Central Ohio Fire Museum

I really enjoyed the tour of this museum. My 4 yr old has been talking about this place for 2 days and this has been his highlight in Columbus. They have a great area where kids can sit in the cab of a fire truck, dress as a firefighter, slide down a fire pole, and ring the bell in the tower.

No change in my rating, as this is still a great little museum. Just a very different experience this time, with Baby K, who is almost three.We were welcomed by the staff, and they were very helpful and friendly to Baby K. Clearly they get a lot of kids, and they know how to make things both fun and educational. She got to ring some fire-bells, saw horses and dogs they used to use, and got to play in their play area. There's a fire-pole; what appears to be an actual firetruck cab (donated by local manufacturer Sutphen) with working lights, etc.; a hook and ladder-type seat (also with lights;) toys; books; and kid-size helmets, boots, and jackets. The volunteer, a current fireman, showed us his old helmet and brought out a full-size helmet and jacket for me, on the theory that kids are less intimidated by new things if someone familiar is wearing them (and thus that they will be comfortable going to firefighters for help in an emergency.) She loved all of this, and of course did not want to leave. The museum is still great; I didn't get to look around much myself, but then, you know, toddler. Older kids can probably play in the play area while you look around. There's a safety education area in back for kids and adults, and a horse stall. The volunteers are great, and this is a real local gem. You can have birthday parties here. They ain't cheap, and neither is a visit, but, once in a while so that the kids can have a blast, it is worth it.On a weekday afternoon, I found a parking meter 50 feet away and paid a dollar, so, parking could be an issue but shouldn't be bad at off times. We will certainly be back.

I sometimes take for granted all of the wonderful attractions right here in my hometown. I've decided this is my year to rediscover Columbus. It started today with a visit to the Central Ohio Fire Museum.With my two nieces, ages 5, and 8 in tow, we headed to the museum on the last Friday of their spring break.We honestly did not know what to expect. I was just hoping they would have fun. Upon arrival, we easily found parking in their driveway. I was a little unsure about where to park, but the signs said visitor parking so I just pulled over next to the building and made sure not to block any does.We were warmly greeted by a volunteer fireman who took our entry fee. You may think it's a little pricey, $8 for adults and $6 for kids, but the information received on the tour makes up for that.Our tour was conducted by another volunteer, Josh. He was warm and friendly and kept the girls attention. They learned a lot about fire safety. I even learned some things I have at home are not safe. We also talked about the history of fire trucks, bells and horses. So much in such a small space. A real treat!!The girls loved sliding down the pole and the play area. I think this is a perfect trip for young children. Teenagers might not enjoy it as much. Along the tour a family of 3 joined us. I think 6 was the perfect size group for this type of tour.Glad to find this hidden gem.

What a neat museum! A wonderful collection of antique trucks and fire gear fills the space of a former firehouse. The new firehouse is located just a few buildings over. The museum is staffed by current and retired firefighters who offer tours when you come in. There are is also a lot of great signage at the various displays, as well. We found both options handy, as we were accompanied by a kid who happily held up on the tour up until the point that he spotted the fabulous kids play area - then he couldn't wait a second longer to get over there! The play area includes a real cab from a fire truck, complete with flashing lights, a video about firefighting set up in front of a smaller fire truck with steering wheel, several giant tubs of all sorts of fire trucks to wheel around, a great little library filled with books on firetrucks, fire safety, other vehicles, and other community workers, and a real fire pole to slide down. There's also a little locker area set up with kid-sized fire coats, boots, and hats! Very cute.The back portion of the museum includes a stall still set up like it was for the horses, examples of things that had caught or been on fire, and safety displays.Parking is free if you can find space on their driveway (hint: drive all the way up, there's some not visible from the road), while entry is currently $6 for adults and $4 for kids. Kids get a special treat to take home on the way out!So head on over and learn about how Cincinnati and Columbus were on the cutting edge of early firefighting, how dalmatians became associated with firehouses, and how you, as a community member, would have participated in putting out fires back when it took 100+ people to put out one fire!

On Christmas Eve 1919, they retired the last of the horses that had drawn the fire engines for the City of Columbus. Even today, you can still see the kick marks in the stall doors at the back of the museum. This museum doesn't just house history, it is history. This wonderfully restored 1908 firehouse AKA the Central Ohio Fire Museum is a true hidden gem. It has been open for a decade and yet mine is only the fifth review so hopefully you'll allow me to tell you a little something about this Columbus landmark and why you should act like a local tourist too.About a month ago, Captain Mike Shimko of the Grandview Heights FD gave Mark K. and I a tour of the museum and it was certainly money well spent. Captain Mike and another fire fighter / curator were a wellspring of information about Columbus history, firefighting and fire safety. They even shared some stories about strange shadowy sightings, the sounds of footsteps and voices in the night when no one else is around. Are the stories true? Maybe, maybe not. In any case we didn't see or hear anything ghostly but it was still fun to hear the tale.There's a lot more stuff in here than you might think so I'd recommend an hour or so to really take it all in. Everything a firefighter would have needed a century ago is housed here and much of the collection is in excellent condition. While the front of the museum is historic in nature, the back is more educational with a display of dozens of everyday items that have been in real fires, a kids bedroom that shows both kids and adults the result of a house fire and a kitchen area that will educate everyone on fire safety. A nice touch is the children's play area where the little ones can sit in a real fire truck cab, don fire fighter clothing and slide down a kids sized fire pole.So this is a cool place for individuals and families both. It's fun and it's educational. I highly recommend it.No wonder 4 out of 5 reviewers give them a 5 Star rating.

We were given a very informative and passionate tour by volunteer staff. A nice collection. A thorough fire safety lesson. A wonderful historic building.

In this modern era of GPS, radios, thermal imaging cameras, cell phones and the like, most of us don't realize how lucky we are in an emergency. Up until the last couple generations, if you had a fire at your house, you could kiss it goodbye. The best you could hope for would be that it wouldn't spread to your neighbors' houses. This museum downtown has a collection of antique fire engines from the past century and beyond, including a steam powered horse drawn pumper, and one that was pulled by hand not horses and was equipped with a hand pump. There's also a collection of artifacts from firehose nozzles and tools, megaphones, etc. The firehouse itself was built in 1908 and most of it is original. In the back is an educational area to show the effects of a fire in a bedroom including some real items melted in real fires, and demonstrations of how to escape. The best part: a fire truck cab play area for kids. That was the only part my son cared about.It's not something you'll remember for the rest of your life but it's a good way to spend an afternoon with your kids, anyone interested in history, or especially fire fighters.

We had my son's birthday party here, and it was fantastic. The staff worked like a well-oiled machine, moving the party along, were very friendly and accommodating to the kids, and made my job as mom so much easier. They provided a mini-presentation of all of a firefighter's gear so that the kids could see each piece and understand that if a firefighter comes into their bedroom, they are there to help. I can't recommend this place more highly. Excellent staff and space for a birthday party.

My daughters preschool had a field trip to the museum. I hadn't heard of it before even though I had driven by it numerous times. It was really awesome to teach young kids the dangers of fire and to see the evolution of fire fighting equipment and vehicles. I was amazed at how the fire alarms worked in the old days. Very eye opening.

What a fun afternoon for a preschooler. Susan was a great host. Kiddo had fun in the play area for hours and parents learned stuff in the safety area. A true gem!