Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8

40°43′11″N 74°00′24″W / 40.7196°N 74.0066°W / 40.7196; -74.0066 (Hook & Ladder Company 8 ("Ghostbusters" firehouse))

Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8
Hook & Ladder Company 8's firehouse
Hook & Ladder Company 8's firehouse in June 2020
Map
General information
Address14 North Moore Street, Tribeca
Town or cityManhattan, New York City
CountryUnited States
Opened1903

Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8 is a New York City Fire Department (FDNY) fire station, located at 14 North Moore Street at its intersection with Varick Street in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Its exterior has become famous for its appearance in the supernatural comedy franchise Ghostbusters.

History

The firehouse was built in 1903 after the establishment of the FDNY as the base of the formerly independent Hook and Ladder fire company 8. The building was designed as the first of a series of Beaux-Arts style firehouses by the city superintendent of buildings, Alexander H. Stevens. The building, which originally had two vehicle doors, was halved in size in 1913 after Varick Street was widened.[1][2]

The firefighters of Hook & Ladder No. 8 were among the first responders to the September 11, 2001, attacks.[3] In 2011, the firehouse was threatened with closure after the city administration planned to close 20 fire companies to save money.[4] But after a public campaign to save it, supported by the later Mayor Bill de Blasio and actor Steve Buscemi, who also was a New York City firefighter from 1980 to 1984,[5] the firehouse remains in service.[1] From 2016 to 2018, it was subject to a renovation costing $6 million.[6]

Filming location

The firehouse was selected as the base of the Ghostbusters for the 1984 film after an early draft of the script envisioned the Ghostbusters as a public service much like the fire department.[1] Reportedly, the firehouse was chosen because the writer and actor Dan Aykroyd knew the area and liked the building. While the firehouse served as the set for exterior scenes, the interior of the Ghostbusters base was shot in a Los Angeles studio, and in Fire Station No. 23, a decommissioned Los Angeles firehouse.[3]

In the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters, the firehouse makes two appearances. In Ghostbusters: Afterlife it is briefly mentioned that the firehouse has become a Starbucks.

The firehouse has also appeared in the 2005 film Hitch and in episodes of the television series Seinfeld and How I Met Your Mother.[3]

In 2021, The Buffalo Ghostbusters asked fans from all around the world to raise money for a new full-size replica Ghostbusters sign, which it later donated to the firehouse.[7] The sign now prominently hangs outside year-round, above the main entrance, and is visited often by fans. This has led to an annual fundraiser, with a celebration at the firehouse planned each year on the closest Saturday to June 8th to coincide with "Ghostbusters Day."[8] "Ghostbusters Day 2024" fell on Saturday June 8th and attracted upwards of 500 plus fans and passersby to Ladder 8 in celebration of Ghostbusters 40th anniversary.

  • High angle photo of Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8 with visible Ghostbusters logo.
    High angle photo of Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8 with visible Ghostbusters logo.
  • The building's main gate, with a ladder truck inside.
    The building's main gate, with a ladder truck inside.
  • The Ghostbusters logo from the second film hanging on the wall.
    The Ghostbusters logo from the second film hanging on the wall.
  • A memorial to the Ghostbusters actor Harold Ramis at the firehouse.
    A memorial to the Ghostbusters actor Harold Ramis at the firehouse.
  • The Ghostbusters sign, donated through a fan fundraiser. Photo taken June 2022.
    The Ghostbusters sign, donated through a fan fundraiser. Photo taken June 2022.

References

  1. ^ a b c Grundhauser, Eric (9 December 2015). "The Tribeca Fire Station That Got a Starring Role in Ghostbusters". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  2. ^ "Tales from Tribeca: The Hidden History of Manhattan's Old Market Neighborhood". The Bowery Boys. 16 March 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "New York: The Ghostbusters firehouse". The A.V. Club. 20 July 2011. Archived from the original on 24 November 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  4. ^ Cangeloso, Sal (20 May 2011). "Ghostbusters firehouse could be closed by NYC budget cuts". Geek.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  5. ^ Shapiro, Julie (24 July 2011). "Residents Rally to Save the 'Ghostbusters' Firehouse". DNA Info. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  6. ^ Puglise, Nicole (13 July 2016). "Original Ghostbusters firehouse gets a new feature: a women's bathroom". the Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  7. ^ "Ghostbusters of Buffalo dedicate new sign to Hook & Ladder Company 8". Tribeca Citizen. June 16, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  8. ^ "Signarama Helps Fan Group Recreate Iconic Ghostbuster Sign" (Press release). Signarama. November 18, 2021.