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.