Welcome, and bring your houseguests!

The Heritage Discovery Center/Johnstown Children’s Museum and Johnstown Flood Museum begin a winter operating schedule as of Dec. 1: open Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10:00 am-5:00 pm, Sunday noon-5:00 pm; and closed Tuesday and Wednesday. (Dec. 24-25 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1 fall on Tuesday-Wednesday; therefore, there are no extra closing days due to Christmas or New Year.) Special events calendar is here.

Peoples Natural Gas Park, which is the site for Discover Downtown Johnstown Partnership’s Christmas Tree and Village this year, is open noon-11:00 pm. Lighting time for the tree and the Stone Bridge is 5:00-11:00 pm, and the installation will be up through January 8, 2026. More tree-related schedule info is here.

Thank you for a fantastic Mobsters & Molls event!

Thank you for a fantastic Mobsters & Molls event!

Posted: April 29, 2024 10:01 am

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 great time was had by all. People had the opportunity to eat, drink, enjoy the occasion and each other, see the new Forging a Nation steel exhibition, and learn more about all JAHA has to offer!

We would like to thank:

  • Tamera Gindlesperger Fisher, our director, her assistant Rebekah Hurley, and their fantabulous all-star cast, which included Troy Smajda, Christina Fosbrink, Randy Jeffreys, Cassidy Polacek, Michael Cashaw, and Sam Johns;
  • Russell Shorto, aka “Elliott Mess,” the author of Smalltime: A Story of My Family & the Mob, who graciously took time from his busy schedule to serve as our celebrity detective;
  • Todd Wagner, our volunteer bartender who served delicious cocktails using Ponfeigh Whiskey;
  • Kristi Democko, who sold 50/50 tickets for us (and nobody can say no to Kristi!);
  • Our 50/50 winner, whose name we didn’t catch but who graciously donated his winnings back to JAHA;
  • And finally, everyone who bought a ticket and came out to support the event, and set about solving the mystery with such cheer and enthusiasm.

We are already looking forward to next year’s murder mystery, which is set for March 8, 2025! Mark your calendar now. (Photos by Makenzie Croyle).