The New York City Fire Museum occupies a 1904 Beaux-Arts former firehouse in Manhattan's Hudson Square/West SoHo area and holds one of the country's most significant collections of fire-related art and artifacts, more than 10,000 objects spanning the late eighteenth century to the present, including hand-drawn, horse-drawn, and motorized apparatus, tools, prints, and folk art. Its collection traces back to items assembled by the Volunteer Firemen's Association beginning in 1870. The museum also includes a gallery honoring the 343 FDNY members who died on September 11, 2001, with exhibits addressing those who have since suffered 9/11-related illness. Its mission is to collect, preserve, and present the history of New York's fire service and to provide fire-safety education, especially for children.