This Phoenix museum honors Arizona firefighters, tells their story. How to visit

Firefighting is a tough, dangerous job, especially in Arizona where wildfires are prevalent and deadly.

Phoenix launched its first fire department in 1886 when a special bond raised $10,000 to purchase equipment and improve the water supply. In the decades after, the city worked to expand staff and upgrade equipment to effectively fight blazes around town.

Arizona's firefighting history includes the Yarnell Hill Fire , which overran and killed 19 wildland firefighters with the Granite Mountain Hotshots crew on June 30, 2013. It is the deadliest wildland fire for U.S. firefighters since 1933 and the greatest loss of U.S. firefighter life since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

If you're interested in firefighter history or seeing historic fire trucks and equipment, head to the Hall of Flame Fire Museum near Papago Park in Phoenix. Here's what to know about the museum, including attractions and how to visit.

What to do at the Hall of Flame Fire Museum in Phoenix

Hall of Flame visitors will find displays that explain firefighting techniques and honor the sacrifices made by firefighters killed in the line of duty.

There are commemorations of the Granite Mountain Hotshots (19 wildland firefighters killed fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire near Prescott in 2013) and the first responders who lost their lives after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

The historic pieces in the collection are hands-off, but you can climb aboard a 1952 American La France model 700 fire engine that once served the Miami (Arizona) Fire Department.

The kid's area is set up to be interactive for little visitors who might be a bit antsy after the look-but-don’t-touch parts of the museum. In addition to the safety house, it has a play area where kids can dress up like firefighters, climb a fire pole and sit in a toy fire chief’s buggy.

Hall of Flame Fire Museum

When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, closed Sundays and Mondays. Closed Easter, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Where: 6101 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix.

Admission: $17, $15 for ages 6-17 and age 62 and older, $10 for ages 3-5, free for ages 3 and younger.

Details: 602-275-3473, hallofflame.org .

Former Arizona Republic reporter Weldon B. Johnson contributed to this article .

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: This Phoenix museum honors Arizona firefighters, tells their story. How to visit