johnstown flood museum

There are several....one in downtown Johnstown and a National Park Service at the site of the original flood.

This attraction is housed in downtown Johnstown. The docents were very knowledgeable and displays of actual artifacts were very interesting. A bit pricy for admission, but the movie about the floods of Johnstown was very well done.

So glad I went! I was the only one there so I got a private tour with so much extra info from the person who was working that day. Don't miss the movie on the second floor. Spend the time to read all of the exhibits. I learned so much more about this terrible event in our history.

Glad I took the time to stop here. Learned Alot of history about the great flood and the town. Well worth the seeing.

11-1-14 I had read much about the Johnstown flood and so I had an understanding of the flood and the dynamics which caused the great disaster. The 25 min film gave a more personal understanding of the people and the personal loss. The mock up of the flood plain was good as it showed how the water approached the town. Pictures on the wall and an overview by a tour guide showed how people persevered from disaster.

For all visitors, business travelers, meeting attendees, etc. , no trip to this area is complete without a visit to the Johnstown Flood Museum. Originally, the building was built by Andrew Carnegie, and has undergone many , many updates, With 1889, 1936, and 1977, the people in this town are more than familiar with disaster. The tour guides do an exceptional explanation of the entire experience including . The Academy Award Winning film that is shown at the museum PUTS you there. You feel the thunder, the force of the rain, the rush of the water. You see the destruction, disaster, and the deaths. This may not be a film for very young children, bur if makes anyone visiting Johnstown appreciate the backbone, courage, and entreprenuership that has help make this town survive. Not to be missed.

This building began life as a library and now houses the Johnstown Flood Museum. Be sure to see the excellent movie narrated by Len Cariou. It is different from the movie at the Memorial site, less dark, but equally informative. We had about 25 minutes until the movie started when we got there, which gave us plenty of time to look at all the first floor exhibits. There are artifacts found after the flood: clothing, tableware, and other various items. If you follow the displays from left to right around the room, you get a good sequential explanation of the flood and its aftermath. There is also an excellent diorama showing the path of the flood. Such massive devastation in such a short time. Admission was a little expensive ($9.00/adult).I would recommend visiting the museum and the memorial in the same day to get a real feel for what the day of the flood was like.

We have taken friends to the Johnstown tour on several occasions. The museum displays are about the same as always, but the digitized movie is much better than it was.

Be sure and arrive in time to see the excellent film which we felt provided a more comprehensive story of the flood and how the city recovered than did the film at the National Park. The exhibits are fairly static but informative. It appears this museum does not have a lot of funding but is supported by an enthusiastic group of volunteers. From the street it's hard to determine if the museum is actually open as there is no OPEN sign on the door and a call to the museum went straight to voice mail. We're glad we took the risk to park and then go into the museum. It's definitely worth a visit.

Unfortunately, the museum was closed on our first swing through Johnstown. Fortunately, we came back through on our trip home. Combine this museum with the National Park site and you will get a very good history of the Johnstown flood disaster in 1889.

This is a worthwhile stop because the bldg was once the public library financed by Andrew Carnegie. They focus on the cultural and post-flood perspectives whereas the NPS center is cheaper but lasers in on only the actual flood. We got the combo ticket for the heritage center which spoke to the immigrants of the time. Depending on how much time you have, choose wisely!

The movie this museum presents is very vivid, it allows you to ask yourself what you would have done--and also how ineptitude/greed does indeed destroy lives. Start with it first, then view the relics. Perhaps the baby shoes found after the fact will eat at your heart. For me, it was the bottle of actual flood water still intact, mud still on the outside. Here was a disaster fittingly remembered, with the solemness it deserves. Make sure you see all floors; the top floor profiles a woman who broke the mold and became a premier journalist. I just wish they had their own parking lot, but if you go on a Saturday the meters are free. There were signs near the museum for parking; call them for details.

What's really cool is the actual museum is located exactly where the designer of this once highly recommended designer owned his home, perched amongst the top of a gorgeous mountain. This mountain then overlooks the whole surrounding areas including the once sought after by the wealthy resort of Lake Conemaugh. Upon entering the actual flood museum, you can't help but to notice the time, effort, and authenticity put into the several 3d and commemorative collector items from this nationally tragic event lying out on display. You could hear fathers explaining to their sons stories of science, wealth, and the good and bad times of the area in which we are standing. As if your mind isn't already blown away at this point, your eyes raise to the ceiling to capture a scene in which you'll never foget. A tree reenacted to show that the waters were so epic and for would that day, that it had pummels through the interior of an entire house. Absolutely breathtakingly fascinating!! To polish it all off, your led into a movie theatre. Modern, stadium seating. Clean. The lights grow dark, and sound effects set the tone for this detailed movie on the horrific events that caused this dam to break. When the movie is finished, you are free to revisit the exobits, or venture to the outside area. This is where the markings explain of where the buildings used to stand and a depiction of the shallow hole now filled in with short trees that caused all the havoc still lies over 100 years after the tragedy struck. Great date activity!!! Educational for families as well as children. I went on a rainy day, this helped me to really immerse myself into the history of Johnstown. Afterwards, the grounds still have some original homes still standing.... and the city of Johnstown still has some of the original house rebuilt from this insane devastation. I would advise perhaps looking on YouTube for the movie first to make sure it's not scary for little little ones. More than anything its chillingly sad but incredibly educational. After my visit, I find myself researching it constantly. So interesting!!! I recommend it at least once 150%.

There are lots of pictures and a display that lights up the path of the flood, lots of interesting ways to learn about the flood

We arrived at the museum as soon as they opened ($9 per person to get in). The woman was very knowledgeable and truly loved her job. She gave us some brief history and we then were seated to watch the film (which I believe is around 45 minutes long). Unfortunately just as the dam was beginning to break and the man was being sent to warn the town the projector bulb went out. WIthout a replacement there was no way to watch the rest of the movie. The maintenance man was called but it appeared that they would not get a bulb that day. We were then offered our money back (which we did not take) and walked through the rest of the museum with the guide and over to the Oklahoma house. It was very disappointing to not be able to see the rest of the film but we still felt it was worth the money.