Johnstown Flood Museum
On May 31, 1889, a neglected dam and a phenomenal storm led to a catastrophe in which 2,209 people died. It's a story of great tragedy, but also of triumphant recovery. Visit the Johnstown Flood Museum, which is operated by the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, to find out more about this shocking episode in American history.
The Johnstown Area Heritage Association opened the Johnstown Flood Museum in 1989, marking the centennial anniversary of the flood. In preparation for the opening, JAHA commissioned the internationally acclaimed filmmaker Charles Guggenheim to produce a documentary on the flood to be shown at the museum.
The result is a 26-minute film that won the Academy Award for Best Documentary, Short Subject. It uses JAHA photo archives and recreations of events to explain what happened that fateful day of May 31, 1889. The film is shown every hour at the Johnstown Flood Museum, in a specially-designed theater located on the second floor.
Welcome to the Johnstown Area Heritage Association (JAHA)! We are a non-profit organization that exists to preserve and present this region's nationally significant stories through museums, special events, cultural & educational programming, and historical collections. Choose from the navigation bar to the left to learn more about what we do.
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