Exterior of Aurora Regional Fire Museum on North Broadway in downtown Aurora. (Photo by Cathy Janek / for Chronicle Media)

The Aurora Regional Fire Museum had a simple start in the basement of the city’s Fire Station No. 4 in October 1968.

Fifty years later, the dream of a permanent tribute to generations of Aurora firefighters and emergency responders was celebrated as the doors to Aurora’s old Central Fire Station swung open for a Golden Anniversary party.

Today, the fire museum is comprised of several exhibits and equipment spread over two floors, including than 1,000 artifacts and 2,000 photos in the historic station at 53 N. Broadway.

“This is what the dream has been about,” said retired Aurora fire fighter Mike Zelensek.

At this month’s party, hundreds of visitors took the opportunity to take a photo with Brady, a Dalmatian fire dog, ride an antique fire truck and view the vintage fire equipment while learning about Aurora’s firefighting past.

Some like Laura Kamuda’s three youngest boys—Elijah, 4,  Jeremiah, 7, and Mark, 9—played with cardboard bricks and rolled toy fire trucks across the floor of the museum’s second story play area constructed specifically for kids.

Formerly of Aurora, Kamuda said coming to the event was an important “educational opportunity” for her youngest children.

The idea for a permanent fire museum first came about during an annual cleaning of Aurora Fire Station Four’s hayloft.

Zelensek, a third-generation firefighter, said his dad, Glenn suggested that instead of returning the equipment to the hayloft, that it be displayed on the station’s basement floor.

As the collection was outgrowing the space, the downtown Old Central Fire Station was also in the process of being replaced.

In 1980, a new Aurora fire department headquarters was built next door. Debate ensued over the future of the historic building and Zelensek said in 1986 a group called SOS—Save Our Station—was formed to stop demolition of the building.

Aurora fire fighter Mike Zelensek stands in front of fire truck dubbed “The Deuce.” Zelensek donated the fire truck to the museum. (Photo by Cathy Janek / for Chronicle Media)

In 1987, the Aurora Fire Station Preservation Corporation formed and acquired the structure.

With grants from the City of Aurora and the State of Illinois, renovations to the building began and the building was reopened as the Aurora Regional Fire Museum in 2004.

“The amount of work that went into this building from about 1986 to 1996 was incredible,” including thousands of hours of volunteer labor, Zelensek said.

The first floor exhibit highlights the tools and technology used in fighting fires throughout Aurora’s history beginning with a leather bucket that was first used in the 1880s.

In November 2015, a new exhibit opened on the museum’s second floor in an old bunk room entitled “Teamwork Brotherhood and Change: Aurora Firefighters 1950 – 1999 in Their Own Words.”

“(We have) about a $100,000 operating budget,” Brian Failing, museum executive director said, “Annually, we receive a grant from the City of Aurora which helps operate the museum.

“We also rely on help from donors, sponsors, volunteers, and the local firefighters,” he added. “The rest of our budget comes from programming, admissions, memberships, and gift shop purchases.”

The Aurora Regional Fire Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Wednesday to Saturday.  The museum is also open from 6 to 8 p.m. on First Friday nights.

—- Aurora’s Regional Fire Museum celebrates 50th anniversary  —-