Climb into the fire engine
Many of the vehicles on display can be sat in, with helmets and jackets for children to try on.
From 1900 the Victorian station at West Bar, ten minutes' walk north of Sheffield's centre, housed firefighters, police officers and ambulance crews under one roof, one of the first purpose-built combined stations in England. The observation tower from which firemen scanned the skyline for smoke still stands, one of the few of its kind left in Britain, and the original police cells below, with their heavy doors and damp chill, make an impression on children that no screen manages. Dozens of historic vehicles, drawn from a fleet of more than sixty, fill the yard and three floors: red fire engines spanning generations, police cars, ambulances and a full-size RNLI lifeboat that looks thoroughly out of place in a city with no coast. What makes it worth the trip with children is that many of the vehicles can be climbed into and sat in, with racks of helmets and jackets to try on. The museum is volunteer-run and it shows: the displays are dense and homemade rather than slick, but sincere and packed with detail. Practicalities: open Wednesday to Sunday only, 10:00 to 16:00 with last entry at 15:00, closed Monday and Tuesday. Adults pay £9.50, children £7.50, a family ticket £26.50, and every full-price ticket converts automatically into an annual pass, a real bonus for families spending weeks in the region. A lift serves every floor, there is a small café, and pay-and-display parking sits a minute away on Workhouse Lane and Silver Street. One caveat: the main policing exhibition and parts of the life-safety section are currently closed for restoration, and the cells are reachable only by stairs meanwhile. Verdict: ideal for a family with children aged roughly four to twelve, who will happily spend ninety minutes to two hours here, and a good answer to a wet Sheffield day. Without children, and with only mild interest in the history of public services, the façade from the street is enough.
Many of the vehicles on display can be sat in, with helmets and jackets for children to try on.
The original 1900 cells with their heavy doors and chill, currently reached by stairs only.
The full-size RNLI lifeboat is the oddest and most photographed piece of the collection.
West Bar, Sheffield S3 8PT
Honestly, mostly not. The museum is built around hands-on play: climbing into vehicles, trying on uniforms, the cells. Without children and with only passing interest in the history, a look at the building and its tower from the street is enough; spend the time at nearby Kelham Island instead.
Not compulsory, you can pay at the door, but booking online saves queuing in the school holidays and on event days. Remember it is closed Monday and Tuesday, with last entry at 15:00.