The Aurora Regional Fire Museum has won two statewide awards from the Illinois Association of Museums.
The 2026 Small Institution of the Year Award recognized the museum’s leadership, innovation and community impact, according to a news release from the city of Aurora.
The fire museum has evolved beyond simply being a history museum into a regional destination with fire- and life-safety outreach, dynamic exhibitions and hands-on learning experiences, city officials said.
“This award reflects the exceptional work of our staff, whose dedication and creativity bring the museum’s mission to life every day,” museum board President Karen Yaggie said in the news release. “As a board, we are proud to support a team that continues to elevate the museum’s impact across our community and region.”
The museum also received the 2026 Award of Super Achievement for its exhibit titled “Safety at Play: A Firefighter’s Adventure,” which invites children to step into the role of a firefighter through immersive, imaginative play, the city news release said.
With a child-sized fire station and fire engine, the exhibit allows children to experience daily life in the firehouse: cooking meals, putting on gear, driving a fire engine and safely “putting out” play fires, officials said in the news release.
Aurora Mayor John Laesch honored the museum for winning the two awards during a meeting of the Aurora City Council’s Committee of the Whole last week.
“The Aurora Regional Fire Museum’s hard work and dedication to telling the history of the Aurora Fire Department make the city proud,” Laesch said in a news release. “These awards are well-deserved, and I am appreciative of their work in helping to bring more people to visit the city of Aurora.”
The museum is located at 53 N. Broadway and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday. For more information, go to www.auroraregionalfiremuseum.org
