The Johnstown Area Heritage Association hosts a broad range of special events throughout the year. Check back often for updates on our calendar of special events, and other JAHA news.

Special Events & News
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Visit the Press Room section of this Web site to access media articles about JAHA museums, programs and activities, as well as an archive of downloadable press releases in PDF format; scroll down below the Calendar of Events for more JAHA news.
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Upcoming events - . All events, including children's museum programming, are listed on our Calendar of Events for easy reference; the calendar also includes currently-scheduled events up to a year in the future. To stay up-to-date on JAHA events and news, to sign up for our e-newsletter, join our Facebook page, and/or follow us on Twitter.
All events will take place at the Heritage Discovery Center unless otherwise indicated.
Saturday, Feb, 4, 1:00-4:00 pm -- Winter Fest at the Johnstown Children's Museum -- A full afternoon of activities related to the winter season! Free to JAHA members or with admission. Visit the Children's Museum special events page for detailed information. Thursday, February 9, 7:00-10:00 pm -- Trivia Night at the Ethnic Social Club -- Test your own personal knowledge and skill by joining us for our first-ever trivia night, a new regularly-scheduled event on the second Thursday of the month! We'll have five themed rounds, and categories include music, movies, sports, television and of course a Johnstown history. The bar will open at 7, and the game will begin at 7:30. We will also be featuring a specialty beer to help kick off this new event.
Sunday, February 19, 3:00 pm -- First Commonwealth Armchair Travel Series: Wales: Land of Song -- We're delighted to bring back our popular travelogue series to the Johnstown Flood Museum, courtesy of First Commonwealth Bank! Wales is a small country with its own language and a large influence. In this beautiful film, we'll explore U.S- Welsh connections, particularly in the coal mining industry, as well as the historic homeland on the eastern shore of the Irish Sea. We'll see Celts, choirs, castles, Cardiff, coal mines, coastline and pastoral mountain valleys dotted with sheep Filmmaking musicians Monty and Marsha Brown will be on hand to narrate the film and answer questions. Single tickets for the films are $5 for Johnstown Area Heritage Association members, or $7 for non-members; accompanied children under 12 will be admitted free. Tickets may be purchased at the door, or in advance by phone or in person: call 814-539-1889 to purchase over the phone with a credit card, or stop by the Johnstown Flood Museum or Heritage Discovery Center to buy in person.
Friday, February 24, 5:00 pm -- Last Friday at the Ethnic Social Club -- Join us for a relaxed time at the Ethnic Social Club, located on the fourth floor of the Heritage Discovery Center! Music by Ray Flores & Teresa Fisher. Doors at 5:00 pm, with music starting at 5:30. No cover.
Sunday, February 26, 3:00 pm -- First Commonwealth Armchair Travel Series: Jesus in Egypt -- The second in the series, presented at the Johnstown Flood Museum. Part travel-adventure, part spiritual journey, part historical detective story, this exciting film explores an ancient and often baffling land. Through Coptic churches and into the teeming back streets of Cairo; from shrines thronged by worshippers to a camel trek through deserts haunted by saints, the film reveals more about the travels of Jesus than we get in the Bible. We visit a dozen fantastic and never-before-seen historical sites where the Coptic Christians insist that the Holy Family visited and stayed during the mysterious missing years of Jesus, from age 2-9. Also included are scenes from the Egypt of the pharaohs: the Great Pyramids and the Temples of Luxor and Karnak.Filmmaker Marlin Darrah will be on hand to narrate the film and answer questions. Single tickets for the films are $5 for Johnstown Area Heritage Association members, or $7 for non-members; accompanied children under 12 will be admitted free. Tickets may be purchased at the door ,or in advance by phone or in person: call 814-539-1889 to purchase over the phone with a credit card, or stop by the Johnstown Flood Museum or Heritage Discovery Center to buy in person.
Saturday, March 10, 7:00 pm -- Heritage Preservation Awards -- The third annual event. Click on the link for complete details on this year's honorees, and how to attend.
Sunday, March 18, 3:00 pm -- First Commonwealth Armchair Travel Series: Barbados: Island in the Sun -- The third in the series, presented at the Johnstown Flood Museum. Barbados is a sophisticated tropical island with a rich history and plenty to capture the attention of visitors. Seemingly endless white-sand beaches and a rich West Indian tradition are what put Barbados on the map. The people here reflect the island's atmosphere -- they are deeply religious, open, generous, friendly and thoughtful. Experience their hospitality, along with island's history, culture, attractions and majestic landscapes. Presented by filmmaker Steve Gonzer, who will be there to narrate and answer questions. Single tickets for the films are $5 for Johnstown Area Heritage Association members, or $7 for non-members; accompanied children under 12 will be admitted free. Tickets may be purchased at the door ,or in advance by phone or in person: call 814-539-1889 to purchase over the phone with a credit card, or stop by the Johnstown Flood Museum or Heritage Discovery Center to buy in person.
