As the Raleigh Fire Chief said, “I fell in love with the big red trucks,” so that is what this museum is focused on. The apparatuses are in two long open bars. The trucks have always been designed to be the same width to fit in the same garage bays as the original carts. This was the concept behind the design of the exhibition space.

One unique aspect of this site is the 12 foot change of grade from the front of the site on New Bern Ave to the back. To take advantage of this, the trucks are on two different levels where the trucks can exit out the front in the first bar and out the back in the second bar to be used in parades and other events.

The memorial garden in the center is a place for people to quietly reflect all that firefighters do for us and to commemorate the three that have died on duty in Raleigh. The plaza space in front is for gatherings, demonstrations, and other community activities.