American Police Hall of Fame and Museum

Titusville, Florida: The American Police Hall of Fame and Museum is a tribute to the nation’s law enforcement. It is part museum, part memorial and part working training grounds the museum is a great place to pay respects to those in uniform or learn a little about the history of law enforcement.

Founded in 1960, the museum was the nation’s first national museum. Originally located in Miami, the museum was relocated to its present day location in Titusville in 2003. Its current location houses a museum dedicated to the history of law enforcement, a memorial to all the officers killed in the line of duty, an indoor shooting range and is home to the National Association of Chiefs of Police and the American Federation of Police & Concerned Citizens.

The museum features several exhibits chronicling the history of law enforcement. After being greeted by Robocop, guests can view the following exhibits:
• Auto Alley: collection of police cars from Florida agencies as well as the car from the movie Blade Runner.
• Terrorism: a look at some of the major terrorist events in the United States as well as memorials for the Oklahoma City Bombing, Olympic Bombing and 9/11.
• Crime and Punishment; a look at items from some major crimes and criminals such as Al Capone and items from the assassination of President Kennedy. There is also an exhibit of the punishment styles including a prison cell, electric chair and gas chamber.
• Crime Scene and Crime Lab: witness a crime scene and see how different tools and tactic are used to find clues to the crime. Also see national crimes statistics.
• Kids Discovery: area designed for the children with uniforms to dress up in as well as safety tips from McGruff the crime dog and a badge factory.
• Wild, Wild West: see how inmates were handled back in the early days of law enforcement. Witness the tramp chair and stockade, early prisoner holding devices.

The cornerstone of the museum is the National Law Enforcement Memorial. The marble walls are etched with the over 7,000 names of officers killed in the line of duty. Thousands of visitors come here each year to pay their respects to the fallen officers. Each year on Police Memorial Day a memorial service is held as names are added to the wall representing the officers killed over the past year.

So whether you are there to view the over 11,000 artifacts, hone you skills on the indoor shooting range or to pay respects to the 7,000 brave men and women killed in the line of duty, the museum offers a place to honor all those that risk their lives to ensure the safety of the public.

For more photos from the museum, click on the photo above or visit my American Police Hall of Fame and Museum photo page.