The Birthplace  Museum is an independent museum administered by the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust which comprises two linked buildings: the original Birthplace Cottage where Andrew Carnegie was born and the adjoining Memorial Hall which was provided by bis widow Mrs. Louise Whitfield Carnegie.  The museum opened in 1928 and tells the fascinating "rags to riches" story of Andrew Carnegie the weaver's    son who emigrated to America and forged a huge fortune from the American Steel industry and then gave that fortune away for the elevation and improvement of humanity.
    The collection in the museum is comprised of: Decorative material - keys, mallets, trowels and freedom caskets. Numismatics - medals and decorations. Textiles - tapestries, hangings, embroideries, academic gowns and cloaks and domestic linen (tablecloths and napkins). Archive material - books, articles, letters,  typescripts, galley proofs of books by and about Andrew Carnegie. Photographs - Andrew Carnegie, his family, his gifts and benefactions, at presentations etc.
Artwork - paintings, prints and sculptures.
The art collection of the museum is fairly small comprising: portraits of Andrew Carnegie by Howard    Russell Butler, his wife Louise, the magnificent "Dunfermline Demonstrations" painting by Blair and Geddes, prints of Andrew Carnegie, a pencil sketch of him by Gasparn and a series of eight watercolour architects impressions of the Carnegie Institutes in America which were painted by E. Eldon Deane.