“The museum began with the vision and lifelong collection of our founder, Jimmie Dobson, a Bay City businessman whose passion for fire trucks and toys grew into a remarkable collection that he believed should be shared with the public. His dream was to create a place where families could experience the excitement of fire service and the nostalgia of classic toys while preserving local firefighting history. Today, that dream lives on in a collection that includes more than 16,500 toys, dozens of restored fire engines, firefighting memorabilia, maritime artifacts, and significant community firefighting and emergency responder historical items.
Our mission is to collect, preserve, and share the Great Lakes Bay Region’s fire-service and emergency-response heritage, while inspiring learning through play, engineering, and storytelling.
We blend historical preservation with STEM-based education, helping visitors explore fire science, safety, maritime engineering, and the community spirit that firefighters represent. Jimmie Dobson’s founding vision—to delight families and honor the fire service—still guides everything we do.
We want visitors—especially children—to feel that sense of awe you get when entering a fire station or seeing a favorite childhood toy. But we also hope they leave with a deeper appreciation for the courage, engineering, and community service that define firefighting.
Whenever the weather cooperates, we end tours with rides on an antique fire truck, creating a memory that connects history to the present day.”
“Visitors are drawn to our restored fire engines and emergency apparatus, the massive collection of more than 16,500 toys, the working Bay City Fire Alarm Telegraph System, the FDNY Super Pumper System displays, and maritime artifacts that show how shipbuilding and fire protection intersect in Bay City’s history.
We play an active role in community education and engagement through school tours and field trips, STEM-focused fire science and engineering programs, family and scout events, maritime–fire crossover exhibits with SRMHS and participation in parades and car shows with our antique fire apparatus, helping bring history directly to the public.
Our highest priority is completing the move to Historic Fire Station No. 3 on Washington Avenue in Downtown Bay City, opening the door to a fully accessible and expanded year-round public museum, education and event center, new STEM programs, dedicated maritime–fire crossover spaces, highlighting Bay City-built apparatus like Valley Fire Engines, larger tour and event capability, continued antique fire truck rides, and even more participation in regional parades and festivals.
We aim to be a leading destination for heritage tourism, STEM learning, and community storytelling, preserving the intertwined stories of fire service, maritime innovation, engineering, toys, and Bay City craftsmanship for generations to come.”
-Mike Snyder, Vice Chair and Curator, Antique Toy and Firehouse Museum
3456 Patterson Rd, Bay City
