Michigan Firehouse Museum facts for kids
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Exterior of the 1898 fire station
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| Established | 1998 |
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| Location | 110 West Cross Street, Ypsilanti, Michigan, US |
| Type | Fire museum |
| Visitors | 6,000 (annually) |
The Michigan Firehouse Museum and Education Center is a cool place to learn all about the history of firefighting in Michigan. It's located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, at 110 West Cross Street. This museum is packed with amazing old fire trucks and equipment!
Discovering Firefighting History
The Michigan Firehouse Museum is in an old fire station building. This station was built way back in 1898 in Ypsilanti. It served the city until 1975, helping to keep people safe.
After the city built a new station, a family lived in the old building for a while. Then, in 1998, Howard and Norma Weaver bought it. They opened the museum that same year, sharing their love for firefighting history.
The museum became a special kind of charity, called a 501(c)(3) non-profit, in 1999. This means it's dedicated to its mission and doesn't operate for profit. By 2005, it was the only fire museum in Michigan open all year. It was also the closest one to the big city area of Metro Detroit.
Today, the museum includes the original old fire station and a newer, modern building. Together, they make up a huge space of about 26,000 square feet (2,415 square meters). The new part was added in 2002.
The museum is also part of the MotorCities National Heritage Area. This group helps preserve important historical sites. They even helped fix the brick walls of the original fire station!
Amazing Firefighting Exhibits
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The Michigan Firehouse Museum shows how firefighting technology has changed over time. It also highlights the history of firefighting across Michigan. The museum collects, fixes up, and displays old firefighting gear. It also has many old documents and photos.
The modern part of the museum has lots of space for different exhibits. You can see antique fire trucks, tools, and other cool firefighting items. In the original fire station, you'll find a horse-drawn steam pumper. This was a very early type of fire engine powered by steam!
The museum also has fun, interactive exhibits. These help visitors learn about fire safety in an engaging way.
You can see fire trucks from many Michigan cities here. These include trucks from Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Grand Rapids, and Ypsilanti. Some special trucks include a 1916 Triple Combination Pumper and a 1917 American LaFrance Type 31. By 2005, the museum had over 15 fire trucks. By 2007, it had more than 20! In 2021, the museum even got a 1927 American LaFrance truck that used to belong to the Ann Arbor Fire Department.
The museum is also home to the biggest collection of fire truck bells in the United States. It has over 3,600 items on display, including rare fire grenades.
Visitors and Fun Events
About 6,000 people visit the museum every year. Many schoolchildren and Boy Scouts come to learn. Even former firefighters visit, and people from other fire museums across the country.
The museum works hard to be a great education center for fire safety. It's also a unique place for events like weddings, birthday parties, and receptions. The museum has been hosting these kinds of events since 2005.
Since 2010, the museum has hosted an annual Firetruck Muster. This is a cool fire truck show held at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti. In December 2018, the old fire station hosted its first Para-Con paranormal convention. Some people think the station is haunted! This event included talks and even a midnight ghost hunt.
