Be a Firefighter at the NYC Fire Museum, For Kids & Adults of All Ages

by Lawrence Kreger - Mar 17, 2015

Like a lot of other kids, I wanted to be a firefighter when I grew up --since the age of three , actually

I think I realized along the way that firefighting, while exciting, is also very stressful and dangerous and that I was not perfectly cut out for it...but the allure will always be with me.

The NYC Fire Museum on Spring Street is a cheerful and interactive place with retired firemen as guides and a lot of cool exhibits. You can see old fire engines, helmets, and the like, and there is a special demonstration for kids on fire safety and what to do in a smoky situation.

They also encourage you to put on firefighter gear and swing a wooden axe! (I posted it on Facebook and, of course, my friends got a big kick out of it, too.) Retired fireman John took my picture (above) and also shot a short video clip of me (below).

The museum is celebrating the 150-year anniversary of the NY Fire Department this year. They also have a lecture series there.

antique-vintage-fire-truck-submitted-Lawrence Kreger

he Museum is located at 278 Spring Street in Soho in Manhattan— an interesting neighborhood and accessible by subway, especially the C train which stops next door. Admission is inexpensive.

It is not a really big place, but lots of fun. They also host children’s parties. I think the adults there are having as much, if not more, fun than the kids.

My video of the visit is below: