The Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting

The Hall of Flame in Phoenix, Arizona, is a museum dedicated to the men and women who fight fires and the equipment they use to do so. It charts the history of modern fire fighting from some of the earliest examples of fire fighting technology, dating back to 1725, to more modern water and ladder trucks.

The main concentration of the Hall of Flame centers around restored fire trucks. These range from horse drawn fire carriages dating from 1865 to the Type 700 rigid frame trucks that served in the United States in the mid to late 1950s. There is also a large collection of international fire equipment from countries all over the world including England, Austria, and Japan.

The museum also boasts an impressive collection of antique fire helmets. These helmets have been collected from a broad spectrum of countries and time periods. One of the more notable pieces is a German fire helmet that bares a striking resemblance to those goofy helmets with spikes on top that one always sees in old photos of the First World War.

An important aspect of the Museum is the National Firefighting Hall of Heroes which comprises the museum’s sixth gallery. The Hall of Heroes includes all the names of those firefighters who have lost their lives in the call of duty since 1800. These names are emblazoned on the wall, and also exist on a database that is available to visitors via computer terminals that are located throughout the Hall of Heroes. There is also a special memorial to those firefighters and police officers who lost their lives on September 11th.

As a non-profit organization the Hall of Flame relies on donations from both visitors and patrons. Through its website, one may buy a membership to the museum and help support the upkeep and restoration of the vehicles and collections. Purchases at the museum shop in person or online also help sustain operations.