Located in the 19th-century Aurora fire station, the Aurora Regional Fire Museum appeals to both the eyes and the brain. Full of fire-related artifacts, from fire engines to pumps to the stalls where the fire horses once lived, this museum offers a window into the past and present of firefighting. Learn about the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which was a defining moment for firefighting in the United States. Let your kids explore to imagine themselves as firefighters, saving homes, families and pets from destruction.
Notice the building’s architecture before you go in, its redbrick façade exuding a sort of stately reassurance. As you enter, admire all the bright-red vehicles that dot the museum’s floor.
Friendly guides are always here to answer questions or take visitors on impromptu tours. Try passing a leather fire bucket from hand to hand or snapping shut a special harness used for horses. Inspect the early versions of smoke masks and the wooden water pipes and hand pumps that were used to funnel water into the fire.
At the upper level an intimate exhibit celebrates and explores the lives of Aurora firefighters in the last 50 years. Learn about their favorite meals when they were on duty and see what the scariest fires they had to respond to were like. Immerse yourself in their world then slowly come back down the stairs out to the fresh air, looking at the building with new eyes.
The Aurora Regional Fire Museum is located in the heart of downtown Aurora along the Fox River, a 40-minute drive from Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Walk here in 7 minutes from Aurora’s main train and bus center. Free parking is available on site in a rear lot.
The museum is open from Thursday to Saturday from noon to late afternoon and opens earlier on Saturdays. On the first Friday of the month, the museum stays open late. Pay a suggested donation to enter.
