city of jackson fire museum

The City of Jackson Fire Museum 355 Woodrow Wilson Jackson MS 601-960-2433Mo-Fr 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission free!Selfguided at all!A little view to the other side of the Woodrow Wilson gave us the idea that there was #355, a former fire Station of the City of Jackson Fire Department. A big "U" sent us to the other side. We were right. Not so many cars on the parking area let us suppose, that there weren’t many people inside. And so ist was. Inside we switched the lights on and out and found the way to the former fire engine room. Well made: There are tables of informations from the history of Jackson and the history of the Jackson's firefighters. Many parts for firefighting from earlier times are to be seen. The best are four fire engines from the early 1800s to the 1960s. Another engine may be on duty, it wasn’t in the same room and there we saw some human people.We are shure if we had took a firetruck and drived it away, we were prosecuted, but so we went outside, switched the lights on and out an drived away- in our own car of course!

The place doesn't have a lot to see; about 5-6 fire engines and some historical placards. That being said, Sherrie, who led the your, was very nice. She helped my son (6) slide down the pole, she gave us info about the old fire trucks and equipment and she let him get up in a truck and blow a horn. She also gave my son a plastic fire hat.We were lucky that the fire fighters weren't busy; they let us tour their living spaces and see the new fire truck. Overall, my son had a great time and you can't beat free entertainment!

My dad is a retired fire captain, so I have an appreciation/respect for the profession of fire fighting. I stop at many stations and any museums when traveling just because. This was a pleasant little surprise of things to do in Jackson. I don't recall the lady's name who greeted me, but she was so kind and hospitable, if she offered me a candy, she might as well have been my grandmother. Their museum isn't large, it is a 3 truck fire station, but for the size, it packs a lot of history. Maybe a dozen great pieces and interesting information. I got a one to one tour since it was a weekday and enjoyed every minute of the hostesses stories and hospitality, you can see her enjoyment for running the museum. I'd visit again just to chat with her alone. It is a diamond in the rough.

Housed in a working fire station, the Fire Museum is a hidden gem in Jackson. The curator, Ms. Sherri, is fabulous and has the patience of a saint; our children loved her. The museum visit includes an age appropriate discussion of fire safety which includes a chance to practice stop-drop-and-roll on gym mats, crawl through a smoke filled hall (black fabric draped low to mimic the smoke, not scary at all), and slide about 4’ down a fireman’s pole which our children wanted to do again and again. The exhibits include uniforms, helmets, communication equipment, fire safety nets (the big, round trampoline looking contraptions from the early 1900s), and five antique fire engines from 1904 (horse drawn and steam powered) to the 1960s. If the active fire engine is in the station and not out on a call, you also get to visit with the friendly firefighters and climb in the engine; again the boys were happy as clams. Adults with an interest in automotive, fire equipment, or local Jackson history will be thrilled to have the opportunity to examine the equipment up close. Be sure to call before your visit to make sure that a school tour (which has a slightly different program for larger class sizes) hasn’t already been booked for the time you want to visit; the phone number is (601) 960-2433. The museum is free but please consider making a donation to help keep the museum going in this era of budget cuts.