Fire Museum of Memphis

The Fire Museum of Memphis is America's premier interactive fire museum, located in the legendary Fire Engine House No. 1, built in 1910. Children of all ages can don turnout coats and helmets, play on authentic fire equipment, drive a fire engine simulation to a fire, and slide down a brass fire pole. Visitors can safely experience what it looks and feels like to be in a burning house in the FedEx Fire Room, and they can learn how to prevent home fires and how to react in a real-life emergency in the Fire Safety House and the Escape Maze. The museum also features beautifully restored historic fire equipment, including the original horse-drawn 1897 Hale Water Tower, a 1910 horse-drawn steam fire engine, and a 1912 American-LaFrance pumper. Ol' Billy, an animatronic talking fire horse, tells the story of firefighting in the horse-drawn era. An exhibit on the first twelve African American Memphis firefighters, contemporary art, and historic firefighting artifacts, and an exhibition on landmark fires in Memphis honor the service and history of the city's excellent Fire Department. The magnificent 22-foot-high sculpted Memorial Wall on the museum's east facade is dedicated to every firefighter killed in the line of duty in Memphis since 1880. Fifty-seven names, carved in stone, grace the memorial wall in remembrance of their sacrifice.