DAYTRIPPIN': STAYCATIONS IN SAN DIEGO - The Firehouse Museum

Founded in 1962, the Firehouse Museum is located in the former home of San Diego Fire Station No. 6. The museum features all kinds of fire-fighting gear and offers your kids the chance to have their picture taken in a real fire engine. They display the 1841 Rumsey & Company Piano Box Hand Pumper, which was retired during the Civil War,  and the 1928 Seagrave Pumper, equipped with front-fender holes for "blackout lights" used on the streets of La Jolla during WWII.  You can see wooden water pipes, a watch desk system (1915-1971), complete with card-catalogue fire locator,  and the original 1898 Coronado Alarm Board, equipped with electronic meters and switches. The collection houses all kinds of memorabilia including torches and hand lights, parade hats, pumps, steamers, hand-crank and electronic sirens, models, photographs, trading cards, hand-drawn horse reels, trumpets (or fire nozzles) and even a lucky charm or two, like the old horseshoe  found during the demolition of the original fire station No. 5, around 1909. They also include memorabilia brought back by local firefighters who assisted at the World Trade Center sites following the September 11 bombings. 
The museum is run by a volunteer staff of firefighters, emergency medical technicians and hopeful new recruits. The volunteer time is encouraged as a way to instill community service and San Diego's firefighting history. Come on Thursdays and Sundays and you may be lucky enough to hear one of the old timers tell stories of firefighting n San Diego!
The museum has a gift shop that sells San Diego Fire Department T-shirts, toy badges, firefighter action figures, videos, coffee mugs, firehouse cook books, toy trucks and even a fire-fighting kit, complete with plastic walkie-talkie and flashlight.

The San Diego Firehouse Museum is open Thursday & Friday from 10am to 2pm and Saturday & Sunday from 10am to 4pm.  The museum is located at 1572 Columbia St. in the Little Italy area of downtown San Diego.  Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children/seniors.   Credit cards, cash and checks are all accepted.