Johnstown Flood National Memorial

Johnstown Flood National Memorial commemorates the catastrophic flood of May 31, 1889, when the South Fork Dam failed and released a large volume of water that destroyed the city of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The site interprets the disaster’s causes, impacts and aftermath.

Interpretive trails, exhibits and the memorial museum present photographs, maps and artifacts that document the flood and rescue efforts. The site includes the remains and interpretive signage at the South Fork Dam site and surrounding landscape to show how the reservoir and dam related to the catastrophe.

The memorial explains the roles of the dam’s owners, maintenance failures and the extreme weather conditions that preceded the breach, and it places the event in the context of late-19th-century industry and engineering. Educational programs and walking trails allow visitors to follow the watershed and view historic points connected to the flood.

The memorial is located near the town of South Fork in western Pennsylvania, within the river valley upstream of Johnstown and accessible from regional roads.

• 1889 flood date: The memorial commemorates the May 31, 1889, flood that devastated Johnstown and killed more than 2,200 people, and it interprets the event's human and engineering causes.

What to See #

• Visitor center and museum exhibits: A visitor center and interpretive exhibits that explain the causes and consequences of the 1889 Johnstown Flood, including maps and photographs.
• South Fork Dam site: Remnants and interpretive displays at the site of the South Fork Dam, the structure whose failure triggered the 1889 flood.