Tampa Firefighters Museum — Attraction in Tampa

CALL BEFORE YOU GO. My family and I planned our son's two year old birthday around our visit to the Tampa Firefighters museum. I contacted the museum about a month prior to our visit to ensure they would have normal hours of operation on his birthday. Again, I confirmed a week before our visit then checked their webpage and facebook page to ensure there were no conflicting events.

The morning we arrived at the museum we were informed by an employee without so much as a name tag that the museum had been booked for a private party. He was terse, unprofessionally dress, unapologetic and smug.

As a former non-profit professional, I understand that resources are limited in this sector. However, the Tampa Firefighters Museum failed to utilize ANY channels of communication to inform their guests and local community that the museum would not be open to the public on this date.

Instead, we were told to come back in a couple hours after the private party had come to a close. I have two very small children under the age of two and as any parent or educated adult would understand, my kids would soon need to nap and we would not have been able to return before the museum had closed for the weekend.

Myself, husband (a former paramedic himself) and parents who had traveled from Odessa to visit the museum were sorely disappointed with our experience.

I am posting simply to prevent this from happening to another parent and with the hopes that the Tampa Firefighters Museum will achieve a higher level of...

As a child, I spent a great deal of time at this firehouse, as my father started there as a rookie fireman and retired a chief across the street at the "new" firehouse. My father's memorial service was held there a few years ago and my son (also a Tampa firefighter) had his wedding at this station, now known as the fire museum. Both celebrations were equally beautiful. Nick and his mom are so easy to work with and will accommodate you in every way possible. They do a great job. It is because of them, the donations and the unfaltering loyalty to all firefighters, that keep station #1 a museum. By preserving it with the dignity and the respect it and it's firefighters deserve, my memories continue to be forever fond ones. Firehouse 1 and it's many residents that still listen for that bell and slide down those poles, from firehouses everywhere, will be...

Small. As far as Florida fire museums go, TFM is a standard size. Staffed by a really nice Tampa Fireman (HQ is directly across the street.) and a very nice lady volunteer. The equipment on display are a 1949 Mack open cab pumper that had been used by the city's FD and a pretend fire engine. Actually it was a salvage truck until fitted out to give kids hayrides at different events. Someone stuck a deck gun on it to make the old Chevy look fire engine-ish. A nice place for kids, school outings, birthday parties, or family visits. There also is a display of an old Gamewell telegraph alarm system, a number of hose reels (a really authentic wooden hose reel from Rutland. Vermont, and a couple of manicains in turn out gear past and present. I've visited twice. A great way to spent 45...