Johnstown Flood National Memorial

From the triumphant first flight of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk to the tragedy of the Johnstown Flood, our national historic sites honor the lives and times of those who came before us.    Today, we are visiting Johnstown, Pennsylvania (USA).   It is located 43 miles west-southwest of Altoona and 67 miles east of Pittsburgh.

According to Wikipedia, "The Johnstown Flood National Memorial commemorates the 2,209 people who died in the Johnstown Flood on May 31, 1889, caused by a break in the South Fork Dam, an earthen structure.  It unleashed 20,000,000 tons of water creating a wave of destruction that devastated Johnstown, PA.  The memorial preserves the remains of the dam and portions of the former Lake Conemaugh bed.  This 164-acre site was established as a National Memorial on August 31, 1964”.   It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. 

We begin at the Visitor Center.  I strongly recommend seeing the 35 minute film about the flood.  It is a very well done documentary and worth the little extra time to watch it.

Visitor Center

A light rain is falling when we begin our driving tour of this historic site.  It’s appropriate weather because heavy rain (and poor dam site maintenance) is what caused this flood.  

We drive to the picnic area (near the Visitor Center) to walk the paved trail to an observation deck that overlooks the “break” in the dam – the entire center portion of the earthen dam is gone.   Across the way, we can see the observation deck on other side. 

View from this side of dam

So, we drive to the other side to get that view of the missing dam.  Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I am going to let the display signs tell the story.

 View from the other side of dam

Display Sign - Top of Dam

Near this observation deck is an unpaved path with steps that goes down the steep hillside to the "former lake bed". While we are walking this trail, I can hear birds singing.  It’s a quiet place compared to the sounds of devastation heard that afternoon on May 31, 1889.

Trail/Stairs Going Down ...

Down by the river are more display signs that show how the area looked then – before and during the flood.

Only a River Now ...

Display Sign - Base of Dam

Display Sign - Break in Dam

Our next stop was supposed to be to the South Fork Club House but we take a wrong turn and end up driving around the Johnstown area.  We take this opportunity to see a little of Johnstown as it exists today.  We find the abandoned St. Joseph's Catholic Church with a plaque stating “this building survived the 1889 Johnstown flood”.

St. Joseph's Church

We see Johnstown’s industrial side and residential side. 

Johnstown - Industrial Area

Residential Area

We drive across the metal Bridge in Johnstown City (listed on the NRHP on June 22, 1988) which is located on SR 3022 spur over Stonycreek River. The other noteworthy bridge in Johnstown is the 428’ long Seven Arch Train Bridge. According to Wikipedia, it was “built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1887-88. This bridge survived the Johnstown Flood of 1889, but the bridge blocked debris, which subsequently caught fire and created an inferno covering 30 acres.“

Historic Bridge in Johnstown City

Seven Arch Train Bridge

After seeing the movie at the Visitor Center, we are inspired to visit Grandview Cemetery where the victims of the flood were laid to rest.  We walk around the monuments reading the engraving on the headstones.  Many of them list the exact age of the person when he/she died (e.g. 23 years, six months, 6 days).  In some cases, entire families were lost in the flood.  Some bodies were never recovered.  We silently walk through the section honoring the final resting place of the unidentified bodies of those that died in the flood.    

Entrance Sign

Burial Plot for Unidentified Victims of the Johnstown Flood

Family Headstone

Flood Victims - Body Not Recovered

It is after 7 p.m. and we still haven’t seen the South Fork Hunting & Fishing Club and other historic buildings.  This historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as of July 31, 1986.  While we walk around the area, we get a little wet from the rain that has been haunting us all day.  Just before we leave, the sun begins to break through the gray skies and casts some warm pink light in the sky.

South Fork Hunting & Fishing Club

Lodging for Members of Club

Cottage Owned by South Fork Member

Cottage Owned by South Fork Member

Cottage Owned by South Fork Member

If you do not want to do the self-guided driving tour (like we did), the Park offers ranger-guided "Path of the Flood" van tours and hikes. 

LOCATION & CONTACT INFORMATION:  Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Visitor Center, 733 Lake Road, South Fork in Cambria County PA  

Telephone:  (814) 886-6170 

HOURS/FEES:  The Visitor Center is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except during the winter when it is open on Saturdays and Sundays only.  The grounds of the park are open daily from sunrise to sunset.  Park hours can change due to holidays and inclement weather.  The entrance fee is $5 per person (children under 15 years of age are admitted free).  At this time, credit cards are not accepted.  Click on the link at the bottom of this post for more information about visiting this p

Johnstown (population of 20,402 in 2013) has quite a few dining options that apparently serve good food.  Pick a restaurant that serves your favorite cuisine and check it out or pack a lunch and have a picnic.  The Park has a large picnic area on the south side of the dam.

There are several hotels (national chain and locally operated) in the Johnstown/Galleria area. 

Since opinions, preferences, and budgets vary, I recommend checking a trusted travel source for current reviews on dining and lodging options.  

While we are on vacation, there’s so much to see and so little time. For information and photos on other places we visited in Pennsylvania, I invite you to view some of my other blog posts by clicking on the following links:

Fort Necessity National battlefield
Gettysburg National Military Park
Ohiopyle State Park
Valley Forge NHP
Altoona Railroaders Museum & Horseshoe Curve
Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS
Old Bedford Village

Family vacations created some of my favorite memories.  To start planning your memorable trip to Johnstown Flood National Memorial click on the “Plan Your Visit” link below:

Plan Your Visit - Johnstown Flood National Memorial