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!

JAHA at Home: Hidden Treasures

JAHA at Home: Hidden Treasures

Posted: February 6, 2021 11:00 am

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 long time ago.

In this 17-minute video, Richard shows us:

  • A piece of Swank pottery, commonly used to store food before the advent of glass containers
  • A piece of original wallpaper from the Wagner-Ritter House & Garden
  • A small mold of test steel, showing the 1981 date the steel was made — the last day that blast furnace was in operation

JAHA thanks the Cambria County Library for producing this video!