Address
278 Spring Street, New York, NY
Phone Number
(212) 691 - 1303
Date Visited
05/13/2018
Website
New York City Fire Museum
Description
The New York City Fire Museum is located at 278 Spring Street, New York, NY. Parking must be found on the street, or in a garage/parking lot nearby.Street-level, double doors, lead to the gift shop and admission counter. The two level museum has 38 steps or an elevator to the second floor. The main floor is concrete, the second floor is covered with flat carpet. There is adequate space to navigate. There are benches throughout.
The only way to access the single-occupancy restrooms which are located midway between the two floors is by the staircase. There is no baby-changing station. There are no food services.
- Doors: street-level, double doors
Number of floors: 2
Elevators: yes
Ramps: no
Steps and staircases: 38 stairs to second floor
Width of aisles: adequate space
Places to sit: benches throughout
Location of restrooms: midway between first and second floor, on the staircase
Type of restroom: single-occupancy
Ease of entry and exit: OK
Baby changing station: no
Available food services: none
Friendliness of staff: pleasant and knowledgeabl
Notes: Parking must be found on the street or in a nearby garage/parking lot
While walking around near the Children’s Museum of the Arts, we came across The New York City Fire Museum, “One of America’s most prominent collections of fire related art, artifacts, gear and apparatus from the late 18th century to the present.” It is housed in a renovated 1904, Beaux-Arts triple bay firehouse originally built for Engine Company No. 30.” (brochure).
Street-level, double doors, led to the gift shop and admission counter. After paying our admission we visited the two exhibit floors that trace the development of firefighting in New York City from the early bucket brigades to the present day. (website) Five permanent exhibition galleries include a wide assortment of tools, clothing, fire engines, rescue gear, photos, medals, and more. There is also a permanent memorial to honor the 343 members of the NYFD who made the Supreme Sacrifice on 9/11/01. An elevator is available to get you to the second floor if the 38 steps are too much for you. There are benches throughout and adequate space to navigate.
It is important to note that, although the elevator goes to both floors, the single-occupancy restrooms are located midway between the two floors and are only available by walking up – or down, the steps.
This Museum is chock full of interesting information. It was especially interesting to me to see the items that were in use in the 1800’s and to note how far we have come in our firefighting efforts. This might be a great place for kids to learn about the history of the fire department and see what they actually used to fight fires.
As always, we at Destination Accessible, advise you to check a venue’s website, http://www.nycfiremuseum.org , when planning a visit, to know before you go.
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