Denver Firefighters Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fire Station No. 1
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Front of the museum
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 Location in Colorado
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1326 Tremont Pl., Denver, Colorado |
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| Built | 1909 |
| Architect | G.W. Huntington & Co. |
| Website | http://www.denverfirefightersmuseum.org/ |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000586 |
| Added to NRHP | November 14, 1979 |
The Denver Firefighters Museum is a cool place to visit in downtown Denver, Colorado. It's a museum all about the exciting history of firefighting in Denver! The museum opened in 1978 and is located inside an old fire station, called Fire Station No. 1, which was built way back in 1909. This building is so special that it's considered a Denver Landmark and is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Inside, you'll find four big rooms, or galleries, spread across 11,000-square-foot (1,000 m2) of space, full of amazing firefighting history.
Contents
Fire Station No. 1: A Historic Building
The Denver Firefighters Museum is housed in a really old fire station. It's called Historic Station No. 1. A famous Denver architect named Glen W. Huntington designed and built it in 1909.
Did you know this isn't the first Station One? The original Station One was torn down in 1909. This made room for The Pioneer Monument, which was built to honor the brave pioneers who traveled across the plains. The new Station One, where the museum is now, cost $20,000 to build in 1909.
Because it's such an important building, it was named a Denver Landmark in 1974. Later, in 1979, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes buildings that are important to the history of the whole country!
Who Visits the Museum?
More than 20,000 people visit the Denver Firefighters Museum every year! Many visitors are firefighters and their families from other states. The museum also welcomes many international visitors. You might even see the outside of the museum on architectural tours of Denver because of its cool design.
Amazing Collections and Galleries
The Denver Firefighters Museum has a huge collection! It includes over 30,000 items like old tools, uniforms, photographs, and important papers. These items help tell the story of firefighting in Denver.
Let's explore what you can see inside:
Main Level Gallery: The Story of Firefighting
This gallery teaches you all about how firefighters do their job. It has six main themes:
- Communicating Fire: Learn how people called for help when there was a fire. This goes from old alarm boxes to dialing 911 today.
- Personal Protective Tools and Equipment: See the special gear firefighters wear. This includes helmets, boots, and tools they use to fight fires.
- Fire Apparatus: Check out the different types of fire trucks! You'll see hand-pulled, horse-pulled, and modern motorized fire engines.
- Fire Suppression: Discover how firefighters put out fires. They use water and special chemicals.
- Other Duties: Firefighters do more than just put out fires! Learn about other important tasks they perform to keep people safe.
- History of Station No. 1: Find out more about the building itself and its past as a working fire station.
You can follow "firefighter boot prints" on the floor to find hands-on activities. There are also "Fire Safety Stops" designed just for kids. These stops teach important fire prevention lessons in a fun way. You can even try a 911 teaching phone, wear child-sized firefighting gear, and slide down a children's pole! There's also a "touch cart" filled with real firefighting tools you can feel.
Second Floor Gallery: Life as a Firefighter
Upstairs, you'll learn even more about firefighters' lives and Denver's history. This gallery has three themes:
- Firefighter Training: Discover how tough it is to become a firefighter.
- Denver's Fires: Learn about some of the biggest fires that have happened in Denver's history.
- Living Quarters at Station No. 1: Take a tour of where the firefighters used to live! See their dorm room, the officer's quarters, the locker room, and even the family room.
Children’s Gallery: Fun for Families
This gallery is made especially for families with younger children. It helps reinforce fire prevention messages you learned in the other exhibits. Here, you'll find:
- Computer kiosks with fun activities.
- A puppet theater for imaginative play.
- A reading center with books about fire safety.
- A video center to watch educational videos.
- A hopscotch game that teaches about matches and lighter safety.
See also
- Fire Museum
