The Disneyland Fire Department firehouse and City Hall are covered in scaffolding and surrounded by construction walls for regular refurbishment.
Disneyland Firehouse
Scaffolding completely covers the firehouse and City Hall, which are next to each other in the Town Square of Disneyland. Scrims are rolled up on some of the scaffolding to later hide construction and protect crew members from the sun.
We saw one crew member on the scaffolding during our recent visit. He had a bucket and black panel splattered with white paint, suggesting he was a painter working on the building. We can assume this refurbishment will include just simple repainting and general maintenance — no major changes to the appearance of the buildings.
Walt Disney famously had an apartment above the firehouse, which remains today. Guests can only visit the apartment during the Walt’s Main Street Story tour.
Though the building is covered in scaffolding, the lamp in Walt’s apartment window is still visible. The lamp is always illuminated, as it would have been when Walt was visiting, to represent his enduring presence in the park. In 2022, the lamp was replaced.
The window’s red awning has been removed and there is tape around some of the panes of glass protecting them from paint.
A sign about the Disneyland Fire Dept. is on the front construction wall. It features concept art of Town Square, including the fire station, a hospital, and a town hall.
It includes this quote by Walt Disney:
Main Street, U.S.A. is America at the turn of the century – the crossroads of an era. The gas lamps and the electric lamp. The horse-drawn car and auto car. Main Street is everyone’s hometown. The heartline of America.
Walt Disney
The rest of the sign reads:
The fire station was one of the first buildings completed during the construction of Disneyland Park in 1954 – 1955. The reason was simple: Walt Disney had an apartment built for himself on the upper floor. He often stayed there while the park was being built and later used it as a place to relax during visits to Disneyland Park with his family.
In the window of Walt’s apartment is an antique-style lamp. When Walt was at the park, the lamp would be kept lit so that Cast Members would know Walt was in residence. Today, the lamp remains on, not only as a tribute to the founder of Disneyland Park, but to symbolize his continuing presence at “The Happiest Place on Earth.”
Inside the fire station of the Disneyland Fire Department are various firefighting mementos from the past, including an old-fashioned stove, antique fire extinguishers, fire hoses and a horse-drawn fire wagon that provided rides up and down Main Street until it was retired in 1960.
The firehouse is still accessible through a gap in the construction walls on the left.
The construction walls and scaffolding continue around a nearby planter to City Hall.
Disneyland City Hall
There is one scrim with printed brickwork over a tunnel in the construction walls leading into City Hall. More themed scrim may be hung over City Hall and the fire station as construction continues.
Like the firehouse, City Hall is completely covered in scaffolding, with some rolled-up scrim on the top. It also remains open, with stanchions creating a queue outside the construction walls. City Hall houses Disneyland’s main guest services location.
Some roofing on the top floor of City Hall (not including the tower) has been removed, exposing black weather-proof sheathing. The roof is usually covered in reddish-brown shingles.
There are also plastic tarps taped to the building and plywood over some of the windows. Other window panes appear to have been removed entirely.
A green scrim hangs from scaffolding on the left.
Toolboxes sit on one scaffolding platform. There are traps covering something behind the tools.
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