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. When we have a timeline for re-opening, we will update! 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: Stories

By Amy Regan, Heritage Johnstown curator

At the time of the 1889 flood, Johnstown’s population was about 30,000 people, and 2,209 died in the disaster. Whether you survived or not was largely determined by where you were at the time the …

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By Nikki Bosley, Heritage Johnstown staff

“It was only a question of time until the dam would break.” – John Fulton

It was 7:00 a.m. on the morning of May 31, 1889, and John Fulton, General Manager of the Cambria Iron Company, …

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In the early 2000s, AmeriCorps member Mike Burke worked with Heritage Johnstown (then known as JAHA) and the Johnstown chapter of the NAACP to research early Black history here. By poring through written documentation such as census records, early newspapers, …

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We are Heritage Johnstown!

After a year-long process, the Johnstown Area Heritage Association (JAHA) is announcing a name change – Heritage Johnstown – as we kick off our annual fund drive.

Donate today

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By Cole Szramowski, a PennWest student who wrote this post for us as part of a class he’s taking through Heinz History Center. He thanks local hockey expert Mike Piskuric for his assistance with this article!

Johnstown, Pennsylvania is just like …

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By David G. Glosser, who along with his family has donated a historic cash register from Glosser Bros. to JAHA (as seen in above photo by Makenzie Croyle: retired JAHA President Richard Burkert, Stephanie and David G. Glosser, JAHA Curator …

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The anniversary of the Johnstown flood is coming up, and JAHA and the National Park Service are planning commemorative events, including an Interpreted Tour of the Johnstown Flood. One of the characters depicted in that tour …

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What a fantastic event we had with Mobsters & Molls: A Murder Mystery at the Heritage Discovery Center on April 13! Our wonderful house of more than 125 people set about solving the mystery all over the museum, and a …

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The American retailer Anthropologie has filmed a new ad campaign in the Johnstown Train Station! The shoot was completed in September, showcasing the brand’s clothing, accessories, home decor, furniture and more.

How did they find us? Well, the creative director had …

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October 9, 2023 2:08 pm

Thank you for a wonderful Wine Auction!

On September 29, the Greater Johnstown YMCA and JAHA hosted Corks & Cocktails: 13th Annual Charity Wine Auction in the Community Foundation Oilhouse at Peoples Natural Gas Park! What a wonderful evening, and we are grateful to all who made …

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