Our Mission:
...The Aurora Regional Fire Museum will preserve Aurora's Old Central Fire Station and exhibit...

Renovating Aurora's Old Central Fire Station
A history of changes • 1894 article describing the new station
Blog • Photos • News coverage of the 2000-2003 renovation

News coverage of the
Old Central Station's Renovation
June 2001 • December 2001 • Spring 2002
September 2002 •  August 2003 • October 2003
(scroll down for the latest news)

During his 31-year career, retired Aurora firefighter Glenn Zelensek spent part of five years living every third day at Aurora's former Central Fire Station

"It was a fire barn," he said, recalling how cold it could get in the second-story bunk room, which had no radiators, especially when some sleepers insisted the windows be kept open year-round at night.

But that's no longer the case after a painstaking rehabilitation of the 19th Century building, now home to the Aurora Regional Fire Museum.... [more]

Aurora Beacon News, November 5, 2002
Fire museum work finally complete
Nov. 25 party: Building will be showcased without exhibits

The people who have been most involved in the renovation of the Aurora Regional Fire Museum don't hide their excitement about finally reopening after years of delays and cost overruns.

The Nov. 25 party marking the end of the project is officially an opportunity to show off the remodeled two-story building and celebrate the 109th birthday of the former Central Fire Station. On the museum's Web site, however, the party is jokingly referred to as the "Yippee the Nightmare is Finally Over End of Construction Celebratory Bash.". . . [more]

Aurora Beacon News, June 21, 2002
Onion dome lands on fire museum
Proud day: Topper a big step toward restoring station to 1894 grandeur

No tears were shed as workers handled this onion Thursday. There were only smiling faces, as people flashed their pearly whites while they watched a new dome being placed on top of the Aurora Regional Fire Museum. . . . .[more]

Chicago Tribune, November 7, 2001
Delays beset Aurora fire museum

In recent months, water has damaged the Aurora Regional Fire Museum five times, further delaying completion of its renovation, a city official said. City spokesman Bill Catching blamed.... [more]

Aurora Beacon News, October 24, 2001
Fire museum rehab months behind

AURORA -- Renovation of the Aurora Regional Fire Museum, now months behind schedule, has been complicated further by at least four separate instances of water damage caused by storms or broken sprinklers.... [more]

Chicago Tribune, March 15, 2001
Fire Museum Work OK'd

Work to complete restoration of the former Central Fire Station in Aurora will start this construction season after the City Council Tuesday approved a
$755,000 contract to do the bulk of the work.... [more]

Aurora Beacon News, March 3, 2001
Emergency repairs force fire museum upgrade over budget

AURORA -- The renovation of the Aurora Regional Fire Museum could finish as much as $200,000 over budget because of emergency structural repairs and project add-ons not anticipated in rehab plans.... [more|