The Fire Museum of Memphis will be holding a Grand Re-opening on Friday, May 14, at 9:30 a.m. at 118 Adams Avenue, Memphis, TN.
The museum has been closed since February 13, 2021 due to a significant number of burst pipes in the Old Fire Station #1 building at the end of the snow and ice storm. Over the last three months, the museum has worked with Landmark Construction, ServiceMaster, the Fire Museum Historical Society, City of Memphis, Home Depot and Memphis Fire Services to get the museum back in working order.
“The majority of the damage was in the old fire station #1 where over 40 pipes burst in February,” said Kimberly Crafton, executive director of the museum. “We have replaced both restrooms on the second floor, and electronics in the E-one and Ambulance exhibits. We have also sent Ol Billy on vacation to Florida for a little refreshing.”
The museum took this negative situation and the down time and turned it into a positive experience by renovating the Snowden Education Building while repairs were being made to the other building. These renovations include:
- New Toy Exhibit
- New African-American Firefighters Exhibit
- New Modern-Day Firefighters Exhibit
- New Nozzle Exhibit
- New Fire Extinguisher Exhibits
- New Memorial Exhibits
- Updated Helmet Exhibit
- Moving around of some of the antique fire apparatus
- Moving a beautiful stained-glass window into the main building
“We are very excited about all the changes that have happened,” said Crafton. “We are also planning several more changes over the course of 2021 including an updated Smoke Detector Exhibit – sponsored by FM Global, a new exhibit called Memphis Firsts – sponsored by the Assisi Foundation and a special renovation to the 9-1-1 Safety Theater – sponsored by Shelby County 9-1-1 Board of Directors.”
The museum will be continuing the Student Passport program through the summer and beginning of the school year. Visitors can visit https://2021schoolvoucher.eventbrite.com and request a voucher. Vouchers are good for one student and one adult to visit the museum. Vouchers are provided by grants from International Paper and Shelby County Government. All families will be able to receive a guided tour from Fire Prevention Specialists when the museum reopens. The museum will be open Monday – Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The last tour starts at 3:30 p.m.