Pennsylvania National Fire Museum, Harrisburg

The Pennsylvania National Fire Museum is a very important testament to time and of history of not only the local Harrisburg PA fire department but the fire department in general as a whole from its humble beginnings and where it started to what it has become over the years all the way up to today. I recently visited with my wife and kids, and we had a great time exploring all there is to look at. Whether you want to explore for yourself or have someone show you around they will accommodate you. When we went it was on a Saturday, so I figured there would be more people there but there was not. The museum does apparently run at least partly on the admission fees and or donations from the public so your visit would not only be interesting and fun for you for whoever you go with but go toward a good cause as well. The museum is also very well laid out, the pictures speak for themselves. It is also filled with many fire-department artifacts, and they even let the kids and I ring the bell in the bell tower before we left.

The museum itself is in an over 100 year old firehouse. They have artifacts from the man pulled days all the way up to modern day. Upstairs is a very well done room showing how the old alarm system worked. They have several fire trucks on display in the back room. The staff is very informative and helpful. Also has a nice gift shop to end your trip through the museum. A must visit if you're in the area!

I took my husband to this museum because he's a firefighter and loves everything about the history. We were greeted by a nice gentleman and we talked for a while. It was a self guided tour but the guy was knowledgeable and answered any of our questions we had. There was a couple hands on exhibits and the place was amazing! I would highly recommend this museum for history and fireman buffs alike. I can't express enough of how good of experience we had with this museum. Also it has an elevator and its wheel chair accessible.

Having grown up in the volunteer fire/EMS service and continuing to do so to this day, this place was an absolutely awesome find. All of the displays were fascinating and it felt like a step back in time as soon as you walked in the door. I would highly recommend. The staff member working the day I visited made me at home like he’d known me for years rather than just a few minutes. I’ll definitely be back in the future. Thank you!

When you come to Harrisburg you have got this check out this museum. It is quite impressive. They have all different types of fire apparatus dating back as far as the 1700s. You will not be disappointed!