Due to an interior water leak on 1/23/25 caused by extreme cold, the Johnstown Flood Museum ONLY is temporarily closed. Thankfully, nothing of historic significance was affected. The water remediation team concluded their work, which leaves repainting, floor refinishing, and replacement of carpet and soundproofing materials. We are currently waiting for insurance adjustors and approval of quotes, a process we cannot control. In the meantime, we apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to remediate and repair our beloved flagship museum.

In the meantime, we are pleased to present Relic Tales of the Johnstown Floods at the Heritage Discovery Center, which is unaffected and operating normal business hours. This new temporary exhibition includes more than 200 artifacts and photographs, many of which have never been on display before, from the Johnstown flood of 1889 (as well as 1936 and 1977).  Welcome!

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Area Genealogical Resources

Help for those researching family history.

Heritage Johnstown often receives inquiries from researchers investigating their families’ genealogy, but our archives are not rich in this type of material.

Here is a list of area resources that may be helpful for those researching genealogy in Johnstown or Cambria County:

The Johnstown Area Genealogical & Historical Society — The society focuses on Johnstown and Cambria County, and its print and computer records are located at the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in Johnstown. The society’s website includes a surname list, links to research databases and additional resources.

Cambria County Historical Society — Based in the county seat of Ebensburg, the society’s research library includes town histories, surname files, obituary/marriage indexes, and more.

Cambria County Library Reference & Genealogy Services — This fantastic resource (which has been greatly expanded recently) offers available digitized records of births, marriages, obituaries and death records, veterans graves, naturalizations, and cemeteries, compiled from microfilm by volunteers and downloadable in PDF format. Copies of some records are also available for a small fee.

Cambria Memory Project — Affiliated with Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, this site provides online access to a variety of collections and databases, including the African-American Heritage Collection, Beth Sholom Synagogue Collection, and a Records Collection with Cambria County immigration records, business license information, and much more.

Grandview Cemetery — Grandview was founded just a few years before the 1889 flood. It is one of the largest cemeteries in Pennsylvania, and the final resting place for many flood victims. It is still an active cemetery with more than 12 miles of roads winding through its grounds. The website allows you to search interments by name, and will provide the exact location of the individual’s gravesite. A walking tour is also published on the site.

List of 1889 flood victims: This official list of flood victims was published on July 31, 1890 in the Johnstown Tribune after extensive effort — “the list has passed the jealous scrutiny of all survivors, and is pronounced correct,” the paper said at the time. The original list was organized by burial place; this one is alphabetical by last name.