Geneva’s Firefighters Museum

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Just when you think you have the whole city sussed and could navigate all its best child-friendly hideouts with your eyes closed, along comes an impressive new discovery in the shape of the Musée du Service d’incendie et de secours – Ville de Genève.

To say that this is every little boy’s dream museum would be an understatement: my two little men could hardly contain their excitement as they climbed the 3 floors to discover the hand-pulled antique hose carts from the 18th century, the 1930s fire-trucks and all the firefighters’ equipment they’d only ever seen in books.

Little Miss Cutie was not to be outdone, as she grabbed onto the wheel of a firemen hose and – with her toes barely touching the ground – tried to pull with all her might.

Taking it all in at the Musée du Service d'incendie et de secours - photo  © genevafamilydiaries.net
Taking it all in at the Musée du Service d’incendie et de secours – photo © genevafamilydiaries.net

 

photo  © genevafamilydiaries.net
photo © genevafamilydiaries.net

 

A vintage fire-truck with plenty of style - photo  © genevafamilydiaries.net
A vintage fire-truck with plenty of style – photo © genevafamilydiaries.net

 

The Musée du Service d’incendie et de secours – Ville de Genève tells the story of firefighting & emergency services in Geneva since the creation of its first fire-brigade on the 1st of May 1840.

As well as the impressive selection of antique and recent fire-trucks, the museum’s collection includes everything a budding firefighter can think of: from motor pumps to helmets, smoke masks, jute safety slides & even a ‘char cantine‘ from 1929, which was used to provide hot tea and refreshments to fire victims during an emergency (my personal favourite, I wonder why!).

Jute slide-sacks like these were used to bring fire victims to safety - photo  © genevafamilydiaries.net
Jute slide-sacks like these were used to bring fire victims to safety – photo © genevafamilydiaries.net

 

An ancient fire carriage from the Commune of Coppet - photo  © genevafamilydiaries.net
An ancient fire carriage from the Commune of Coppet – photo © genevafamilydiaries.net

 

photo  © genevafamilydiaries.net
photo © genevafamilydiaries.net

 

What’s truly fantastic about the Musée du Service d’incendie et de secours – Ville de Genève is that it’s open on Sundays (so a perfect solution for those grizzly, rainy days) and entry is free of charge, so make sure you pay a visit soon !

 

Musée du Service d’incendie et de secours – Ville de Genève

rue du Stand 1bis

Geneva

Free entry

Open on Wednesdays & Sundays from 10am to 12.30pm; and from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

Closed on Bank Holidays, during Christmas & New Year holidays and in July-August.

Musée du Service d'incendie et de secours - photo  © genevafamilydiaries.net
Musée du Service d’incendie et de secours – photo © genevafamilydiaries.net

 

Musée du Service d'incendie et de secours - photo  © genevafamilydiaries.net
Musée du Service d’incendie et de secours – photo © genevafamilydiaries.net

 

Musée du Service d'incendie et de secours - photo  © genevafamilydiaries.net
Musée du Service d’incendie et de secours – photo © genevafamilydiaries.net
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