The Houston Fire Museum, 2403 Milam Street, Houston, Texas 77006. Telephone: 713.524.2526.
The Houston Fire Museum, located in the Midtown area immediately south of Downtown is simply another of our city’s shouldn’t-be-so-hidden treasures. My son Neal and I visited it last Saturday as a secondary pursuit on the heels of a trip downtown on another research matter. As per always on these late discoveries of local things that have been here forever under my nose, but never tried previously, I regretted not getting here sooner, but “better late than never” prevailed as the ruling ancient wisdom.
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Admission is $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for seniors, $3.00 for children, and free for toddlers and infants to age two. Free parking is available on Milam Street. Check out the Houston Fire Museum for further details, much more history, and how you may even plan your child’s birthday party as part of your trip to see what used to be Houston Fire Station No. 7.
In brief, the current museum on Milam Street operated as Houston Fire Station 7 from 1899 to 1969. It then went to seed in vacancy for a few years before being approved as a historical site and worthy location for the Houston Fire Museum. Two fire wagons from the horse and buggy era to an early 20th century gasoline engine fire truck are on display, as well as an upstairs dormitory that is set up as the earlier fire department personnel used the place in its active days of service. Check out the website for a more detailed history of the place and these items, but take a look at some of the photos we took of our inside tour.
Two more notes. – Yes, they have a little gift shop on the first floor. – And, yes, people take the kids’ birthday party plan to heart. A group of kids were coming out of a room wearing plastic fire chief hats and with multi-colored balloons in tow as Neal and I made our way into the place to look around on our own.
Safe to say – a good time was had by all. The Houston Fire Museum is simply another of our city’s almost hidden away treasures.
Enjoy the photos!
Historical Marker near the front door of the Houston Fire Museum.
One of the horse-drawn wagons.
another horse-drawn machine.
One of the beds in the second floor dormitory.
The Fire Bell Pole is now blocked by plexiglass.
Dominoes, anybody?
Former Fire Chiefs Line One Wall.
The Chief's Report Desk. - Look's like he's in the middle of a report that will not be interrupted by a failure in his Internet Service Provider.
Neal McCurdy at the Fire Museum Locker Room. The lockers have been converted into display cases for generic photos of life as it was in those earlier eras.
a fire department locker look at early football.
a fire department locker look at early baseball.
remembering entertainers....
and even preserving the memory of P.T. Barnum.
Check out the Houston Fire Museum. Be a kid again. And have fun.
Tags: Houston Fire Museum
The Pecan Park Eagle 
October 6, 2011 at 12:34 pm |
My nephew is a Conroe fire fighter and really appreciated your blog.