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  Location within Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Johnstown Flood Museum (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Established | 1973 |
|---|---|
| Location | 304 Washington St., Johnstown, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 40°19′40″N78°55′15″W / 40.3278°N 78.9208°W /40.3278; -78.9208 |
| Type | History Museum,Artifacts, andLocal History |
| President | Richard Burkert |
| Website | Official website |
Cambria Public Library Building | |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1890 |
| Architectural style | French Gothic revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001100[1] |
| Added to NRHP | June 19, 1972 |
TheJohnstown Flood Museum is a history museum located inJohnstown, Pennsylvania, dedicated to theJohnstown Flood of 1889. The museum is housed in the formerCambria Public Library, which is part of theDowntown Johnstown Historic District.[1]
The Cambria Public Library building is a historicCarnegie library. It was built in 1890–1891, after the original library was destroyed in theJohnstown Flood.Andrew Carnegie, along with theCambria Iron Company, provided all funds toward the construction and maintenance of the library through 1930. It is one of 3,000 Carnegie libraries constructed between 1885 and 1919. The building is a three-story brick structure with a tile roof encased indormers in theFrench Gothic revival style.[2]
The Cambria Public Library was a center of culture and community in Johnstown. In addition to holding over 75,000 books, the Cambria Public Library had a 300-seat auditorium, a meeting hall, a Pennsylvania State Library district center, a government documents repository, a gymnasium for the Johnstown Athletic Center, and was home to the Beth Zion Forum Lecture. The building was damaged in theJohnstown flood of 1936 and ceased to function as a library in 1971.[2]
The Cambria Public Library building was added to theNational Register of Historic Places in 1972.[2] It has housed the Johnstown Flood Museum since 1973.[3]
The Johnstown Flood Museum opened on May 31, 1973, on the 84th anniversary of the Johnstown Flood.[4]
The Johnstown Flood Museum chronicles the events of the flood through exhibits and media. The museum shows the documentary,The Johnstown Flood in the Robert S. Waters Theater. Exhibits include the relief map that uses lights and sounds to display the path of the flood. Surrounding the map are artifacts from the flood. The museum also features a restored "Oklahoma house", a temporary structure used to house flood survivors.[3][5]
In January 2025 the museum, but not its contents, were damaged when cold weather caused a water valve to leak on the third floor.[6] As a result, the museum was closed indefinitely.[7][8] The museum reopened in September 2025 with plans to close again for renovations in late spring 2026.[9]
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