{"id":5150,"date":"2016-04-03T22:00:24","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T05:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.westsidemommy.com\/site\/?p=5150"},"modified":"2016-06-10T14:50:57","modified_gmt":"2016-06-10T21:50:57","slug":"the-los-angeles-fire-department-museum-in-hollywood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.westsidemommy.com\/site\/the-los-angeles-fire-department-museum-in-hollywood\/","title":{"rendered":"The Los Angeles Fire Department Museum in Hollywood"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The LAFD Museum<\/a><\/strong> is the perfect pit stop for your kids if you\u2019re spending a day in Hollywood (and because, really, what kid doesn’t love everything firefighter related?!?). When the station opened in 1930, it was the largest one west of the Mississippi River. Now, Old Fire Station 27 is home to more than 100 years of educational artifacts, apparatus and photos.\u00a0Here are five things my daughter and I discovered on our recent visit:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s free<\/h2>\n

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Admission to the LAFD Museum is free. They take donations ($5 per adult suggested donation) and are a 501c3 non-profit public charity. Every gift assists them in their mission to support the community by providing fire and life safety education, and preserve the memory of the firefighters who died protecting the citizens of Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s educational and fun<\/h2>\n

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We really enjoyed seeing the historical vehicles used for fighting fire. The fire trucks, horse and carriage, and cars are all on display on the first floor and most are welcome for you to touch (but not climb!). There are also miniature displays of the LAFD\u2019s presence on the sea and air. My daughter was a big fan of the mini fire station display, and kept going back to it.\u00a0The second floor of the museum includes the William Rolland Firefighter\u2019s Educational Institute<\/em> exhibit, which highlights the various ways you can be saved in the event of a fire or disaster. Also on the second floor is a toy fire truck to sit in, small fire trucks to push, and real fire department boots and jackets!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

It’s available for events<\/h2>\n

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The LAFD Museum rents out their space, and is the perfect place to host your firefighter-crazed kiddo’s next birthday party!\u00a0The LAFD Historical Society also hosts events like memorials and fire safety days that are open to the public.\u00a0Check their calendar<\/a>\u00a0to stay in the loop.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

It\u2019s a memorial<\/h2>\n

Outside the building is the LAFD Fallen Firefighters Memorial. The memorial wall lists the names of every known department member who died while at an incident or as a result of a duty-related case. Bronze statues of LA firefighters in action are on display in front of the wall, showing their heroic efforts. A good conversation to have with your children about this memorial is how teamwork, spirit, friendship, and family values are presented.<\/p>\n

It has a sister location<\/h2>\n

In addition to the Hollywood location, there is also the Harbor Museum in San Pedro. Old Fire Station 36 is only open to the public on Saturdays from 10am to 3pm. This location houses a perfectly restored 1923 Seagrave Fire Engine that your kids will definitely want to see.<\/p>\n

Tips for your visit:<\/h2>\n

\u2022\u00a0It’s a small but dense museum. You can get through it in less than an hour if you have an active toddler, but if you (and your kids) like to read about history, there’s plenty of information.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Parking is easier to find around the museum if you arrive early.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0Kids get to take home a plastic fireman hat\u2014score!<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0If your kids can walk, it might be easier to leave the stroller in the car while visiting the museum. The museum is small!<\/p>\n

For More Information<\/h2>\n

Go to their website at:\u00a0lafdmuseum.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

This article was also featured on Mommy Nearest<\/a>!<\/h4>\n