Fire Museum of Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Description

The Fire Museum of Texas is housed in the 1927 Central Fire Station Headquarters. The mission of the museum is to educate the public about fire safety and the history of the fire service. In addition to guided tours the museum also offers a fire safety summer camp program, fire safety birthday parties, and a unique 3 day fire safety event for 2,000 school children in Ocotober in cooperation with Dupont. We are also working on our 5th annual Flamin' Hot Car Show, which is one of our main fundraisers. We are currently working on a fundraising project to create a firefighter memorial plaza with our 24 ft. fire hydrant as the centerpiece. As of right now the fundraising phase should be completed by December with the entire project scheduled for completion by June of 2002 which is when we will be hosting the State Fireman & Fire Marshal Association's annual convention which attracts over 1500 people. (Perfect timing for a grand opening for the plaza)

History

The Fire Museum of Texas has been open to the public since 1984 and attracts between 15,000 - 20,000 visitors annually. Since its opening the museum has worked to expand its collection and created a fire safety activity center for children which is a hands-on, interactive exhibit that teaches children all about fire safety. It also includes a child-sized 2 story fire safety house for practice fire drills. The museum is endorsed by the State Firemen & Fire Marshals' Association as the official state fire museum of texas.

Artifact Collections

Our oldest piece of equipment is a hand-drawn tub pumper from 1856. Currently, we have a total of 11 fire engines. One of the most unique on display is the Light Truck that was originally built in 1931 and all but the front cab is still original. It was the first of its kind built and went to two major disasters, including the New London School explosion and the Texas City Disaster. The museum also has a collection of firefighter gear, gamewell callbox system, telegraph switchboard, over 2,000 patches, and many more firefighter memorabilia, tools, fire extinguishers, and equipment.

Research Collections

Our current research areas include the history of the beaumont fire department, general history of the fire service, and fire

Programs

Guided tours are offered for any group of ten or more who make a reservation in advance. This summer the museum started its first fire safety summer camp program. We also work with Dupont in creating a 3 day fire safety program for schools during fire prevention week. this will be our second year and the feedback from last year has been wonderful. Different schools are invited each year and currently there is a waiting list for this program that lasts 2 1/2 hours for each session. The museum also does a lot of outreach programming and does fire safety programs and sets up a display at area health fairs, festivals, and other safety day events.

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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

April 27 - April 29, 2025

Oregon Museum Association 2025 Conference

TBA

Independence, Oregon

Beginning in 2025, the OMA annual conference will be held in Spring rather than Fall

The conference this year is all about trying new things. We are hoping to organize the conference into the following four tracks: Collections Care, Leadership, Emergency Preparedness, and Tourism

Check our website for more details in early 2025

The OMA newsletter is emailed every month with updates on OMA events, museum news, other events, trainings, jobs, grants and more for the museum community in Oregon.

For more information, please email connect@oregonmuseums.org.

October 1 - October 4, 2025

Western Museums Association’s (WMA) 2025 Annual Meeting

TBA

Reno, Nevada

Save the Date for WMA 202

As we celebrate our 90th anniversary, join us to build relationships and soar higher than ever before. With the theme of ELEVATE, WMA 2025 will explore ways to lift up the experiences of cultural professionals and the communities they serve.

In Reno, Nevada, 4,400 feet above sea level, we will forward the progress of museums by looking to the future.

May 6 - May 9, 2025

2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) ANNUAL MEETING & MUSEUMEXPO

Los Angeles Convention Center

Los Angeles, California

AAM 2025 will focus on the theme, Museums & Trust.

Museums have long inspired high levels of public trust, surpassing news outlets, government organizations, researchers and scientists, corporations, and social media platforms. This consistent finding underscores our institutions’ unique position in society as stewards of knowledge, culture, science, and history—areas where credibility and reliability are paramount

In an era marked by mistrust and misinformation, museums have a rare ability to counterbalance the proliferation of false narratives and polarized perspectives. Using our trusted position, we can cultivate a more healthy, empathetic, and informed society.

But to do so, we must maintain our credibility proactively, embracing thoughtful, transparent, and collaborative practices that will defend against influences like bias, resource challenges, abuse of power, and social injustice

An Incredible MuseumExpo

AAM is again partnering this year with the Museum Store Association to host an incredible combined expo hall. Find the most innovative services, products, and solutions in the museum field. With 350 exhibitors, you are bound to find the right partner for your museum’s current challenges and opportunities.

May 5 - May 9, 2025

Museum Store Association FORWARD 2025 in LA

The Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Join MSA in LA

We’re excited about our next MSA FORWARD Conference & Expo in “The City of Angels” – Los Angeles, California in conjunction with the American Alliance of Museums

Join the Museum Store Association (MSA) and hundreds of nonprofit retail professionals for the 70th Annual MSA FORWARD Retail Conference & Expo, taking place May 5-9, 2025 at The Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California

Once again, MSA FORWARD will be held in conjunction with the 2025 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Annual Meeting & Expo

Learn best practices and new ideas for store merchandising, operations, marketing, and sale

Participate in dedicated networking events and create connections that will inspire new ideas

Meet with over 200 MSA vendors about your product needs

Hear from knowledgeable industry experts during session breakouts and keynote presentations

Network with AAM attendees and exhibitor

September 10 - September 13, 2025

2025 Am Assoc for State and Local History Annual Conference

TBD

Cincinnati, Ohio

The 2025 AASLH Annual Conference, in partnership with Ohio Local History Alliance, will take place as the history field makes the final preparations to kickoff off the 250th commemoration of the founding of the United States.

The 2025 conference theme, inspired by AASLH’s Making History at 250: The Field Guide for Semiquincentennial, is an opportunity to broadly explore one of the guide’s themes, The American Experiment. For many in the American colonies in 1776, independence from Britain represented a “leap into the dark” into an unknown future

We are excited for you to join us in Cincinnati as we encourage discussion about our democracy and civic institutions and how they can help strengthen understanding, inspire action, and reveal ways that all of us can participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment.

For more information, please call 615-320-3203 or email info@aaslh.org.

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