Due to the dangerous heat wave hitting our area and a delicate HVAC system, we must CLOSE the Heritage Discovery Center/Johnstown Children’s Museum today (Sunday, June 22) through Wednesday. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through this problem in the short- and long-term.

 

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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!

News & Stories

Category Archive: Heritage Johnstown at Home

The Johnstown Area Heritage Association (JAHA) is delighted to share The Laurel Highlands Explorers, a children’s book which has been authored and illustrated by area high school students, a project made possible by a $30,000 grant from National Geographic! The …

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This post was made available to JAHA members first, before the general public, as part of our Membership Mondays program. To become a JAHA member, contact Deb Winterscheidt.

For the last year, we have been in the midst of an international health crisis …

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On Feb. 11, 2021, Russell Shorto discussed his new book, “Smalltime: A Story of My Family and the Mob,” with Richard Burkert, JAHA president. There was great interest in this virtual presentation, and we reached the webinar’s 250 capacity. We …

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February 6, 2021 11:00 am

JAHA at Home: Hidden Treasures

The Cambria County Library made this video with Richard Burkert, JAHA president, exploring “hidden treasures” from the archives and collections JAHA stores at the Heritage Discovery Center — objects that give us insight into what life was like here a …

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This post was made available to JAHA members first, before the general public, as part of our Membership Mondays program. To become a JAHA member, contact Deb Winterscheidt.

The Johnstown Area Heritage Association would like to wish all our members, supporters and friends …

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June 19 is Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States while celebrating African-American history and culture. Johnstown’s African-American community has a rich history that many people are seeking to better document and explore. The African American …

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This post was made available to JAHA members first, before the general public, as part of our Membership Mondays program. To become a JAHA member, contact Deb Winterscheidt.

Welcome to our second Membership Monday post! Today’s content is …

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This post was made available to JAHA members first, before the general public, as part of our Membership Mondays program. To become a JAHA member, contact Deb Winterscheidt.

This video was produced in 1964 for WJAC-TV to commemorate …

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JAHA is delighted to offer several at-home programs for students! These programs are designed to bring themes from the Johnstown Children’s Museum, Heritage Discovery Center, and Johnstown Flood Museum directly to kids virtually.

To inquire about one of these Virtual Classroom …

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The Iron & Steel Gallery at the Heritage Discovery Center was created in 2009 during the second phase of the renovation of the building. The spectacular, three-story space evokes an industrial feel, and the film presentation “The Mystery of Steel” …

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