Johnstown Heritage Discovery Center
Photograph courtesy of the Johnstown Area Heritage Association
When it comes to things to do in the Johnstown area, few attractions can match up to what the Heritage Discovery Center has to offer. The facility, located on Broad Street in the City’s West End, houses interactive exhibits, galleries, a café and a social club. Just in time for summer the Johnstown Area Heritage Association (JAHA) has unveiled two new exhibitions—The Johnstown Children’s Museum and “The Mystery of Steel”, a short film providing insight into the role of the city of Johnstown in the steel making industry.
As it’s the jewel in your own backyard that is frequently overlooked for no other reason than its close proximity, the Heritage Discovery Center is holding a free preview of the new facilities.
On Sunday, June 14th a Grand Opening celebration will be held from 1:00PM to 5:00PM. The Heritage Discovery Center will be open to the public to tour the building and get a brief look at the facility’s new offerings, which include:
- Johnstown Children’s Museum
- Iron and Steel Gallery
- Johnstown Discovery Network
- “Made in Johnstown” exhibit
- “Growing Up in Johnstown—1860-1960” exhibit
- Education Center
- Galliker’s Café
Children’s Museum
The Johnstown Children’s Museum is a long-awaited attraction geared towards children that focuses on the region’s heritage, community and geography. “What makes the Children’s Museum unique from other museums is that our overall theme is an actual place—the City of Johnstown,” says Shelley Johannson, Director of Marketing and Communication for the Johnstown Area Heritage Association.
A special feature of the museum is the Inclimber – an installation formed in the shape of Johnstown’s Yoder Hill. Children will be outfitted with a lighted hardhat and sent off to explore mine tunnels filled with surprises. The exterior of the Inclimber features a replica of world-famous Inclined Plane, while inside children can use a slide to travel the length of the installation.
“The Mystery of Steel”
The Iron and Steel gallery pays homage to the industry that historically symbolized Johnstown. At the hub of this three-story gallery is a theatre for the showing of “The Mystery of Steel”, a short film on the Johnstown steel industry comprised of historic photography, reenactment scenes and footage shot at the Johnstown Bethlehem mills in the early 1990s.
Beginning Monday, June 15th, 2009, the Johnstown Children’s Museum and “Mystery of Steel” will be open for regular business.
There is much more information on the Heritage Discovery Center at the JAHA Web site (www.jaha.org/DiscoveryCenter/).
Keeping up to date with the Heritage Discovery Center couldn’t be easier. You can subscribe to their email newsletter (click here to register) and receive updates on Facebook (click here to become a fan).
The Heritage Discovery Center is located at 201 6th Avenue, Johnstown (click here for a map).
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This entry was posted on Thursday, June 4th, 2009 at 8:07 pm and is filed under History & Landmarks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
