1889 Anniversary

Monday, May 31, 2021, is the 132nd Anniversary of the Great Johnstown Flood of Friday, May 31, 1889. Johnstown Flood National Memorial will commemorate those who lost their lives on that historic day, while ensuring that it is a safe event for visitors and staff. 

Park grounds will be open from sunrise to 10:00 PM. The Visitor Center will be open from 9:00 AM- 5:00 PM. At 4:07 PM, the time the flood waters reached Johnstown, Park Rangers will lay a commemorative wreath on the North and South Abutments on the remnants of the South Fork Dam. The wreath laying will be broadcast live on Facebook. A live shot of the area will take place on Facebook around sunset at 8:15 PM. Please note that no account is needed to watch the Facebook live videos. The videos can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/JohnstownFloodNPS/ and will be available to stream after they are live. 

Beginning at 7:00 PM, 2,209 luminaries, lining the remains of the South Fork Dam and around the Visitor Center, will be lit to pay tribute to the victims of the Great Flood. Each luminary will have the name of a flood victim written on it and will remain lit until 10:00 PM. 

Consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, people who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear masks indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces.

To ensure visitor and staff safety, there will be no shuttles to the North Abutment. The North Abutment and North Abutment parking lot will be closed to both vehicles and foot traffic beginning at 5:30 PM. Luminaries on the North Abutment will be visible from the Visitor Center parking lot and the South Abutment.