Johnstown Flood Museum
It’s integrated into local culture and history so closely that we barely stop to think about the fateful events on May 31, 1889. The date that Johnstown was struck with a tragedy that earned the town the title of Flood City. The date of the Johnstown Flood. The Johnstown Flood Museum stands as a tribute and memorial to those who were lost and to the devastation suffered 120 years ago. Providing an in-depth look at the events that shaped the city as we know it, the museum is a unique and educational display in the heart of downtown Johnstown, PA.
The first floor of the museum houses a physical exhibit about the flood. Among the items on display are artifacts salvaged from the flood, newspapers from the weeks following the disaster, and stereoview photographs of the wreckage. Central to the first floor exhibit is a fiber optic relief map of the flood’s path, tracing the story step-by-step with lights, sounds and words. Also on the first floor is an exit to an original house that had sheltered survivors.
On the second floor is a theater which has a regular showing of an award-winning documentary about the flood. The film covers the events that lead to the decay of the dam that caused the flood to the survivors who stayed to rebuild the town.
The Johnstown Flood Museum is a certainly a piece of local history and culture that should not go unnoticed. It’s an excellent tribute to an event that once destroyed our city and still defines the way we see it today.
The museum is located at 304 Washington Street in Johnstown (click here for a map). It is open seven days a week from 10:00AM to 5:00PM, and until 7:00PM from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Click here for more information about the museum from the Johnstown Area Heritage Association.
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This entry was posted on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 5:28 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.
