On Display: Exhibitions and Collections

The Hanover Fire Department Museum houses some of the  most important collections of fire related art and artifacts from the late 18th century onward. Our two exhibit floors trace the development of firefighting in the Greater Hanover Area  from the early bucket brigades to  present day operations. As soon as you enter the museum doors, you will be in awe of the artifacts that catch your eye.

On display you will enjoy  the “romance of firefighting” shown through paintings and prints from the volunteer era. Displayed as if on parade are striking examples of elaborate hand-drawn and hand-pumped engines, including the original Silsby  engine,.
Throughout the first floor, visitors will see a horse-drawn ladder wagon, early rescue gear and breathing equipment, alarm boxes from various eras, and motorized vehicles, such as a 1921 American La France engine, all of which give a sense of what firefighting was like at different times in the city’s paid department era. Also on display are tools and clothing used by modern firefighters. The transition from turnout coats to all-encompassing bunker gear is shown on a series of mannequins. Tools, such as the Halligan forcible entry tool and the Jaws of Life, show visitors what it is like to be a firefighter.