Downtown Baton Rouge has a building where the fire engines never really left. At 427 Laurel Street, the old Central Fire Station still holds three American LaFrance rigs from the 1920s, parked in the same engine room where crews once rolled out on calls.

Today it's the Robert A. Bogan Fire Museum, a volunteer-run nonprofit that has told the story of local firefighting since it opened on Dec. 6, 1978.

A Landmark Worth the Stop

The station was begun in 1924 and dedicated in 1925 as headquarters for the city's newly professional fire department. Look up at the facade and you'll see glazed terra-cotta in pink, gold, blue, purple and green, worked in an English Gothic style, plus a pelican on the shield in every bay. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984.

Inside, the original brass fireman's pole survives. The building took the name of Chief Robert A. Bogan in 1959. Bogan became Baton Rouge's first paid fire chief at 28 and held the job for 41 years.

What Kids Will Love

The collection includes a 1920 tractor-drawn aerial ladder, the city's first motorized aerial truck, along with 1924 and 1927 pumpers. You'll also find leather buckets from the 1840s, Gamewell alarm boxes, helmets and speaking trumpets. Kids can try on boots and ring the bell, and most visits take 45 minutes to an hour.

How to Plan a Visit

The museum is open by appointment. Call (225) 241-2318 or send a request through boganfire.com with two or three date options, giving at least a week's notice (three weeks for school groups). Ask about admission when you book; the museum runs on donations. The building is wheelchair accessible.

Mark Your Calendar

The museum's fall fundraiser, Burning with Bogan, is Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, with a steak dinner, whiskey tasting and cigars among the antique engines. Start time and ticket details will be posted on the museum's website and Facebook page.

Every visit and every ticket helps keep this piece of downtown history standing.

Photo courtesy of Robert A. Bogan Fire Museum.