PITTSBURGH — Holiday activities begin this weekend at the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, 4400 Forbes Ave.

A variety of special programs including the Italian Nativity, holiday-themed trees and a family singalong are part of the festivities.

All of the following activities are included in the price of admission, unless otherwise indicated.

Museum of Art

• Neapolitan Presepio, Friday through Jan. 6 in the Hall of Architecture.

Neapolitan Presepio has been a Pittsburgh holiday tradition since 1957. Handcrafted by artisans between 1700 and 1830, the presepio features lifelike figures and colorful details that re-create the Nativity within a panorama of 18th-century Italian village life.

More than 100 human and angelic figures, along with animals, accessories, and architectural elements, cover a 250-square-foot area.

Guided tours are available from noon to 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.

• Holiday tree display: Inspired by the Muses, Friday through Jan. 6 in the Hall of Architecture.

Five 20-foot Colorado spruce trees will each be adorned with ornaments that celebrate the muses that inspire art, culture and science.

A holiday tree preview party is planned for 5:30 to 8 p.m. today. Cost is $60. For reservations, contact Jenny Tabrum at 412-622-3325 or tabrumj@ carnegiemuseums.org.

• Holiday happy hour, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Dec. 9 in the CMA Lobby. Cost is $18 for members in advance or $22 at the door.

Visit the galleries and enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while a disc jockey puts a new spin on traditional holiday music.

• Family holiday singalong, 2 to 4 p.m. Dec. 11, free with museum admission.

Join singer/songwriter Frank Cappelli for an afternoon at the museums, featuring a singalong of favorite seasonal tunes.

Museum of Natural History

• Family activities winter wonderland, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Dec. 11 and 18.

A variety of family-friendly activities that explore nature’s adaptations for winter survival are planned.

• Winter in the Discovery Room, from Saturday through Jan. 8, 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Learn about holiday greenery by seeing and smelling live spruce, pine, and other festive plants. Touch a caribous winter white fur, investigate animals on the Discovery Room tree and listen to the calls of wild birds.

• Holiday camps: Art and natural history, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 28 and 29. Single day art camps are $40 for nonmembers and $35 for members; two days cost $80 for nonmembers and $70 for members.

The museum is a field for discovery and creativity where youngsters investigate science and make art. Registration must be made no later than a week before the camp. Call 412-622-3288 or send an e-mail to programregistration@carnegiemuseums.org.

Details for all these holiday events can be found at www.carnegiemnh.org/ holidays.