Sunday, April 22, 3:00 pm -- First Commonwealth Armchair Travel Series: Worlds of the Maya -- The final film in the series, presented at the Johnstown Flood Museum. Before most Western Europeans knew North America existed, the ancient Maya civilization occupied the eastern third of Mesoamerica. This gorgeous film explores Belize and Guatemala, two of the countries that hold the stories and sites of the great Classical Maya past, as well as their culture today. Filmmaker Sandy Mortimer will be on hand to narrate, and answer questions. Single tickets for the films are $5 for Johnstown Area Heritage Association members, or $7 for non-members; accompanied children under 12 will be admitted free. Tickets may be purchased at the door ,or in advance by phone or in person: call 814-539-1889 to purchase over the phone with a credit card, or stop by the Johnstown Flood Museum or Heritage Discovery Center to buy in person.
Looking for the date of an event too far in the future to be listed here yet? Click here to view a calendar that lists all currently-scheduled events up to a year in advance. ***JAHA News***
Museum winter hours to begin Jan. 3, 2012 -- During the slower winter visitor season of January-March, JAHA museums will be closed on Mondays. Tuesday-Sunday hours will remain the same, 10:00 am-5:00 pm, and Galliker's Cafe will remain open Tuesday-Sunday from 11:00 am-3:00 pm. JAHA's online calendar includes details on opening hours as well as our currently-scheduled programming through 2012. "From Scholarship to Souvenirs: Telling the Story of the Johnstown Flood" now open at the Johnstown Flood Museum -- JAHA is delighted to re-open our third floor gallery at the Johnstown Flood Museum with a new temporary exhibit, "From Scholarship to Souvenirs: Telling the Story of the Johnstown Flood." The exhibit demonstrates the enduring place the flood has held in American popular culture by displaying the many ways it has been recalled in various media for over a century -- ranging from distinguished works of scholarship, like David McCullough's acclaimed book The Johnstown Flood, to kitschy representations in mass media, like the "Don't Spit" slide above, which was shown in movie theaters to persuade tobacco users not to spit on the floor. Click here to learn more about the exhibit.
JAHA hosts Cambria City design workshop, Oct. 20-22 -- JAHA was one of many partners, including Lift Johnstown, Save Our Steeples and more, that worked together on a design workshop for Cambria City from Oct. 20-22. The event was held in the Heritage Discovery Center's education room, and an all-star team of architects and designers listened to suggestions from the public and then went to work. They came up with a variety of concepts on ways to stimulate positive growth and investment in the neighborhood, focusing on greenspaces and pedestrian patterns; residential developments; re-use of vacant buildings; and more. Click here for a PDF version of the final Power Point presentation that was presented to the public at 5:30 pm on October 22.
Galliker's Cafe now serving old-fashioned sodas -- The cafe is open 11am-3pm Tuesday-Sunday, and we're proud to premiere old-fashioned sodas in seven yummy flavors. Plus, pizzas, hot sandwiches, ice cream, kielbasa sandwiches, hot dogs, fries & onion rings and more!
Stone Bridge Lighting Project dedicated on September 24, 2011 -- The Stone Bridge Lighting Project in memory of Rep. John Murtha is now a reality! A special dedication ceremony was held on the evening of Saturday, Sept. 24 -- several hundred people turned out to hear several speakers, including Stone Bridge Committee Co-Chairmen Mike Brosig and Richard Burkert; Ed Cernic; Sen. John Wozniak; Rep. Mark Critz; Daniel Parker of Norfolk Southern; Mike Kane of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies; Frank Marsico of Shadowstone; and Mrs. Joyce Murtha. A spectacular lightshow commenced at about 8:15 (a photo is above; click here for a YouTube video . The bridge will be lighted from 7:30-10:30 every night, with various color schemes that reflect the time of year, holidays and observances, and other special events (including, for example, Steelers home games). Thank you to the more than 400 donors who contributed to make this project possible.
Visit hundreds of museums with your JAHA Family Plus membership -- JAHA is now part of the National Association of Reciprocal Museums (NARM) -- which means that we introducing a new level of membership, Family Plus, that allows you to visit hundreds of museums for free! When you join JAHA at the Family Plus membership level or higher, you'll receive free admission to art, history, natural history, and other types of museums throughout North America. In Pittsburgh alone you'll get entrance to the Frick Art & Historical Center, the ToonSeum, the Mattress Factory, August Wilson Center and more. For a complete listing of museums that will honor your JAHA Family Plus membership, click here. You can join JAHA at the Family Plus level for $100 -- click here to join online. For a limited time, current JAHA members may upgrade their membership to include Family Plus benefits --pricing varies depending on your membership level (if you have a Household Membership, the additional cost is $30). For more information or to upgrade, contact Patti Genovese at 814-539-1889 x309.
