Even though the incline was closed, we stopped to look since we were going to the adjacent…read morerestaurant for dinner. It was constructed as a "lifesaver" after the Johnstown Flood of May 31, 1889, the Incline has more than lived up to its original lifesaving purpose. I read that flood waters again swept through the Conemaugh and Stonycreek Valleys on March 17, 1936 and July 20, 1977. During both floods, the Incline carried men, women, children and vehicles to safety and help. It is one of the longest and steepest hoists in the world and one of the few transportation systems of its kind still in existence and has its place in the Guinness Book of Records as "The steepest vehicular inclined plane in the world." The incline is closed for refurbishments set to be completed in Spring 2023. We were thrilled to see a large American flag flying above the incline. The flagpole is 125 feet tall and is on the highest point above the valley. I am sure that this flag can be seen for miles.

This was an enjoyable little trip up the mountain over Johnstown. Great views!! Gives you a great…read moreperspective of the city

Very informative museum . I was not very familiar with the flood and after touring this area and…read morethe Floor Memorial I felt the devastation that Johnstown underwent. Great piece of history. Site is well maintained and very clean. Keep up the good work A+++

There is not much to see here but you'll learn a lot about the tragedy. The rangers here are very…read morefriendly and knowledgeable. Plenty of parking space.

I spent 3.5 days and 3 nights on this trail this past memorial day weekend, my first venture back…read moreinto the backpacking world. This trail begins in Ohiopyle or Johnstown and ends whichever way you choose. If I were to try to pack the entire length I would start at the North end in Johnstown and hike South, to ease up the ankle pain and knee pain :) That comes with packing 20lbs + pack weight and hiking 18-19 miles in one day. Throw in the elevation gain and you will see what I mean. I hiked the South end starting in Ohiopyle and going out to about 26 miles over my time there, then I turned around and came back over two days. Things to note for overnight campers: You can call ranger station at trailhead to make your camping reservation, by credit card it is 4$ a night. Water: there is non drinking water at each campsite, bring a water filter or boil that water as it is not tested. I filtered stream water the whole time and it was fine. Ohiopyle about 6 miles in has the nicest camping ground with access to a large stream, but not all the sites have that. You might want to filter water for night hiking into camp. To save hiking a mile extra back out to get some as I had to do. Firewood, there are fire pits in the shelters if you want to skip the tent but bring something to lock your food up, mice are common in the shelters. I slept in a tent kept my back in the tent with me. There are portapotty type johns at the campsites. Weather: if you check local forecast plan on temps on the trail and at camp at night being around 10 degrees colder because of the elevation change, and storms. Bring rain gear if you're out for more than a day hike! Now for the trail, it is blazed yellow on the trees hard to get lost but a map would have been nice to have. However no maps available in Ohiopyle you have to pay for one at the Laurel State Park office. I did not do that would rather buy a hiking book with the trail in it at a later time. In most places its wide very rocky, lot of tree roots its murder on the soles of your feet, wear boots or stiff soled shoes if hiking for more than one day. Poles could come in handy, I don't use hiking poles but I got caught in little thunderstorm and had to grab a forest walking stick. Some places it looked like they barely blazed a trail at all it was very narrow hard to hike on. Hike with caution. Beautiful river runs stream runs, skyline views, and rock formations. In the first 26 miles views are at mile 6 ish and 24ish, rocks b between 15-20. Lots of birds, and small wildlife I only saw one deer. There is a shooting range at mile 25, just outside the park you will hear lots of gunshots. I would not recommend taking a break or relax day at the Grindle ridge campground out there as I did. Also the campgrounds that have broken water pumps currently are Grindle Ridge and Route 653 shelters campground. This is a lovely hiking trail but steep, be prepared for a challenge in the beginning. Happy Trails!

