Field Trip Friday: NYC Fire Museum and World Trade Center Visitor Center

We really enjoyed our visit to the New York City Fire Museum! On my many trips to NYC, I'd never went there, nor would I have ever necessarily thought about going there. I don't know if I even knew it existed.

It was actually my 10 year old's idea.

This is one of the many books about NYC we enjoyed before our trip (and during because we took them with us).

I think this is what gave him the idea. After that, anytime I asked him what he wanted to do the most in NYC, he'd say, "The Fire Museum!" And when we were on our way cross country, it was, "When are we going to the fire museum?" This makes sense, as it goes along with his interest in storms and natural disasters. Therefore, we went to the Fire Museum our first morning in the city.

It was a nice museum, located in a renovated 2-story 1904 firehouse in the Soho district. I personally really enjoyed reading about all of the big fires in NYC's history. My 10 year old did, as well. The two little ones were interested in looking around the top floor at all of the old-fashioned fire fighting equipment, but I don't think they were as interested in listening to me read the stories.

From the website: The New York City Fire Museum houses one of the nation's most important collections of fire related art and artifacts from the late 18th century to the present. Among its holdings are painted leather buckets, helmets, parade hats and belts, lanterns and tools, pre Civil War hand pumped fire engines, horse drawn vehicles and early motorized apparatus.

We've come a long way from the days of men prowling the streets at night, just looking for fires. If they spotted a fire, they would alert the residents, who were required to own two buckets per household. They would throw the buckets out for the people who were fighting the fire. Later, everyone would pick up their buckets in the town square.

There are a couple of rooms dedicated to the firemen's outrageous bravery and devastating loss from 9-11. It's sad.

No matter how many years ago this tragedy struck or how far away from NYC you live...how much you've already read about it...standing there, so close to Ground Zero itself, staring into the eyes of people who were so brave and in such a terrible situation, it's heart-wrenching. I truly couldn't hold my tears in. These pictures were awful and incredible.

Like this one.

Pictures of people saluting the brave or fallen always touch my heart the most.

Like this story.

"Crosses were cut from pieces of steel by iron workers at the Recovery Site and given to families who lost loved ones."

The kids enjoyed the presentation of Elmo Visits the Firehouse DVD.

There are even firefighter outfits and equipment for the kids to play pretend with.

He was quite proud of this one.

Even pretty princesses can be firefighters.

We also headed down to Ground Zero. I don't know that this would have been on my list during this trip, either, because I assumed my kids wouldn't understand quite yet. However, Tornado had learned about it this year at school. It was neat to take him somewhere that his class had talked about.

The entire area is busy with construction. This was taken outside the Tribute World Trade Center Visitor Center.

There is a replaying video to watch. You can read about the other exhibits on their website.

And here are a few other pictures from the center:

It is an important place to visit, and the time we spent there was touching.

Joining Tonya (the traveling connoisseur herself) and others at Live the Adventure.