Objects can sometimes tell stories better than words. “Relic Tales of the Johnstown Floods,” a new temporary exhibition on the second floor of the Heritage Discovery Center, gives visitors a snapshot of Johnstown’s three major floods – 1889, 1936, and 1977 – through more than 200 artifacts and photographs, many of which have never been seen by the public.

“The exhibition is not a comprehensive retelling of the history of the three floods, but it does give visitors new insight into what people endured,” explained Amy Regan, curator. “People would be surprised by how often we receive donations of flood artifacts, even 1889 flood artifacts, and many of these objects come with incredible stories.”

The exhibition opens at a time when the Johnstown Flood Museum, Heritage Johnstown’s flagship museum, remains closed due to water damage sustained from a leaky pipe in January. The organization intends to reopen the museum as soon as possible but is currently waiting for insurance adjustors to approve cost estimates so the work can begin.

“In this interim period, we’re excited to bring a quality exhibition on the floods to the Heritage Discovery Center,” noted Shelley Johansson, director of marketing and communications. “The relics bring these disasters down to human scale, illustrating that every single survivor had a story.”

Just a few of the relics in the exhibition include:

• A teapot that belonged to Andrew Foster of Foster and Quinn’s Store, who lived at 112 Jackson Street. The teapot was in the china cabinet during the 1889 Johnstown Flood. The floor of the dining room fell into the cellar, but the fall was cushioned by the flood water so some of the china survived.
• An 1880s apron with handmade lace, which Jane Armstrong was wearing when she died in the 1889 flood.
• An 1884 map of the of the boroughs of Johnstown and Conemaugh, which was hanging in Alma Hall at the time of the 1889 flood. It was the town’s tallest structure then, and sheltered 264 desperate flood survivors the night of May 31.

“The definition of a relic is an object that survives from an earlier time, especially one of historical or sentimental interest,” Regan said. “It’s human nature to keep items that are associated with important events in our lives — we all save our own personal relics and souvenirs. We invite visitors to reflect on the meaning of these objects to the people who originally preserved them, as well as what they mean to us today.”

The exhibition, which occupies all three rooms in the second-floor galleries, is included in admission to the Heritage Discovery Center, which includes the following amenities:

• Iron & Steel Gallery: This 3-story gallery evokes the feeling of an industrial space, and showcases the history of steel and related industries in Johnstown from the 1700s through the present with the “Mystery of Steel” film, and “A Steelworker’s Story” and “Forging A Nation: Johnstown Iron & Steel” exhibitions.
• Johnstown Children’s Museum: Located on the third floor, this interactive children’s museum is based on place, letting kids explore the history, geography, culture, and ecology of the region through play.
• America: Through Immigrant Eyes: The first-floor permanent exhibition allows visitors to experience life as an immigrant to Johnstown around the turn of the last century, showing why they left, what they found when they arrived, and how they built a rich cultural heritage that’s still celebrated today.

The Heritage Discovery Center also participates in Museums 4 All, which means that any family receiving food assistance (SNAP or WIC) can present their benefits card to receive a reduced admissions price of $3 per person for up to four people.