Denver Firefighters Museum

The Mission of the Denver Firefighters Museum is to preserve the history of the Denver Fire Department and firefighting through the collection and preservation of artifacts, documents, and photographs.

The purpose of the Museum is to educate the public about fire safety and the history of firefighting in Denver from its inception to the present. This is accomplished through interpretive exhibits, educational programming, and scholarly research.

---

Our areas of greatest need include:
1. Restoring and maintaining the historic building housing the museum. Old Fire Station No. 1 is a unique Denver landmark requiring routine maintenance like any other building. However, buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places must follow strict historical standards that are more costly. Current restoration needs include repainting the building exterior, refinishing interior floors, and reopening the second-floor event space for additional revenue.

2. Funding for fire safety education programs. Squirt's Fire Safety Class teaches preschool-aged children and their adults potentially life-saving fire safety behaviors in fun and active ways. Sound Off with the Home Fire Safety Patrol is a new, nationally tested fire safety program for 2nd and 3rd grade students that the museum has recently adopted. Fire safety education for children directly results in reduced fire danger and safer communities. This is why the Denver Firefighters Museum believes fire safety education should begin at preschool and continue through elementary and secondary education.

3. Funding for a part time collections/registrar position. Three volunteers have been trained to help with accession/cataloging of a backlog of donated items, and our archives have come a long way towards being organized and accessible. A part time, paid position would help speed up both of these important processes.

4. Building of an Endowment Fund to ensure we are financially solvent for many years to come.
---

The Denver Firefighters Museum is located in Historic Fire Station No. 1, constructed in 1909 for Engine Company No. 1. The building was designed by Glen W. Huntington, a noted Denver architect. It housed firefighters, equipment, and horses. Firefighters ate and slept in a dormitory on the upper floor, while apparatus and horses were kept on the ground floor.

In 1924, the building was renovated to accommodate motorized fire trucks and engines. The main floor was re-done in reinforced concrete to take the additional weight of engine-driven trucks. The hay loft on the second floor was converted into a larger kitchen, restrooms, locker area, and Division Chief's quarters.

The station was decommissioned in 1974 when it became unable to accommodate the arrival of larger and more specialized equipment. Then Chief of the Department Myrle Wise worked to save the building by securing its place on the National Register of Historic Places. He helped to turn it into a museum to preserve the history of the Denver Fire Department and to teach fire safety to the public.

In 1980, the Museum attained 501(c)3 status and was opened to the public on a part-time basis. From 1981-1991 a restaurant on the second floor -"Old Number One Firehouse Restaurant"- helped fund the Museum.

The building is owned by the City of Denver, which leases it to the Museum for $1.00 a year. The Denver Firefighters Museum is now open 5 days a week with an exciting event calendar, robust gift shop, and several fire safety programs for different members of the public. Support the Denver Firefighters Museum today to build on our success, ensure the preservation of the history of the fire service in Denver, and create a fire safe community.