Shaping the Future of the Tulsa Fire Museum
- Tulsa Fire Museum Administration
- Jan 8
- 4 min read
Through a new partnership with Exhibit Concepts, the Tulsa Fire Museum is developing an Interpretive Plan to thoughtfully connect its building, collections, and stories into a unified visitor experience.
The Tulsa Fire Alarm Building occupies a singular place in the history of Tulsa’s public safety infrastructure. Constructed in the early 1930s, it served as the city’s central communications hub for fire response during a period of rapid urban expansion and industrial growth. From this location, alarms were received, recorded, and transmitted across Tulsa; operators coordinated stations and crews through a system that demanded speed and reliability at a citywide scale.
The building’s Art Deco design was not merely decorative, but deeply symbolic of the service it supported. Its exterior is richly detailed with motifs drawn directly from the world of fire protection and emergency response. Stylized dragons reference fire itself, while fire hoses, axes, and Gamewell alarm tape are integrated into the façade. These elements reflect the building’s original function as a signaling center, translating the urgency, discipline, and technical precision of fire service operations into a permanent architectural form. The result is a structure of remarkable craftsmanship, both visually striking and highly specific in meaning.
For decades, the Fire Alarm Building remained an active component of Tulsa’s emergency response network, adapting several times as communications technology evolved. As centralized dispatch systems modernized, however, the building’s original role gradually diminished. By the 1980s, fire communications operations had relocated, leaving the structure without a defined purpose. Like many specialized civic buildings of its era, the Fire Alarm Building entered a period of uncertainty, its future unclear as maintenance slowed and redevelopment pressures increased.
Interest in preserving the building emerged from multiple directions. City officials were willing to transfer ownership, but only under the condition that the structure be saved and maintained. Early fundraising efforts by firefighters to establish a museum were unsuccessful, and for a time, the building’s long-term survival remained in question. Ultimately, it was the American Lung Association that stepped forward, acquiring and saving the structure. That intervention stabilized the building and preserved its long-term viability, even as its future purpose remained unresolved.
The building’s next chapter began when it was donated to Tulsa firefighters. The transfer was made with the intent of creating a museum dedicated to the city’s fire service. The work that followed focused on establishing a sustainable organization capable of stewarding both the building and its history. Since that time, the museum has strengthened its governance, expanded public awareness, and gradually taken shape within the walls of the historic structure.
As the momentum around the Museum has picked up, attention has shifted from preservation alone to a more fundamental question of interpretation. How should Tulsa’s fire service history be presented within a building that is itself a primary historical source? How could the deeply dynamic story of the Tulsa Fire Department be told in a way that all ages gain from the experience? Responding to these questions called for a shift to developing a comprehensive, museum-wide interpretive framework.
To guide this work, the Tulsa Fire Museum has partnered with Exhibit Concepts, a nationally recognized exhibit design firm with decades of experience working with museums, cultural institutions, and historic sites across the country. Their portfolio includes complex environments that integrate architecture, artifacts, and narrative within historically significant spaces. Drawing on the expertise of their team, Exhibit Concepts will develop a formal Interpretive Plan that will shape how the museum presents its history, plans future exhibits, and approaches long-term growth within the Fire Alarm Building.
Central to this approach is the recognition that the Fire Alarm Building is not simply a setting for interpretation, but evidence in its own right. Its architecture, layout, and original function offer insight into how Tulsa approached public safety, technology, and civic responsibility in the early twentieth century. The Interpretive Plan considers how visitors experience the building as they move through it, and how the voices, objects, and equipment of Tulsa's fire service are woven into that narrative.
The Interpretive Plan also establishes a framework for the museum’s future development. It will inform decisions related to exhibit expansion, educational programming, and potential changes to the facility over time. In a historic structure of this significance, thoughtful planning is essential. Every modification carries implications, and a long-term roadmap ensures that any growth strengthens the museum’s mission while preserving the integrity of the building and its history.
The projects we are undertaking now builds on decades of sustained effort by individuals and organizations who ensured the Fire Alarm Building was preserved rather than lost. Their commitment made it possible for the Tulsa Fire Museum to move from simply preserving the structure to interpreting its history with clarity and intent.
As this planning process continues, the Tulsa Fire Museum will share updates and future announcements outlining how this work will shape exhibits, programs, and the facility itself. Supporters and the public are encouraged to follow the museum and remain engaged, as opportunities for community input will play an important role in guiding the museum’s long-term direction. This effort is not only about interpreting the past but about defining how Tulsa’s fire service story will be understood for generations to come.