Tag: Fire Fighting Museums

The New Jersey Firemen’s Museum at the New Jersey Firemen’s Home 565 Lathrop Avenue Boonton, NJ 07005

The New Jersey Firemen’s Museum at the New Jersey Firemen’s Home

565 Lathrop Avenue

Boonton, NJ  07005

(973) 334-0024

http://www.NJFH.org

Open: Sunday-Saturday 8:00am-4:00pm

Admission: Free

http://www.njfh.org/njfh-museum.php

My review on TripAdvisor:

Located inside the Boonton New Jersey Firemen’s Home, The New Jersey Firemen’s Museum is an 8000 square feet, two story museum that houses steamers, ornate hose carts and antique fire trucks from all eras.

The museum was established in May of 1985 and is home to many fire department in New Jersey’s memorabilia. It seems like everyone fire department in the State of New Jersey is represented here with old fire department pictures, patches from the fire companies, fire trucks from all eras and pictures of department fires from all over the state.

Filling the cases is antique fire equipment, badges from officers in many departments, figurines of fire equipment and ribbons from conventions of the past. There are old fire buckets from the beginnings of the fire service, horns to sound the alarms from the turn of the last century and helmets that retired chiefs from many departments donated with much honor.

Many companies donated their department pictures from fires of their past that were fought with much bravery. People forget that this job is very dangerous and we have to watch ourselves in every step.

The fire trucks are from every era from the carts that were dragged by hand to horse drawn engines to the original steam engines that were introduced with the advent of technology. All of the equipment has been carefully restored and shined to almost new. Much care has been taken to show the transition of the fire service over the years.

The tours are on your own and the admission is free. You don’t have to be a fire fighter or visiting a resident here to visit the museum. If you are a serious fire buff or have children that are really into fire fighting or being a fireman, this museum will give you all sorts of perspectives on the fire service and its development not just in New Jersey but all over the county as well.

Don’t miss the memorial to the victims of 9/11 off to the side. It is very touching and shows the support of the fire service to the members of the FDNY and their families.

9/11 is still fresh in all our minds

It is a nice afternoon out. The museum is free to the public. These pictures are just a glimpse of the collection of the NJ Firemen’s Home Museum. It is two floors of donated equipment, memorabilia, awards, dedications and department antiques that are so well preserved. If you love the history of firefighting, this is the museum for you.

Fire equipment from the past and present

Sound the Alarm

The Patch Board is extensive

The Convention Wall of attending as a delegate

Preparing for rescue

Don’t miss all the antique equipment

Carlstadt Historical Firehouse Museum Division Avenue & Sixth Street Carlstadt, NJ 07072

Carlstadt Historical Firehouse Museum Division Avenue & Sixth Street Carlstadt, NJ 07072

Carlstadt Historical Firehouse Museum

Division Avenue & Sixth Street

Carlstadt, NJ  07072

(201) 933-1070

http://www.carlstadt.nj.us/historical.html

https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/discovering-history/cultural-historic-sites

Open: The last Sunday of every month from 2:00pm-4:00pm.

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46344-d13910563-Reviews-Carlstadt_Historical_Society_Museum-Carlstadt_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

The Carlstadt Historical Firehouse Museum at Division & Sixth Street

The Carlstadt Historical Firehouse Museum is run by the Carlstadt Historical Society houses a remarkable collection that includes archival photographs, written documents, new articles, clothing and other items that bring the borough’s colorful history to life. You can find everything from 1930’s era school pennants to early 20th Century fife and drum corps uniforms to a vintage breathalyzer used by the police department. The collection is housed on two floors of the town’s old firehouse from 1919.

The museum’s Pipe & Drum Corps display on the Second Floor Gallery

The first floor of the museum is dedicated to the War effort with memorabilia from residents who fought in WWI and WWII, articles from both the Carlstadt Police and Fire Department, pieces of artwork from buildings around the town and mementos from residents of the town. It also houses a series of collectables that are displayed on the shelves.

The First Floor Gallery with Police, Fire and Military displays

First Floor Collectables display and artwork

The First Floor Gallery with Military displays and collectibles

The second floor is dedicated to the school district with pennants from school graduations and parties (Carlstadt is home to the oldest continuing school picnic in the county), pictures of classes of the schools (I even found my aunt and uncle’s pictures from when they attended school here) and high school yearbooks.

It also displays items from old businesses that were in town and a series of hometown items such as awards and plaques that have been donated to the collection by people in town. There are still boxes of items that have not gotten out on display yet.

The Second Floor Gallery with the schools, businesses and special events of Carlstadt, NJ.

Second Floor Gallery of Fire Department Memorabilia

If you are an alumnus of the school system, you will get a kick out of the second floor of the museum. Not only does it have the school archives but lots of pictures that were donated by alumni of the schools of their experiences. Years of school pennants line the ceiling from the annual picnic that is the oldest continuous school picnic in the United States.

Carlstadt School Exhibit

The museum can be seen in one afternoon but you will spend more time just looking at all the pictures and getting lost in the experience. Don’t miss the displays from the Carlstadt Fire and Police Departments.

Carlstadt Pipe & Drum history

History of Carlstadt, NJ hometown businesses

The Carlstadt Glass Industry display that was once in town.

The Business display has a collection of glass bottles that were once manufactured in the town for local businesses. One of the curators told me that people find them buried in their yards and donate them to the museum. There are also signs, menus and display items from old restaurants and stores that once dotted the town.

There is a vast array of items that cover every aspect of the community of Carlstadt, NJ on the walls and tables of the museum.

Disclaimer: Some of the information was taken from the Bergen County Historical Society and some from my recent trip to the museum. The museum is open only on the 4th Sunday of each month and by appointment only so you need to plan accordingly.