Striped building
The city's emblem.
Ian Poellet — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ligocsicnarf89 — CC BY 4.0 · User:Mtmelendez — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ligocsicnarf89 — CC BY 4.0
The best-known building in Ponce, Puerto Rico's second city, and one of the island's most distinctive landmarks: a wooden pavilion striped in glossy red and black, built in 1882 as an exhibition pavilion and then turned into Puerto Rico's first fire station, which it remained until 1990, when it became a museum. Inside are old red-painted fire engines, helmets, equipment and photographs telling the story of the city's firefighters, and entry is free. Its colours come from Ponce's flag, and its windows and woodwork have a Moorish-Spanish flavour. It stands on Plaza Las Delicias, the city's broad central square with its stone Lion Fountain and big trees, ringed by the white city cathedral, the town hall and nineteenth-century buildings, where locals gather in the evening. Old Ponce is best explored on foot, along streets of colourful Creole houses, old mansions and small museums. The sun is strong all year, so carry water, a hat and sunscreen.
The city's emblem.
Vintage.
On the square.
Plaza Las Delicias, central Ponce
They are the colours of Ponce's flag, and they made the building the city's best-known landmark.
