VIDEO: From vintage fire trucks to old uniforms, this gem has been holding more than 100 years of firefighter history inside.
The Tampa Firefighters Museum is a two-story brick building located downtown.
“This building shows folks what Tampa used to be like. More of an industrial, gritty, working city versus this more modern area that we’re seeing build up around us,” Tampa Firefighters Museum Board Member and Retired Tampa Fire Captain Bill Wade said. It was built in 1911 and used as the headquarters for the Tampa Fire Department until 1978, which was when a new station across the street was built. “This building has so many stories in it and we’re just so glad to be able to house those. If not, they would have been lost with the time,” Wade said.
The museum is a non-profit organization that not only helps tell the history of the department, but also educates the public about fire safety.