PHOENIX — The Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting in Phoenix offers an immersive journey into the history and heroism of firefighting.
Opened in 1961, the museum showcases an extensive collection of vintage firetrucks, helmets, ladders, and uniforms from all over the world.
The oldest firetruck on display is a hand-pumper fire engine from England dating back to 1725.
"There are a lot of firefighting museums in the world, but we're the biggest,” said Mark Moorhead, Curator of Education at Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting. “We trace the social and technological history of firefighting all the way from the bucket and hand pumpers to the steam fire engines and early motorized vehicles."
Explore interactive exhibits detailing firefighting techniques, equipment evolution, and the daily lives of firefighters. There’s even a Phoenix Fire Department call center from the mid-1950s on display.
The museum also features Rescue Four, which responded to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. It carried a crew of eight. All died when the towers collapsed.
It also has the transport buggy that carried the Granite Mountain Hot Shots to the Yarnell Hill Fire, where 19 of 20 firefighters lost their lives in 2013.
"As you go through this museum, if you really take the time to reflect on it, that desire to be a hero, that wish to just help and to be a good contributing member of your community, firefighting is one of the ultimate versions of that,” said Moorhead. “But it's also a history of human ingenuity and creativity and invention. It's it's a pretty moving experience to come in and see it all."
The museum is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $17 for adults, $15 for children 6-17, and $10 for children 3-5.
It is located at: 6101 E. Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ, 85008
Click here for more information.