How can you not LOVE the LHHT? Its a trail I've frequented quite often in the last 15 years, and…read morehope to explore the entire 70 miles. This picture was taken during the Laurel Highlands Ultra race in June 2017. This race can be run as a relay or individually. They also sponsor a 50k race, which is approx. 30 of the 70 miles. There are many trail heads and shelter areas. The trail is great for day hikes, as well as multiple overnight stays. There are also many ambitious people who hike the entire thing. Its always fun to pass fellow hikers on the trail. Trail stories are always fun to hear, and there are people from all over that you'll meet. Running the trail is quite a challenge, as there's drastic elevation changes at some points and many technical areas. I suggest if you've never run the trail, and expect to run the race, you must do at least 1-2 runs on the trail.

A lot has changed since the last review for this park was posted. If you look back at the pictures…read moreattached to that review you will see that there was not much to this plot of land back then. What makes this interesting though is the link to history that it has. Might I say, Johnstown sure has some interesting little gems in the area. The park itself is a bit hard to find. The address says Main St, but it's not the Main St located in Downtown Johnstown. Instead this is located in the Franklin section of the area. GPS will get you near, but not to the exact place. If, you are like me, and don't pay attention to the area, you will drive right by it. I had to turn around and come back. In the five years from the initial review and mine, the landscape of the park has changed drastically. There is now a walkway to bring you into the area and more to the memorial itself. It is a peaceful area to sit if you like as there is one bench. Parking is a bit odd as it is on a hill. So prepare yourself for a bit trek up a hill. Also to note, there is a bit of an addition to the park a short walk away in front of the Municipal Building. It adds more context behind the name. A little bit about the name. Sgt. Michael Strank. Sgt. Strank was born in Slovakia, his family moved to the US and settled in the Johnstown area. Sgt. Strank enlisted in the military during WWII. Sgt. Strank fought in the Pacific during the war. But the most interesting thing about Sgt. Strank is that he is one of the men that raised the flag at Iwo Jima. According to the informative sign at the park Sgt. Strank gave the order and held the flag until it was raised above them. Sgt. Strank was then immortalized in a picture that is now a statue. Sadly Sgt. Strank did not make it out of the war and died during duty. Who knew?

Great little memorial. You just can't get things like this in California. Here in PA you can walk…read moreright up and touch history, and by doing so you really feel a part of it. Granted, there is a lot more historical sights here, and I might take for granted the ones we have back in So. Cal, but here they are not behind 2 inches of bullet proof glass, they're not painted on so scratched with some jerkoff's name. Do people here have more respect for history or do they take it for granted to and just pass right by without noticing?? I'm not sure because I haven't seen anybody else at any of these sites, but I know this: they are very well kept and maintained, and fresh flowers are always present. Somebody cares and it shows! So thank you whoever you are, it certainly hasn't gone unappreciated!!!

