The hall is also available for rental for birthdays and other events. The Bill & Bonnie Daniels Firefighters Hall & Museum houses the premier collection in the Upper Midwest dedicated to presenting and preserving the history of firefighting. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota at 664 – 22nd Avenue NE, between University and Central Avenues, the Bill & Bonnie Daniels Firefighters Hall and Museum was
established after the National Firefighters Memorial Museum closed for financial reasons. Former Minneapolis Fire Chief Clarence Nimmerfroh first organized a museum committee in 1974 with the purpose of starting a fire museum. The committee began to collect items for a fire museum, many being stored temporarily in Minneapolis Fire Stations until a museum could be established. In 1979 a temporary warehouse was acquired at 7th Street and 11th Avenue South to store the many acquisitions Chief Nimmerfroh and his committee had collected. In 1985 the National Firefighters Memorial Museum moved into a rental property at 1100 Van Buren Street NE. The Museum remained there until it lost its lease in 1995. The current Firefighters Hall & Museum building was purchased and remodeled with the money remaining in the Trust, which was left by retired Minneapolis Fire Captain Bill Daniels and his wife Bonnie. Volunteers continue to donate their time in an effort to make sure this critical historical resource is not lost. The challenge now is to raise funds for its operation and maintenance. Our Museum contains a variety of vehicles, equipment, literature, and photographs related to Firefighting and Firefighters in over 12,000 square feet of air conditioned space. The entrance façade was designed in the style of a turn of the century Minneapolis Fire Station. Our collection displays the following pierces: an 1865 operating hand pumper, an 1894 Waterous steam fire engine, a 1919 American LaFrance Ladder Truck and a 1932 FWD pumper built by the Minneapolis Fire Department City Shop. There is an extensive library where one can conduct research and also contains information on former Minneapolis and Saint Paul Firefighters and various other historical items dating back as far as the 1860s. The Bill & Bonnie Daniels Firefighters Hall & Museum has an event hall that can be rented for special functions such as meetings or parties. The Hall can accommodate up to 100 people. Our Museum contains several interactive displays for children including a sliding fire pole, fire alarm box, open and enclosed tiller cabs, turn out gear. The Museum Hall is also an ideal place for birthday parties. We are always seeking individual and organization members to support our continuing operation. Individual memberships are $36 per year, with family memberships being $48 per year. Other memberships are also available and donations are always appreciated. You may browse around our page here, or visit our website at, www.MNFIreMuseum.org . You may also visit our affiliated organization, the Extra Alarm Association of the Twin Cities, at www.extraalarm.org , or on their page at, ExtraAlarmAssociationTwinCities .
