Ghostbusters firehouse (Hook & Ladder 8)

Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8 is a real New York City fire station at 14 North Moore Street in the Tribeca neighbourhood of Manhattan. Firefighters still work there today.

Its front became famous as the headquarters of the Ghostbusters in the 1984 film. The building was finished in 1903 in the Beaux-Arts style, a grand, decorated style of architecture. It was among the first responders to the 11 September 2001 attacks, and a 2016 film reboot used the building twice. The firehouse also appears in the 2005 film Hitch and in episodes of Seinfeld and How I Met Your Mother, and its Ghostbusters sign draws fans every year.

History

The firehouse was built in 1903 as the home of Hook and Ladder Company 8, and it was the first of a series of Beaux-Arts firehouses designed by city building superintendent Alexander H. Stevens. It originally had two vehicle doors, but it was halved in size in 1913 when Varick Street was widened.

In 2011 the station was threatened with closure in a budget plan, but a public campaign saved it. It was renovated from 2016 to 2018 at a cost of about 6 million US dollars.

On screen

Writer and actor Dan Aykroyd knew the area and liked the building, and an early draft of the script saw the Ghostbusters as a public service like the fire department. Only the outside was filmed in New York. The inside of the base was shot in a Los Angeles studio and a Los Angeles fire station.

In 2021 fans of the Buffalo Ghostbusters raised money for a full-size replica sign, which now hangs above the door. Fans celebrate Ghostbusters Day around 8 June.

On the globe

Find it on the globe in Tribeca, New York City and zoom in to open its card.