-836-5750, smcmarlin@tribweb.com or via Twitter @shirley_trib.
