Field Trip #3 – Aurora Fire Department Central Station & Aurora Regional Fire Museum

Join us as we tour the Aurora Fire Department’s Central Station. Please arrive by 9:15. Our tour will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m.  This part of the field trip is FREE of charge and will last approximately 45 minutes.

Then we will head next door to the Aurora Regional Fire Museum (originally Aurora’s Central Fire Station) where we will explore the evolution of the tools and technology used to fight fires and save lives. Visitors will participate in a “hands-on” bucket brigade, see the horse-stalls, and watch a demonstration of a fire alarm system as a bell rings and a ticker tape notifies the station of an alarm. The museum features several fire trucks—from an 1850s hand-pumper to a 1960s aerial ladder truck. Younger children may also enjoy the children’s discovery room and watching a fire safety video.

The museum costs $4 per person, and children under 2 yrs. are free. This will be paid at the door. There is ample parking behind the Fire Museum building.

Afterward, those who are interested (and hungry!) can head up Rt. 25 to Jake’s Bagels for a late-morning snack or lunch. A great selection of fresh bagels and flavored cream cheeses made in-house are a specialty, as well as a variety of sandwiches and muffins. Click here for Jake’s Bagels menu.

LESSON PLANS: In partnership with Lewis University, the Aurora Regional Fire Museum has developed nearly one-hundred lesson plans (grades 1-12) which can can be used to accompany the exhibits:

• Lesson Plans for ARFM’s Exhibit –
..Getting There, Getting Water, and Getting Rescued