Fireman's Hall Museum
About the Museum
Located in historic Old City Philadelphia, the museum is housed in a renovated 1898 firehouse. Fireman’s Hall Museum is one of the nation’s premier fire museums focused on the preservation of Philly fire history and promoting fire safety. Philadelphia is the birthplace of the first volunteer fire companies. In 1736, Benjamin Franklin founded the first volunteer fire company called The Union Fire Company.
Health and Safety During the Pandemic
Fireman’s Hall Museum cares deeply about the health and safety of our staff, volunteers, and visitors. We continue to follow state, county and local health rules related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and our top priority remains the well-being of our staff and visitors.
If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, have had any symptoms of COVID-19, or have had close contact with someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, you should stay home as directed by your medical provider.
We Are Open!
We kindly request that you wear a mask while inside the museum.
Donations are always appreciated.
HOST YOUR EVENT AT THE MUSEUM
The Museum is the perfect place to host:
Class Reunions
Cocktail Receptions
Corporate Events
Fundraisers
Holiday Parties
Office Parties
Team Building Events
Training & Seminars
CALL TO RESERVE
Call or email Carol Smith at 215-923-1438 pfdhc@firemanshallmuseum.org to check availability for your next event at the beautifully restored Fireman’s Hall Museum.
The museum interprets the history of firefighting in Philadelphia through its collections of artifacts and archives, and promotes fire prevention safety.
It is housed in a 1902 firehouse at 147 N 2nd Street in Philadelphia, just a few steps North of Elfreth’s Alley.
The museum is open to the public, Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. On the first Friday of each month the museum is open until 9:00 pm. We are closed on Sunday, Monday and all city holidays.
Exhibits Include:
Hand drawn, horse drawn and motorized apparatus
The country’s first 9/11 exhibit commemorating the firefighters who gave their lives
A large stained glass window memorial to Philadelphia firefighters who died in the line of duty
“Franklin’s Volunteers” Philadelphia’s early fire companies
Fire Marks and memorabilia from the early days of property insurance
Interviews with the Valiants about the days of the segregated department
Play our “when to call 911” computer quiz
Try on fire coats and boots
Steer the fire boat and see video of the fire boat Independence on the water
Admission is free although donations are always welcome. Group tours are available by calling in advance 215-923-1438 or email museum curator brian.anderson@phila.gov
Overview
Nestled in the narrow streets of Philadelphia’s Historic District, the Fireman’s Hall Museum is dedicated to the art and science of firefighting through the last three centuries.
Displays of firefighting equipment illustrate how firemen control blazes, while mock-ups of recreation areas, dressing rooms and a chief’s room show how firefighters have passed the hours between fighting blazes.
Visitors see all sorts of badges, helmets, parade hats and fire marks, which people affixed to their homes to indicate which insurance company was protecting them.
Firefighter-docents keep these machines spotless and shiny, creating an almost romantic view of the dangerous world of firefighting.
The History
The museum showcases the art and science of firefighting.
Fireman’s Hall Museum is located on the site of Engine Company Number Eight, a descendant of the Union Fire Company, which was founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1736. It’s housed in a firehouse that dates back to 1902.
The museum is operated by the Philadelphia Fire Department, whose members serve as docents and offer warm hospitality and enthusiastic explanations of the memorabilia housed there. While visitors can enter free of charge, donations are accepted.
Don’t Miss
The centerpieces of the museum are surely the ten antique fire trucks scattered throughout the building, including early hand- and horse-drawn engines.
Be sure to see the exhibit on Philadelphia’s own “Great Fire,” when 52 buildings were destroyed on Oct. 4-5, 1839.
Don’t leave without visiting the upstairs gallery, which features an old wooden pumper, a chief’s office and the firefighters’ rec room with an old-fashioned checkerboard.