Houston Fire Museum facts for kids
The Houston Fire Museum, also called the Fire Museum of Houston, is a cool place to visit in the Midtown area of Houston, Texas. It has fun, interactive displays about old and new firefighting tools. You can also learn important tips about fire safety and how to prevent fires. The building itself is very special. It used to be Houston Fire Station No. 7, one of the city's first fire stations. It's even listed as a historic place!
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History of the Building
Houston's Oldest Fire Station
The building that now holds the Houston Fire Museum was originally Fire Station No. 7. This was Houston's very first fire station! It was designed by Olle J. Lorehn in a style called Romanesque. This means it looks like old Roman buildings, with strong brick and stone.
From Station to Museum
The two-story brick building was finished in January 1899. It has cool stone details and big arched doorways for the fire trucks. In the 1920s, it was updated to fit bigger, motorized fire engines. The building was used as a fire station until 1968. After that, it sat empty for a while. In 1981, it was fully restored and made ready to open as the museum we see today.
What You Can See and Do
Exploring Firefighting History
The museum's exhibits show how firefighting technology has changed over time. You can also learn about the history of fire service in Houston. There are many fun, 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!
Amazing Collections
The museum has a large collection of items. You can see old and new firefighter uniforms and their special emblems. There is also historic equipment and old fire marks. These marks were put on buildings to show they were insured against fire. You can also see many photographs from local and national fire events. This includes pictures from the 1947 Texas City disaster, a very big explosion.
Firefighting Vehicles
The museum also has some amazing firefighting vehicles. You can see 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 ware tower. It has an American LaFrance engine. This was the only vehicle of its kind ever used by the Houston Fire Department.
Plans for a New Museum
A Focus on Safety
Plans were made for a new fire museum. This new museum will look like the old Central Fire Station. It will focus even more on teaching people about fire safety and how to prevent fires. While it will still show firefighting history, its main goal is to help everyone stay safe from fires.
