Main Street Fire Station

The Main Street Fire Station of Engine Company 71 sits on Town Square in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

The Fire Station has had a few different uses over the years. For a couple of decades, it was just a fire station. Guests could walk inside and see what a turn-of-the-century fire station was like. Stalls were at the back of the station for the horses that would pull the fire wagon, although a new-fangled motorized engine was often running up and down Main Street. Also inside was the brass pole that the firefighters would slide down in the event of a fire they had to get to. It was pretty neat to see a (recreated) part of history.

Somewhere along the way, someone decided that the Fire Station was wasted space, so it was converted to a gift shop. Never mind that there was a huge gift shop, the Main Street Emporium, just a few feet away. For a while, there were some fire fighter-related offerings for sale, but mostly it was the same merchandise that could be found elsewhere. Although some of the interior remained, such as the horse stalls at the rear, it was a shame to see the Fire Station used in such a way.

These days, the Fire Station is the headquarters for the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game. That explains the banner draped across the entrance, as well as the large sign on the door. Once again, this probably would have been just as effective if it had been installed somewhere else, leaving the Fire Station as just a fire station, showing a bygone way of life to younger generations.

But at least the Fire Station still remains, even if it does have some new tenants.

About the Photo

A single RAW exposure, processed in Adobe Lightroom. Read more about the photo software and gear I use at the camera gear page.
Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: Rokinon 8mm