“Pronounced Ah-Beetz” Exhibit at New Haven Museum

Exhibit Hours:

Wednesday – Friday, 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday, 12 to 5 pm.

From Frank Pepe’s original hat to celebrity-signed pizza boxes (including Gwyneth Paltrow and Yogi Berra!), if you love the crust, the crunch and the char of New Haven apizza, or simply have strong views on what comprises a good pie, you’ll find something to feed your personal pizza passion in the new exhibit “Pronounced Ah-Beetz,” open now at the New Haven Museum (NHM) through October 2027.

“Pronounced Ah-Beetz” examines the fun, the flavor and the history of pizza, including its origin as an affordable means of feeding workers in the fields of Italy, and how it became the food of the poor in the U.S. The Italian migration to New Haven gave way to Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana, which gave birth to Sally’s Apizza, while a mile away Tony’s Apizza became Modern. How these three establishments became among the most iconically loved pizza restaurants in the country is a major focus.

While the exhibit highlights the “Big 3” original apizza spots in New Haven, it also extends through the family tree of New Haven pizzerias to present a picture of family, food and community that includes a host of other local pizzerias, including: Ernie’s, Zuppardi’s, BAR, Zeneli’s, Olde World, and the Big Green Pizza Truck, among others.