Oh, what a lovely thing is this perspective! - Paolo Uccello

 


Orlando Fire Museum

The Orlando Fire Museum (formerly Orlando Firehouse #3) came full circle in 2002, returning to the custody of the Orlando Fire Department after a long lease with the Historical Society of Central Florida.

The two-story, red-brick firehouse was initially located on Orlando Avenue (near Dade Street) in College Park from 1926 until 1978. When the new Station #3 was built in College Park, the Orlando Science Center moved the old station to Loch Haven Park. The old station had fallen into disrepair and faced an uncertain future. The Science Center, in cooperation with the Central Florida Fire Chief's Association, immediately began exterior restoration. The interior renovation that followed transformed the old station into a fire museum.

In 1988, the Historical Society installed a new roof, fire stairs on the north side of the building, and restored the bathrooms. The restored station reopened two years later with a celebration and tours to educate young and old on the history of the Orlando Fire Department.

The Historical Museum left Loch Haven Park in 2001, moving to the new Orange County Regional History Center in downtown Orlando. Too fragile to be moved a second time, the fire museum stayed behind.

The Orlando Fire Department took over the museum's lease in 2002 and once again the fire museum was the focus of extensive renovations; including replacing all windows, checking for asbestos, painting the interior, and landscaping. On June 27, 2002 the museum reopened as the Orlando Fire Museum. The museum is open to the public and accessible through the Orlando Shakespeare Theater.

Orlando Fire Museum 1


City of Orlando Fire Station One

City of Orlando Fire Station One 1


City of Oviedo Fire Station

City of Oviedo Fire Station 1

City of Oviedo Fire Station 3


City of Orlando Fire Station Six

City of Orlando Fire Station 6

 

 

 

 


Orlando Museum of Art

Orlando Museum of Art 1

Orlando Museum of Art 3a

Orlando Museum of Art 5

Orlando Museum of Art 2

 

 

 

 


Mennello Museum of American Art

The abundance of Canidae related art on display within the sculpture gardens surrounding the Mennello was created by Dale Rogers, a Chapel Hill based artist known for his welded metal garden art and sculpture. Rogers who not surprisingly is a dog lover, has said that he thinks his work gives us a dog's eye view of the world, and he hopes art, the public and animal welfare can all come together for a good cause.

Last fall the museum welcomed back the sculptor and a fresh pack of twenty 8-foot-tall, 10-foot-long dog sculptures for the Traveling Big Dog Show during which donations of pet food and supplies were donated to local animal shelters. The collars with nametags on the sculptures indicate those that have been adopted to benefit local animal charities. The traveling Big Dog Show, which has raised money for humane societies across the country, has been a big success.

Mennello Museum of American Art 1

Mennello Museum of American Art 2

Mennello Museum of American Art 3

Mennello Museum of American Art 4

Mennello Museum of American Art 5B

Mennello Museum of American Art 6

Mennello Museum of American Art 7

Mennello Museum of American Art 8

Mennello Museum of American Art 9

Mennello Museum of American Art 10

Mennello Museum of American Art 11

Mennello Museum of American Art 12