By Sean Hauser

s.hauser@krdo.com

PUEBLO - It was one of Pueblo's first fire stations...back when fireman responded to calls on horse-drawn wagons carrying hoses.

"It makes us realize what life was like back then," Said Gary Micheli of the Pueblo Fire Department.  "There was some pretty tough characters back then.  They didn't have all of the equipment that we have now days...so they did some pretty amazing things," he said.

The old Firehouse has now been converted into a fire museum.  It's usually only open by appointment and for special occasions but in honor of Historical Preservation Month, the fire department has decided to open it up to the public for a couple of weekends in May.

"I think it's kind of neat to preserve this stuff and to watch the reactions of people coming through," said Micheli.

The museum has plenty to offer with old photos, antique equipment, and lots of history.  And yes, there's more...you see, visitors to the museum have been known to get a little more than they bargained for.

Some believe that the old firehouse is haunted.  Gary Micheli was there when one of the suspected hauntings took place with their old 1920's Model-T Ford, they call the Chief's car.

"We drove it out and parked it behind the museum.  We went back into the museum and we had a trailer parked right here where were at," said Micheli.

What happened next, either Gary or the other firemen were never able to explain.

"The next thing we knew, something ran into the trailer.  When we finally got over the shock of it, we realized it was our chiefs car," explained Gary.

Somehow the old car had managed to make its way from the back parking lot all the way around the block to the front of the station...making 90 degree turns along the way.  The problem is...no one was driving it.

"There's a couple that lived across the parking lot...they thought it was being driven by a remote control.  That's what they thought because there was nobody driving it!" Explained Gary.

To this day, there is still no explanation for what happened that day.  For now, Gary and the other fireman are convinced that there could be a little more than just history in the old firehouse.

The Museum will be open to the public again for a free walk through on May 17th and 18th.  You can also schedule a private tour anytime by calling Gary Micheli at (719) 553-2830.

The museum does rely on donations from visitors.