New York City Fire Museum

Technically outside of SoHo [1] to the west is the New York City Fire Museum (278 Spring St., between Varick and Hudson Sts., 212/691-1303, www.nycfiremuseum.org [2], 10 a.m.–5 p.m., adults $5, children under 12 $1). Housed in an actual firehouse that was active up until 1959, the museum is staffed by ex-firefighters who enliven tours with personal anecdotes on request.

It’s filled with intriguing historical items including a lifesaving net (which “caught you 75 percent of the time”), gorgeous 19th-century fire carriages, and an exhibit which honors the fire department’s courageous work following the World Trade Center attacks.