This month’s Daytrippin is a walk down memory lane. Opening in 2007, the North Charleston Fire Museum was a fixture next to the Tanger Outlet Mall in North Charleston. The building was built to resemble an old Fire Station and houses a large collection of American LaFrance Fire Trucks that were on loan to the facility after the company closed its Moncks Corner facility.
The company originally opened in 1873 in Elmira, New York producing fire engines ladder trucks, ambulances, rescue Vehicles. In addition to the trucks the museum also housed fire safety exhibits including interactive games for children, a safety house that showed hazards in and around the home, and you could even climb up into a truck cab to dive a fire truck complete with lights and sirens in a simulator.
When you entered the museum, you were greeted by an 1857 hand pumper that was immaculately restored, this horse drawn wagon was just the beginning of your tour. The staff of the facility were retired firefighters that could explain the trucks and equipment which made the visit not only fun but educational. You could easily spend two hours in the museum. The motorized trucks started with vehicles from 1910 and extended through the mid 60’s. All the vehicles looked as if they go back into service at any time. A couple of my favorites were the 1927 American LaFrance Type 75 and the 1950’s era Chicago Fire Snorkel Truck.
The museum also includes displays of badges, uniforms, helmets, and other firefighting related equipment. The fire department patches from around the country were great to look at to see the creative artwork. It is a great way to spend an hour or so. The museum was also very popular with school children who really enjoyed the play area, especially the fire pole and designing and printing their very own fireman’s badge. Children on the many fields trip also were able the bring a snack and gather at one of the many picnic tables on the property.
The museum unfortunately closed its doors on February 14, 2026 after the private collectors of the fire apparatus on display decided to put the vehicles up for auction.
