Take A Tour Of The New York City Fire Museum

The New York City Fire Museum shouldn't be missed by anyone visiting New York City or even by any New Yorkers. The museum houses one of the nation's most important collections of fire related artifacts and art from the 18th century to the present day. Among its collections are painted leather buckets, parade hats and belts, helmets, pre Civil War hand pumped fire engines, lanterns and tools, early motorized apparatus and horse drawn vehicles.

The New York City Fire Department, in conjunction with the museum, operates a first-class fire safety education program designed to teach the public how to prevent fires within the home and how to protect themselves and most importantly, escape should a fire occur. The program has two components consisting of classroom or public training and a simulated fire event in a mock-up home environment. During the first portion of the classroom or public training, they are shown an age appropriate video concerning fire safety and the prevention of burns. Following the video, a New York City firefighter leads a discussion to reinforce the safety information presented in the video. The second component of the program, which is the simulated fire event, the firefighter leads the students or public through a variety of rooms in a 'mock' apartment. In each room: the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom and the bedroom, various burn and fire hazards are black-lit and the firefighter spends time explaining how each hazard can cause a fire, then explain what can be done to prevent it. By the time the tour reaches the bedroom, the firefighter closes the door to continue the discussion. Simultaneously, the firefighters assistant fill the rest of the apartment with fake smoke. Then a smoke alarm goes off and the firefighter teaches the children and/or public how to escape.

When the fire safety portion of the program is complete, the children and public are given a historical tour by a retired New York City firefighter. 'The Evolution of Firefighting' tour begins on the first floor that houses a permanent exhibit and memorial to the 343 members of the FDNY who made the supreme sacrifice on September 11, 2001. The entire program of fire safety and the historical tour takes about an hour and 15 minutes. The cost is $3 per child and $5 per adult. For every 10 children, one adult is admitted free. Advance reservations are needed and a $30 deposit is required to secure a time slot.

The Museum's third floor loft can be rented by individuals, organizations, and businesses for meeting, parties, special events and weddings.