One-Day Opening of Friendship Firehouse Museum

After being closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Friendship Firehouse Museum will welcome visitors for one day in observation of Fire Prevention Week. 

The museum will be open to the public from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. The museum will be operating at 25% capacity and will require purchase of timed tickets in advance at The Alexandria Shop. Tickets are $2 to reserve an arrival time for you and your party, or free for Alexandria residents. If you have purchased a Key to the City ticket, you will have the option to choose that option to schedule the time of your visit. Please bring your Key to the City ticket to be redeemed. 

The Friendship Fire Company, established in 1774, was the first fire company in Alexandria.  Friendship members were volunteers motivated by their concern for the property and well-being of the community.  Today the Friendship Firehouse, built in 1855, is a museum open to the public.  Buckets, hose, axes, Friendship’s mid-19th century suction engine – elaborately decorated with the company’s clasped-hands insignia - are on view. 

The following safety measures will be in place during your visit:

Safety Measures

We have enacted additional measures to ensure the safety of our visitors and staff. We ask that visitors:

• Wash hands upon arrival (in museum restrooms or at hand-sanitizing station at the entrance).
• Wear a face covering while visiting as required by the Commonwealth of Virginia (exceptions include children under 10 and people with health conditions that do not allow them to wear face coverings).
• Follow one-way traffic patterns through the museum and maintain physical distancing.
• Limit group sizes to less than ten people.
• Please do not touch exhibits or displays.

Museum staff are implementing safety standards based on Department of Health recommendations, including:

• Requiring all staff wearing face coverings in the building.
• Enhanced daily cleaning, including disinfecting high-touch surfaces throughout the day.
• Providing hand sanitizer and tissues throughout the museum.
• Restricting admission to timed entry to ensure physical distancing.
• Installing plexiglass sneeze guards at shop counters.