Hall of Flame Fire Museum
4.8(1.4K)google
4.6(142)yelp
HistoryFamily
Overview
The National Historical Fire Foundation (better known as the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting) is a museum dedicated to the historical preservation of firefighting equipment used through the years around the world. The museum's artifacts were originally the private collection of George F. Getz Jr., who opened the original Hall of Flame in Wisconsin in 1961. The collection relocated to Phoenix in 1974, and has since grown into the world's largest historical firefighting museum.
Practical Info
MonClosed
Tue10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wed10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thu10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Fri10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sat10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
SunClosed
Suggested Duration2-3 hours
Best TimeYear-round. The interior is extremely spacious and well air-conditioned—a top-tier indoor summer retreat for bringing boys or fire-truck enthusiasts to learn and have fun while escaping Phoenix's extreme outdoor sun
Getting ThereLocated on the southern edge of Papago Park, right next to the Phoenix light rail line and the Salt River. Extremely close to Sky Harbor Airport, with a dedicated, completely free huge parking lot for those driving
Travel Tips
- This is the world's largest and richest independent firefighting-history museum, covering tens of thousands of square feet, with 6 huge exhibition halls spanning centuries of history and displaying nearly 150 extremely precious vintage fire engines from around the world
- The exhibits range from a manual wooden hand-pump fire engine of 1725, to a luxurious 19th-century horse-drawn fire engine, to a modern hardcore streamlined mechanical fire truck—all vehicles have been perfectly restored and remain shiny like new
- The museum also has an extremely sacred "National Firefighters Heroes Hall," dedicated to remembering and honoring firefighters and emergency responders across the U.S. who died heroically in the line of duty
Reviews
Positive
- The ultimate paradise for fire buffs, vintage-car fans, and families with kids! There are stunningly many vintage fire engines inside, with brass and wood details as beautiful as artwork. There's even a dedicated area where kids can dress in full firefighter gear for photos
- The interactivity is very well done, with vintage hand-crank sirens you can try yourself. Most of the staff are retired old firefighters, and their eyes light up when they explain the history—full of heart and infectious enthusiasm
Heads up
- Because it's basically all fire trucks, mechanical pumps, and ladders of various eras, people completely uninterested in firefighting history or mechanical engineering may find it a bit repetitive