FASNY Museum of Firefighting

Museum Hours

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Daily

Closed Independence Day,
Memorial Day, Easter,
Christmas, Thanksgiving,
New Year’s Day

Admission

Adults: $5

Children: $2
(age 5 and older)

Family: $10
(2 adults and 2 children)

Children under age 5: FREE

Museum and FASNY Members: FREE

The Museum also
participates in the Empire State Reciprocal Program and NARM. Members of these programs will also receive FREE admission.

117 Harry Howard Ave.
Hudson, NY 12534
518.822.1875

Then, Now, and Always:
Firefighting from the Cradle of Rome through the 1900's

This exhibit chronicles the development of organized firefighting and is divided into several components:

Ancient Times: This section relates the story of the Corps of Vigiles, a Roman firefighting force that grew to over 7,000 men and takes the visitor through the Dark Ages and the Middle Ages.

1600’s: This component focuses on the colonization of the New World and fire precautions, laws and tools used by the Dutch to fight fire in New Netherlands, which the state later named New York was a part of.

1700’s: This section relates the story of firefighting before and after the American Revolution and discusses the purchase of New York’s first fire engines and the formation of the Volunteer Fire Department in New York City.

1800’s: This component relates the story of this era of innovation that saw the introduction of steamers, horses and Dalmatians to the Fire Service, as well as many technological advances.

1900’s: This section takes the visitor through the beginning of the motorized age of the Fire Service and examines the many technological advances of this time period, including the changes in firefighting gear.

These components combine to relate to the visitor the development of organized firefighting, from its infancy in Rome through the 1900’s. This is accomplished by utilizing many of the fabulous objects in the Museum’s collection, as well as a series of graphic panels and object cards. Adjacent to the exhibit cases are the Museum’s earliest examples of fire apparatus dating as far back as 1731. After viewing the exhibit, the visitor is then invited to apply their knowledge of fire apparatus and firefighter turnout gear to a new sequencing interactive in the exhibit. The exhibit also asks visitors to record their story of rescue, either from the perspective of the firefighter or the person who was rescued by a firefighter, in a journal at the end of the exhibit.