African American Firefighter Museum

Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights


Dedicated to the history of African-American firefighters, this humble museum has the usual assortment of vintage engines and uniforms, as well as an 1890 hose wagon. It's set in a restored 1913 fire station that, until 1955, was one of only two in town that employed black firefighters.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights attractions

1. Flower Market

0.91 MILES

Cut flowers at cut-rate prices are the lure here, where a few dollars gets you armloads of Hawaiian ginger or sweet roses, a potted plant or elegant…

2. United Artists Theatre

1.07 MILES

This gorgeous Spanish Gothic theater, with ornate stonework and stained glass, and grand, yet intricate murals by renowned theater interior designer…

3. Orpheum Theatre

1.08 MILES

This 1926 theater was built for vaudeville and has hosted such entertainers as Judy Garland, George Burns and Nat King Cole. A truly sumptuous place, its…

4. Tower Theatre

1.13 MILES

The world’s first talkie, The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson, premiered here in 1927. The first theater designed by celebrated architect S Charles Lee,…

5. Eastern Columbia Building

1.14 MILES

Architect Claud Beelman's extraordinary 1929 Eastern Columbia Building is a masterpiece of art moderne architecture. Clad in turquoise-and-gold terracotta…

6. State Theatre

1.21 MILES

This beaux-arts creation is Broadway’s biggest entertainment complex, seating close to 2500 people. The theater debuted in 1921 with a vaudeville show and…

7. Palace Theatre

1.24 MILES

Dating back to 1911, the Palace is one of the city's oldest theaters. The facade is a curious fusion of early Renaissance Florentine architecture and pure…

8. Jewelry District

1.25 MILES

South of Pershing Sq is one of the country's largest jewelry districts. Centered on Broadway and Hill St (between 6th and 7th Sts), the main currency here…