aurora regional fire museum

maureeg2014

This is a very cool building, museum, educational center all rolled into one. If you like history, fire, fire trucks etc.... this is a great place to spend a morning or afternoon. A true historical gem. If David is there ask him lots of questions. He is a fire house encyclopedia.

FF13

Our visit to the fire museum was late on a Saturday afternoon. We were the only visitors there at that time and we had a chance to explore the entire museum with our young nieces and other family members. The museum is very good, easy to tour, and well laid out. There was a really good holiday ginger bread house exhibit on the second floor that we could look at and vote on.Staff was very helpful and the displays are excellent. Of great interest to our young nieces was the search through the museum for 10 little mouse figures. They really enjoyed hunting for them. They were successful and their reward was a candy cane. Many displays have a small hand sign that indicates it is appropriate for younger visitors! Touching designated displays is encouraged.Of particular note is the American La France fire engine. It is in really good shape and is typical of hundreds of engines of its time in the US.Admission is free but donations are accepted. Parking is easy on their rear lot.

Redrosebud2014

This is a very unique building with a fabulous past of horse drawn fire wagons to steam engine fire trucks, that almost met the wrecking ball by one mayor. But the Grand building survived and was repaired to and elegant museum with grand history. The museum is also set up with videos and hands on displays for the kids age preschool and up. It is a must to go see if you are in Aurora. Open Wednesday through the weekend 1 pm until 4 pm, except closed on holidays.No entry fee, just a donation if you wish.

401jessicaq

Definitley worth taking the kids. The boys enjoyed the firetrucks and I enjoyed learning a bit more about our firefighters.You need about an hour.

Ellen34

After driving past it many times, we finally stopped to visited the Aurora Regional Fire Museum. It is a hidden treasure. Housed in an old fire station, filled with old fire trucks & interesting interactive exhibits, it easily kept us entertained for several hours. The on site director, Debbie, was a fountain of information & her young intern was also most helpful. The museum is open Thursday, Friday, & Saturday afternoons and also by appointment for groups. Donations are appreciated, but there is no pressure. My adult children, 5 grandchildren (ages 6 to 12) & I all enjoyed it very much.

zoinks209

This museum is great for kids of all ages (my son is three). There is a variety of activities/exhibits that appeal to preschoolers, older kids, teens and adults! A great place for family fun, field trips, parties, etc. The staff is very knowledgeable and they interact with the kids very well, keeping them engaged. It's like walking into history. Plus, you can see the real fire station next door from the upstairs windows. We saw the firefighters doing some training. Very awesome! No admission fee, but donations are accepted and there is a small gift shop with all kinds of fire stuff.

AnnH446

a well presented history of firefighting from early American times to the present, all inside an authentic fire station house. For smaller children, there was a story area.

M6009BOjamest

What a great museum, and what better place than in the old Aurora Fire Department located right next door to the current AFD! This place is great for anyone interested in the history of the Aurora Fire Department and they have some terrific displays and a wealth of information! And yes, they even have a gift shop for the kids! ;)

TB424

This place is a wealth of history and fun! The crew that runs the museum are passionate and friendly! The entry fee is minimal and it's close to everything you want to see in downtown Aurora. Don't miss it, it's fun for the whole family!

DGWendy

We stopped in here on a rainy afternoon, on our way back to the train station after being at SciTech. David was very welcoming and interesting, and the museum is beautiful inside. There is plenty of information, but it wasn't overwhelming. The touch-screens give snippets of video, and there are hands-on parts to all the exhibits. My 10-year old son could have stayed longer than the 45 minutes we were there (we had to catch a train), but my 8-year old daughter was done at 30 minutes. This little gem is worth a visit. It takes about an hour to see it all, and it's interesting information you won't find elsewhere.

bhxteacher

Very informative interactive museum that shows fire fighter history including the Great Chicago fire. Lots of displays with hands on activities for children: bucket brigades, stick horses, helmets, hoses, videos, bells, fire engines, and more. We took the train to the Aurora train station and walked 2 short blocks to the museum. Very interesting for both adults and children and a fun afternoon.

bertaron

You would never expect a museum about the Fire Department to be in the heart of downtown Aurora. David the curator really tries to enterain the parties that come into the museum. We were there for a birthday party and the kids (boys and girls) really had fun.

Annalund

The curator was just great!! Very welcoming and had a passion for the museum. Good for adults and kids! I would give it about 45 minutes to an hour depending...The museum highlighted 3 aspects of fire service, getting water to the fire, rescuing people from the fire, and how to get there. It broke time into 5 time periods and followed the fire service in these 3 aspects.The most organized fire fighter museum I have been to. Upstairs, the exhibit was about museums and specifically how object are archived and then how the museum has a few artifacts from the smuthsonian. I would encourage all to take their kids and learn about the changes in the fire service!!