The Texas Fire Museum houses an extensive collection of antique fire apparatus, vintage sirens and beacons, historic turnout gear, helmets, axes, hoses, nozzles, and many other items that represent the history of the fire service. One of the unique attributes of the Museum is that our displays are ever-changing. With approximately 50 pieces of antique apparatus on display, we have trucks rolling in and out of the Museum on a daily basis. In addition, our restoration work keeps a steady flow of vintage equipment on-hand for museum visitors to enjoy. You’ll find that there is always something new to see when you visit the Museum. While traveling through Dallas, Texas, we encourage you to visit the Texas Fire Museum and sit behind the driver’s seat, step on the tailboard, turn on the emergency lights, ring the bells, hear the sirens and listen to the active fire department radio calls. We invite you to personally experience the apparatus displayed.

The Texas Fire Museum wasfounded in August 1999 to preserve the old Dallas Fire Department Maintenance Facility and to establish a fire apparatus museum that serves as an educational resource for the community. Presently, we have over 50 antique apparatus on display.

The Texas Fire Museum is housed in the old Dallas Fire Department Maintenance Facility at 2600 Chalk Hill in West Dallas. Construction of this facility began in 1960, and was completed by June 1961. This newly constructed 35,000 square foot building was the Dallas Fire Department’s first facility dedicated to the service, repair and commission of active fire apparatus. The 125,000 square foot complex was used until 1987, when the maintenance shop moved to a new facility in East Dallas. The old Chalk Hill facility was left vacant until 1999, when the Texas Fire Museum acquired the rights to restore and use the facility. In February 2000, the Texas Fire Museum began the restoration and clean up process to turn the old maintenance facility into a museum and apparatus restoration center. From its humble beginning with 13 volunteers, the museum has grown into an organization with over 175 members. Our members have documented well over 25,000 voluntee! r labor hours cleaning, restoring and maintaining the museum. Today, the Texas Fire Museum is a very successful organization dedicated to the preservation and display of antique fire apparatus and the education of the public on the history of the Fire Service. Our facility offers many amenities that are still considered state-of-art for any active fire maintenance service center. Some of these amenities include 1500 sq. ft. apparatus paint booth, an indoor pump test room with a 25,000 gallon, below ground cistern, heavy duty overhead crane, hoists, and compressed air stations throughout the facility. Since this building was originally designed to maintain fire apparatus, it now serves as an ideal place to display, preserve and restore antique fire apparatus. We also have a full kitchen and a dormitory for any overnight stays. Although the accommodations are very modest, this has been very popular with scout groups and the occasional traveling guest. While at the Texas Fire Museum, visitors can also tour Dallas Fire Rescue Station 16. Our museum facility actually surrounds this active fire station with a shared common parking area between the two buildings. The fire station was built at the same time the old maintenance facility was constructed.