New York City Fire Museum

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The New York City Fire Museum hosts a large collection of fire apparatus, firefighting tools and memorabilia that date back to the mid-18th century.  The museum, located in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood, gives visitors a comprehensive look at the history of the Fire Department of New York.

The museum is funded by monetary donations, and according to Sara Judd, the museum's Assistant Director, its purpose is dual.  She explains, "One is to teach fire safety and prevention to kids, and the other is to preserve the history of the fire department."

The massive collection is a challenge to maintain, according to its curators, and a large part of the collection is actually not on display.  New York City Fire Museum Director Judy Jamison explains, "There is a lot, and we're actually about to rotate a lot of it.  We were able to get a grant which has allowed us for the first time ever to begin to catalog the collection.  We are going to be able to put everything online."  The grant has allowed for the hiring of a Project Manager to document all of the museum's artifacts.

Most of those responsible for the New York City Fire Museum's daily functions are volunteers.  Much of the staff and tour guides are retired FDNY firefighters, who offer visitors a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Speaking about the many horse-drawn firefighting apparatus housed at the museum, Lt. John Kenny, a retired FDNY firefighter and a New York Fire Museum Tour Guide, says, "They were made top of the line for the technology of the day, but all of that ornamental decoration and fancy stuff that you see on it, the firemen did that out of their own pocket.  They were very particular about what their rigs looked like because they always had parades and there was always a contest about who had the better looking fire apparatus.  That's why that stuff upstairs look like royalty should be riding in it."

Kenny explains that it is the jobs of firefighters to preserve lives and property, and it is the mission of the museum to preserve the memory of those firefighters from generations past who protected the citizens of New York and to teach future generations about the history of one of the nation's largest fire departments.  He says, "Firemen that had these pieces of fire apparatus in their fire house in the old days took such good care of it that we have it here to this very day to show to them, and if we take as good care of it as the old time firemen did, then we'll have it here for them to show to their children and their grandchildren.  That's the way that should work and that's what this is all about."

The museum's directors work hard to keep the community involved in this important part of New York City's heritage.  The third floor of the facility is reserved for special occasions and is rented out for graduations, weddings, promotion parties and FDNY events.  One of the most notable gatherings that takes place there each year is the FDNY firehouse cook-off, where stations throughout the city compete with their best recipes. 

The museum also has a special fire safety tour for kids.  It features strategies for escaping house fires and teaches them how to respond to fire alarms.

A popular gift shop appeals to both children and adults alike.  For the children, the museum's gift shop has a wide variety of fire department themed toys and books.  For the adults, the museum offers books on the history of New York City and its fire department, pins, and a variety of patches from several of the FDNY's companies.  There is also a wide variety of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats.

For more information, including hours of operation, visit www.nycfiremuseum.org.

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