JAHA breaks ground on the new Peoples Natural Gas Park -- On Monday, May 23, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at what was formerly known as festival park for the new Peoples Natural Gas Park. Peoples is donating $500,000 to make the new facility a reality, and construction will begin shortly! Visit the new Peoples Natural Gas Park page on the AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival section of this website for much more about this project, which will become the newest link in the Johnstown Discovery Network.
New book of Russell Heffley photography now available in JAHA shop -- Russell Heffley (1897-1964) was a well-known local photographer who took hundreds of images of Johnstown from 1924 to the mid-1950s. He documented downtown, the steel and coal industries, Main Street, and much more. His son, Kenneth Heffley, has compiled much of his father's work in a new book, Historical Images of Johnstown, Pa.. This 190-page, spiral-bound book is now available in the gift shop of the Heritage Discovery Center (and you can also buy the book online). Mr. Heffley is generously donating the proceeds to JAHA.
Cambria City design charrette follow-up report - The design workshop held November 18-20 was an exciting, creative process that was a great success. About 175 people took part in the public part of the three-day event, sharing ideas and feedback with a top-notch group of design professionals. The designers used the public's ideas to develop at least two concepts for each of the three churches. The charrette was funded by Save Our Steeples and the Johnstown Regional Partnership, and JAHA was among the participating organizations. The event was facilitated by Partners for Sacred Places, is producing a final report and has posted more information online. Click here for a summary of the event that was presented at the final public meeting on November 20; please be warned that this is a very large file with many design sketches and illustrations! A briefer summary of the preliminary design concepts is below.
Ss. Casimir & Emerich --Concept #1: a columbarium, or place to bury ashes that would include a chapel. Concept #2 (pictured) is an ethnic food factory that would build on the culinary traditions the area is known for, manufacturing food for resale to groceries and restaurants; it could also include a restaurant and visitor experience. Both were developed by Clive Copping, a project manager in architecture with TranSystems of Philadelphia. Since early in his career, Copping has been involved in the rehabilitation of historic structures. He has undertaken master plans for historic properties, developed plans for additions, and has overseen restoration of existing complexes. He is a specialist in exterior envelope repair and the integration of new architecture into existing buildings. He has served as project manager on restorations on the American Museum of Natural History in New York; the main capitol building in Harrisburg, Pa.; and many church projects in Philadelphia and New York.
Immaculate Conception: Concept #1: a performing arts space with flexible seating, developed by Fred Watts. Watts is an architect with Celli-Flynn Brennan Architects & Planners of Pittsburgh. He has more than 20 years of experience designing facilities for educational, judicial and medical uses, as well as historic preservation.
Concept #2: An indoor climbing wall/outdoors center. Concept #3: A restaurant with a brewpub (pictured), both developed by John Springer. An architect with Upstreet Architects, Springer has over 15 years of experience in all aspects of architectural practice. A Johnstown native, Springer has worked for a variety of firms in western Pennsylvania and Massachusetts while completing his studies at Boston Architectural Center. He won the Boston Society of Architects scholarship design competition for outstanding design of a community center/art school/public library complex in 2001. Springer is also part owner of In-House Architects.
St. Columba: Concept #1: A performing arts space with a sloping floor, developed by Carmine Carapella. A native of Italy who was trained in Rome, Carapella also holds a master's degree in architecture from Notre Dame. Carapella is a practicing architect in Pittsburgh who specializes in historic preservation, residential architecture, and urban planning.
Concept #2: An indoor conservatory/restaurant, developed by David O. Lose. Lose is president emeritus of Lose & Associates, a landscape architecture, engineering, architecture, and land planning firm in Nashville, Tenn. A fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, he has facilitated numerous planning and neighborhood charrettes.
Path of the Flood brochure now available -- A new brochure mapping a trail that follows the path of the 1889 flood is now available! The trail is surfaced by limestone and is intended for hiking and biking. Six wayside exhibits and kiosks give detailed histories of various sites along the way. The Path of the Flood trail is a cooperative effort of the National Park Service (which owns and operates the Johnstown Flood National Memorial in St. Michael, the site of the dam that failed), Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority, and JAHA. Support was provided by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and the National Park Service Rivers & Trails Program. Copies of the brochure are available at the Johnstown Flood National Memorial and the Johnstown Flood Museum, as well as at the Ehrenfeld Park Trailhead and Staple Bend Tunnel parking lot.
"Press Room" added to www.jaha.org -- JAHA is working to make this Web site a valuable resource to anyone interested in our museums, programs, or themes covered in our museums. Recent additions to the site's content include a revamp of the Press Room section to include a hotlinked archive of media articles about JAHA museums, programs and events.