Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Parking Lot Shoeprints
Dewey Square Pylon & Bent 38
Black Rocks of Pungo Andongo
Abandoned Observatory of the Pioneer Palace
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Kolaches
How Texas Became an Unlikely Epicenter for Czech Pastries
about 21 hours ago
What I Found Driving Across Northern Michigan
about 22 hours ago
What I Found Driving Down Highway 61
about 22 hours ago
What I Found Driving Through Appalachia
about 22 hours ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Washington Tacoma Fireboat No. 1

Fireboat No. 1

This landmark vessel dry-berthed in Tacoma's harbor served in emergencies and ceremonies for more than 50 years.

Tacoma, Washington

Added By
Ian Lefkowitz
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Although in need of funding, volunteers come together to repaint and restore Fireboat No. 1 in fall.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
Although in need of funding, volunteers come together to repaint and restore Fireboat No. 1 in fall.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
“Fully Involved,” a monument to fallen firefighters, is located on the site. The fireboat can be seen in the distance.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
Tacoma Fireboat No. 1, a historic landmark found on Ruston Way.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
“Big Bertha,” the fireboat’s primary cannon, can be seen from the bow of the ship.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
The fireboat would shoot 10,000 gallons of water per minute from its seven monitors.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

As a working-class port city, the industry and commerce of Tacoma, Washington, was historically intertwined with its harbor, filled with sawmills, lumberyards, and wooden structures. And for over 50 years, Tacoma harbor’s greatest defender was Fireboat No. 1, the city’s emergency rescue boat that patrolled Tacoma’s 38 miles of waterfront shoreline. Now retired, today the fireboat is a municipal landmark kept on dry berth along the same bay it once served.

By the 1920s, fireboats were a common sight in American port cities, and Fireboat No. 1 is typical of the era. The boat was designed by T.M. Rowlands, a professor of naval engineering at the University of Washington, and built in 1929 by the local Coastline Shipbuilding Company. It is one of the few remaining and best-preserved fireboats from the time period. A 96-foot long triple-screw vessel, Fireboat No. 1 was seen as the latest in firefighting technology at the time of its construction. It was best known for its primary water cannon, named “Big Bertha,” which was able to shoot 6,500 gallons of water per minute at a distance of up to 475 feet.

For 53 years, Fireboat No. 1 patrolled Tacoma’s waters, with crews of up to 12 firefighters on board. It responded to every major emergency in Tacoma, including fires, potential drownings, shipwrecks, and even a case of arson. It would also be the star of the show in many waterfront parades and patriotic festivals, as Big Bertha would shoot water into the air in celebration. A 1976 survey found that Fireboat No. 1 was the second-most recognizable landmark in the city, edged out only by Mt. Rainier.

In 1982, the city purchased two new hoverboats, and Fireboat No. 1 was retired from service. A movement quickly gathered to preserve the fireboat as a museum and national landmark, and in March 1986, the boat was placed into permanent dry berth on Tacoma’s Ruston Way. Over the years, some of the enthusiasm for the boat’s preservation was lost, and questions arose over the ultimate jurisdiction responsible for its maintenance, and it began to rust and rot. While significant repairs remain costly, a cadre of volunteers, including the local firefighters union and rotary club, have joined Metro Parks Tacoma in repainting and restoring the civic landmark as best they can.

Today, Fireboat No. 1 looks a little worse for wear, but remains a landmark of Tacoma’s waterfront history. The fireboat is yards from Tacoma’s waterfront fire station, and “Fully Involved,” a memorial to fallen firefighters by sculptor Larry Perkins. Together, the area provides a fitting memorial for the pageantry, quick response, and sacrifices made by the members of Tacoma’s fire department throughout the city’s history. 

Related Tags

Fires Fire Fighters Boats

Know Before You Go

Tacoma Fireboat No. 1 is free to view and open to the public. The Tacoma Fallen Firefighters Memorial is located in the same complex, but on the other side of the parking lot.

Community Contributors

Added By

ianlefk

Published

March 25, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.flickr.com/photos/spetersongallery/27527665419
  • https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/matt-driscoll/article269165317.html
  • https://www.metroparkstacoma.org/fireboat-no-1-repair/
  • https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NHLS/83004254_text
Fireboat No. 1
3427 Ruston Way
Tacoma, Washington, 98402
United States
47.2823, -122.480593
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Job Carr Cabin Museum

Tacoma, Washington

miles away

'Top of the Ocean' Monument

Tacoma, Washington

miles away

Old St. Peter's Church

Tacoma, Washington

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tacoma

Tacoma

Washington

Places 18
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Job Carr Cabin Museum

Tacoma, Washington

miles away

'Top of the Ocean' Monument

Tacoma, Washington

miles away

Old St. Peter's Church

Tacoma, Washington

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tacoma

Tacoma

Washington

Places 18
Stories 1

Related Places

  • 2019 Molly Williams mural by street artist Robot

    Tomar, Portugal

    Molly Williams Mural

    In Portugal, a larger-than-life painting of America's first Black female firefighter.

  • Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage

    A museum dedicated to firefighting in a city that was crucial to the modern history of the profession.

  • James Braidwood Statue

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    James Braidwood Statue

    Dedicated to the Father of the British Fire Service.

  • Glasgow, Scotland

    Cheapside Street Fire Memorial

    This colorful mosaic remembers one of Britain's most deadly peacetime fires.

  • International Falls, Minnesota

    Smokey Bear Park

    Home to a 26-foot-tall statue of an American icon.

  • Dunmore, West Virginia

    Thorny Mountain Fire Tower

    This lookout tower built in the 1930s is now an in-demand cabin with what might be the best view of the Seneca State Forest.

  • Memorial plaque.

    Kingman, Arizona

    Kingman Explosion Memorial

    A memorial to the firefighters who died in an industrial disaster is housed in a small public park.

  • The Dude Fire Memorial Grove in Bonita Creek Estates.

    Payson, Arizona

    Dude Fire Memorial Grove

    This small memorial is dedicated to the Perryville State Prison firefighters who perished fighting the Dude Fire in 1990.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.