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Fireman's Hall Museum
Nestled in the narrow streets of Philadelphia’s Historic District, the Fireman’s Hall Museum is dedicated to the art and science of firefighting through the last three centuries.
Displays of firefighting equipment illustrate how firemen control blazes, while mock-ups of recreation areas, dressing rooms and a chief’s room show how firefighters have passed the hours between fighting blazes.
Visitors see all sorts of badges, helmets, parade hats and fire marks, which people affixed to their homes to indicate which insurance company was protecting them.
Firefighter-docents keep these machines spotless and shiny, creating an almost romantic view of the dangerous world of firefighting.
The museum showcases the art and science of firefighting.
Fireman’s Hall Museum is located on the site of Engine Company Number Eight, a descendant of the Union Fire Company, which was founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1736. It’s housed in a firehouse that dates back to 1902.
The museum is operated by the Philadelphia Fire Department, whose members serve as docents and offer warm hospitality and enthusiastic explanations of the memorabilia housed there. While visitors can enter free of charge, donations are accepted.
The centerpieces of the museum are surely the ten antique fire trucks scattered throughout the building, including early hand- and horse-drawn engines.
Be sure to see the exhibit on Philadelphia’s own “Great Fire,” when 52 buildings were destroyed on Oct. 4-5, 1839.
Don’t leave without visiting the upstairs gallery, which features an old wooden pumper, a chief’s office and the firefighters’ rec room with an old-fashioned checkerboard.
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia) and overnight hotel accommodations.