Please note that the above is NOT the address of Staple Bend Tunnel. Staple Bend Tunnel is two…read moremiles to the west of this point along the Path of the Flood Trail and this is the closest trailhead with parking to the tunnel. You may only access the tunnel via foot or bicycle, so if you want to see it you must be up for a four mile round trip bike ride or hike. Although a part of the Allegheny Portage Railroad, Staple Bend Tunnel is open as a separate area of the APRR National Historic Site. It lies about 20 miles to the west of the visitor's center, but if possible it should be included as a part of your visit. My husband and I along with my cousin & her husband visited the APRR site last weekend. So this weekend Rick and I combined a trip to the tunnel with a bike ride down the Path of the Flood Trail. Staple Bend Tunnel was completed in 1833 and was the first railroad tunnel in the United States. Other tunnels had existed in the U.S. however they were for other canals. Workers were paid $13.00 a month to chip and blast their way through some 900 feet of solid rock. They worked 12 hour days, six days a week, often in very inclement weather and under dangerous conditions. Sundays were reserved for church. In order to blast through the rock, 9 holes had to be drilled. Each hole was 1 inch wide and three feet long. This was an arduous task, each hole taking about three hours to drill and using a three man crew. The holes were then filled with a pound of blasting powder. The blasts were timed to coincide with mealtimes. Workers would eat while the dust settled. Each hole drilled only yielded about 18 inches in blasted tunnel. So you can imagine how long it took to complete the tunnel. Work began in November 1831 and finished in April, 1833. Staple Bend Tunnel was used for about 20 years, until the Allegheny Portage Railroad was overtaken by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Neither New Portage Railroad nor the Pennsylvania Railroad used the tunnel. It became one of the first highway tunnels in Pennsylvania, used by carriages up until the Johnstown Flood of 1889. After that, safety and flood damage became concerns and the tunnel was closed to the public. In the 1940s, the tunnel was lined with concrete. The Manufacturer's Water Company installed water lines and a water tank. Bethlehem Steel used these lines Eventually Staple Bend Tunnel fell out of this use and was essentially forgotten by the public. In 2001 it reopened as a separate area of the National Historic Site. The west entrance of the tunnel has been restored to its former Roman Revival grandeur. Today you can walk or bike the entire length of the tunnel. Just be aware that this tunnel is 900 feet long and is NOT lighted. Even though you can see either end of the tunnel, I recommend that you bring a flashlight or bike headlight and that you dismount and walk your bike through here. The trail surface is not well maintained through here and you will not be able to see any obstacles. Presently the trail ends just on the other side of the tunnel.

My wife and I both read, 'The Johnstown Flood' by David McCollough and knew we had to visit this…read moremuseum and historic site. We had a tour in a van that covered the various sites where this tragedy took place. We saw the bridge footings over the valley that were wiped away by the flood, and the 'cottages' the wealthy club members lived in when they were visiting on vacation. This is a very special place to visit and reflect.

update your website to say it's temporarily closed!!! drove 40 minutes to get here because your…read morewebsite said "open until 5pm."

We visited the museum as the Flood Museum was, ironically, closed due to water damage. The change…read morein itinerary ended up being a good thing as the Center was surprisingly informative, interactive as we toured the Center as a particular immigrant, and the staff were super helpful! Barb guided us through the flood exhibit on the third floor & recommended other places in town to visit & eat at. We also hope to bring our grandkids back to visit the children's area.

This is well worth visiting if you're in the Johnstown area, or even coming out from Pittsburgh if…read moreyou're looking for a good children's experience. It embraces the town's heritage while keeping it fun for the kids. Sadly, most of the negative reviews on here are out of date and don't really apply anymore. We became members and took our kid here every day for the last three days and he never tired of it! He loved all the interactive experiences and toys, but especially going up through the coal mine and slide. He loved the kitchen area and the DJ booth. The other kids there seemed to all be really enjoying themselves there, too. We have been to about a dozen kids' discovery centers in two different countries in the past two years and this is one of the better ones, if not the best. The employees do an excellent job keeping the place clean and tidy, and are friendly, too. Previous old reviews seemed to complain that several things were broken or worn out, but that wasn't the case now.

This review is long overdue!…read more This drive-in is a treasure!!! As you know, there are not many drive-ins left in the world, and Its fabulous that Johnstown keeps this alive!! I grew up going to the drive-in with my family. Not much has changed, but thats the beauty of it! Its vintage and charm are sweet!! You tune in the audio on your car radio and enjoy the double feature ! Two (current) movies for a great price! Don't forget to visit the concession stand for goodies! Love this place, love these memories!!!

First time here and had no idea that it existed - with places in the extended region like PA and WV…read more- this spot I would have never known. Came to watch Toy Story 4 - without seeing the second or third ones, and pulled up to the area. It's not too glamorous which I don't think it needs to be - what's cool is the radio in your car is used for the audio. I would say I would have like to try the snack bar but we had just ate. Overall for price and a one-time - good pick

Awesome selection, wonderful children's department, a gem for any book lover. Coffee bar, candy…read morestand, and used book store all support the library. DVD collection way cheaper than Redbox, you get a whole week for the same price ($1).