Fireman's Hall
Fireman's Hall
4.6
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
Closed
About
Stop by this small (and free!) museum on your walking tour of Philadelphia. Staffed by actual firemen, Firemans Hall exhibits artifacts, such as leather buckets and fire marks, once and sometimes still used to fight city fires.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Plan your visit
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area
Address
Neighborhood: City Center East
How to get there
- 2nd St • 5 min walk
- 5th St • 8 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
2,947 within 3 miles
Attractions
684 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.6
153 reviews
Excellent
103
Very good
39
Average
10
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Justin W
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ7,305 contributions
Mar 2025 • Solo
Firemen’s Hall is a great museum for kids and for people in the fire service. It is also for people who want to learn the history of the fire service in this country.
The upstairs galleries follow the creation of the modern fire service in Philadelphia and some of its most important fires. It also had traditional equipment and a recreation of a Chief’s office.
The downstairs has all the antique equipment and o lots of fire trucks both pumpers and steam engines and many show pieces. A great place for fire buffs.
I enjoy visiting the museum.
The upstairs galleries follow the creation of the modern fire service in Philadelphia and some of its most important fires. It also had traditional equipment and a recreation of a Chief’s office.
The downstairs has all the antique equipment and o lots of fire trucks both pumpers and steam engines and many show pieces. A great place for fire buffs.
I enjoy visiting the museum.
Written March 10, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Justin W
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ7,305 contributions
Jun 2021
What an interesting museum and I am not just saying this because I am a fire fighter!
It really tells an in depth account of the history of the Philadelphia Fire Department and its formation. There is all sorts of interesting pictures to look at and equipment to see. They have all sorts of old pumpers and ladder trucks as well as day to day fire equipment. They even have interesting displays of fire medallions from the old companies and old patches from the companies. There are three floors of displays and really take time to look at the fire equipment.
Real fire fighters man the desk and visit the museum so you can ask them questions and they have an interesting little gift shop with patches and other items. It is a must for any family member who is a fire buff.
It really tells an in depth account of the history of the Philadelphia Fire Department and its formation. There is all sorts of interesting pictures to look at and equipment to see. They have all sorts of old pumpers and ladder trucks as well as day to day fire equipment. They even have interesting displays of fire medallions from the old companies and old patches from the companies. There are three floors of displays and really take time to look at the fire equipment.
Real fire fighters man the desk and visit the museum so you can ask them questions and they have an interesting little gift shop with patches and other items. It is a must for any family member who is a fire buff.
Written June 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daniel D
West Chester, PA28 contributions
Apr 2015 • Couples
Great place for the family or take a break from the normal Philly attractions. Volunteer run by Philly's finest, donation accepted. 911 memorial that will always bring a tear to your eye. Nice artifacts of PFD.🚒🚨
Written April 22, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
arthur w
Brooklyn, NY55 contributions
Feb 2018 • Friends
i somehow have missed this little treasure on my previous visits. located in a renovated fire house in old city, you can easily spend a leisurely hour exploring fire-fighting history, and it is very kid-friendly. there are models of old fire trucks, and several full-sized antique pieces of equipment that are fascinating to look at. there is also a section devoted to the discrimination suffered by african-american firefighters, and the strides made to eliminate it. there is also a collection of antique helmets and parade helmets, and fire plaques given out by the insurance companies for families to mount on the outside of their houses. (if you walk over to nearby elfreth's alley, you will find houses that still have these plaques mounted outside.) admission is free, donations are requested. there is a small gift shop. after your visit here, go the fire station on south st. to see a beautiful mural dedicated to the african-american firefighters whose history is discussed at fireman's hall.
Written February 25, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
QuickWhitTravel
Washington DC, DC3,744 contributions
Jun 2015 • Solo
I stumbled upon this place on my last day in Philadelphia, and I was so glad I had time to stop in. It's very interesting and informative, and does a great job of honoring the men who risk their lives to save ours.
Written June 26, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CarmichaelVentura
California2,543 contributions
Mar 2014
I actually came here by accident, but I can now recommend going there on purpose. Small but very
interesting. Fantastic staff. Some cool fire engines. Kids would love it.
interesting. Fantastic staff. Some cool fire engines. Kids would love it.
Written December 4, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dons5
Connecticut110 contributions
Sep 2014 • Family
Tucked in Old City, this great little museum packs a bunch. The biggest wow? The host/guide at the door of this former fire station is a current, actual firefighter. Dan went above and beyond to make sure our trip was worth the stop. The displays are great. A few interactive ones for kids. The 9/11 memorabilia is worth the stop alone. We enjoyed the gift shop too. All that...and just a box for donations - no one even asked!
Written October 7, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ken Hagler
Anchorage, AK58 contributions
Jun 2013 • Couples
What an incredible look into the history of this noble profession! This museum has interactive features and takes you through the evolution of equipment, techniques and the sacrifices firefighters have made through the centuries for us. Be sure to give a donation and talk with the firefighters on duty. Great folks and worth the extra walk!
Written June 13, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick C
Philadelphia, PA277 contributions
Sep 2012 • Family
If you go to Elfreth's Alley, go another 100 yards past it and go into the 2 story converted firehouse that is now a museum.
See the antique equipment on the first floor and then go upstairs and look at the history of the fire department in Philadelphia
See the antique equipment on the first floor and then go upstairs and look at the history of the fire department in Philadelphia
Written February 25, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
QuickWhitTravel
Washington DC, DC3,744 contributions
Jul 2012 • Solo
This was such a wonderful find. I stumbled upon it on my run this morning and knew I needed to go back, and I'm so glad I did. I am fascinated by the different historical fire markers, and this museum answered a lot of questions for me regarding those. I also get a chill seeing how fire companies formerly operated--both from a physical standpoint and an historical point of view. This is a very unique museum with significance for everyone; definitely go and spend an hour or so in there! Kids can even try on fireman's clothes.
Written July 26, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How long would you spend here? I'm trying to fit a few things all in to one day..
Written July 30, 2017
I would say an hour is a good amount of time to spend. You could go through it quicker, but might miss some of the details in the display cases.
Written July 31, 2017
Showing results 1-1 of 1
Related Stories
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing