NYC Fire Museum Closes Due to Reports of Building Shaking

The New York City Fire Museum closed indefinitely on Saturday, May 11th after an emergency evacuation due to reports of the building shaking. The museum, located in Hudson Square on Spring Street, displayed an update on its website associating the closing with nearby crane operations that led to concerns about the structural integrity of the building.

Museum Executive Director Patti Murphy told the Daily News that employees heard a bang on Saturday morning and felt the building shake, prompting the evacuation. More reports followed on Monday and Wednesday that one of the cranes on Spring Street hit the museum, therefore causing the vibrating floors and overall shaking. It’s unclear if these occurrences are indicative of structural oversights in the building itself, as the NYC Department of Buildings insists no damage or structural issues have been found.

According to ny1.com, the DOB conducted an inspection after the reports of shaking, filed through a 311 call, but found no evidence that the crane operations had any impact on the building’s structure. The DOB conducted a subsequent inspection on Wednesday, May 15th, but couldn’t access the museum due to its closure and reported that the crane was no longer there. Officials from the department did, however, find a crack in the exterior facade of the building, prompting further inspection in the near future according to Gothamist.

The museum has not responded to our request for updates but claims on their website that the safety of visitors and staff is their utmost priority and the closure is thus indefinite until they receive clearance to safely reopen. A timeline for reopening has not yet been disclosed, but hopefully, they won’t follow in the footsteps of the NYC Police Museum, which closed in the wake of 2012 Hurricane Sandy and has yet to reopen over a decade later.