Houston Fire Museum facts for kids
The Houston Fire Museum is a cool place to visit in the Midtown area of Houston, Texas. It's also known as the Fire Museum of Houston. This museum has lots of fun, hands-on exhibits. You can see old and new firefighting tools and gear. The museum also teaches important lessons about fire safety and how to prevent fires. Many people think it's one of the best museums of its kind in Texas! The building itself is very special. It used to be Houston Fire Station No. 7, which was part of the Houston Fire Department. This historic building is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's also a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
A Look Back: The Museum Building's Story
The building where the Houston Fire Museum is now located has a long history. It was originally Fire Station No. 7. This makes it Houston's oldest fire house! A person named Olle J. Lorehn designed the building. He used a style called Romanesque. It's a two-story brick building. It was finished in January 1899.
The building has cool stone details. It has five sections on the front. The middle section has a big archway. Two other archways on the sides were for fire trucks. The roof also has unique designs. In the 1920s, the building was updated. This was to make room for new motorized fire vehicles. It was used as a fire station until 1968. After that, the building was empty for a while. But in 1981, it was fully fixed up. This was so it could open as the museum we see today!
What You Can Explore: Exhibits and Collections
The museum's exhibits show how firefighting has changed over time. They also tell the story of fire service in Houston. There are many interactive things to do! You can even slide down a real fire pole, just like firefighters used to do. You can also sit inside a fire engine cab.
The museum has a huge collection of items. You can see old and new firefighter uniforms. There are also uniform emblems and different kinds of equipment. The museum displays historic fire marks. These were signs put on buildings to show they were insured against fire. You can also see photos from important fire events. This includes the 1947 Texas City disaster.
The museum also has amazing firefighting vehicles. There's a pumper that was pulled and powered by hand. There's also a steam engine that was pulled by horses. One very special vehicle is a 1912 American Automatic water tower. It has an American LaFrance engine. This was the only vehicle of its type ever used by the Houston Fire Department!
Looking Ahead: A New Fire Museum
The Houston Fire Museum's official website says that plans are being made for a new museum. This new museum will look like the old Central Fire Station. It will focus even more on teaching fire safety and prevention. This is super important for everyone to learn!
