This museum in downtown Pittsburgh provides an interactive experience by showcasing how telephone technology evolved through an impressive collection of antique phones and switchboards from several retired telecom engineers’ personal collections. Now open for group tours as well as self-guided walks, this museum makes learning about telephony fun!
From Alexander Graham Bell’s wooden-framed experiment to Thomas A. Watson’s humper phone, this vibrant museum provides an educational yet entertaining journey through communications history.
Museum Hours
The Telephone Historical Centre featured an impressive collection of original telephones dating back to their invention two years earlier in 1878 – two years before Alexander Graham Bell first unveiled his Gallows Frame telephone and Thomas A. Watson’s Thumper phone, as well as being imported into Edmonton by Dominion Telegraph Agent Alexander Taylor for Dominion Telegraph Agent Alexander Taylor to use with Dominion Telegraph Agent Alexander Taylor himself! Additionally there was also a manual operator switchboard, phone booth and electromechanical central office switch with working panels and crossbars electromechanical central office switch plus outside plant equipment including poles cable splicing tools etc exhibited for visitors’ inspection and use!
Museum volunteers include former telephone operators and employees with an avid interest in passing on their knowledge of telecommunications technology to future generations. Many volunteers disassemble old phones so that visitors can see inside them and explore what components convert voice into electric current. The Museum is non-profit organization accredited with Museums Alberta.
Group Tours
Established by retired telecom employees, this museum specializes in collecting, researching, organizing, documenting and displaying telephone-related items. Group and individual tours are available.
Enjoy an immersive journey back through time at this extraordinary museum, from early switchboards to contemporary smartphones. Marvel at how far communication technology has come, while developing an appreciation for all of the clever ideas and innovations that have helped shape our world today.
The Museum features one of the largest collections of telephones in North America, dating back as far as 1878 – two years after Alexander Graham Bell first created them! Other highlights include an electric working Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central office switch; manual switchboard with step-by-step private automatic branch exchange to illustrate stepping switch principles; candlestick phones made of wood or porcelain as well as antique line insulators; outdoor plant displays including poles, cables, splicing equipment and tools; as well as an extensive reference library.
Self-Guided Tours
This museum provides visitors with hands-on experience with telephone technology. Additionally, the exhibit traces the history of Winter Park Telephone Company – making this an excellent place for family outings or school field trips.
Telecommunications History Group was created by both active and retired telecommunications employees who were concerned that historic items would be lost as buildings were demolished or departments no longer required them. THG seeks to preserve such objects for future generations.
Exhibits at the museum display various original telephones dating back to 1878 – two years after Alexander Graham Bell invented them – such as rotary models, candlestick phones, wooden wall mount phones, phone booths and Princess phones.
Other exhibits at the museum include a manual telephone switchboard, working panel and crossbar electromechanical central office switch and outside plant equipment such as poles, cable and splicing tools for outdoor plant work. Furthermore, character phones and pioneer pins from many eras are on display as well as numerous antique line insulators dating back to different centuries.
Admission
Telephone Historical Centre is an innovative museum that allows visitors to engage with its artifacts. Offering both guided tours and self-guided visits, as well as hands-on experiences with original telephones from its collection spanning just two years after the invention of telephone, it forms part of Museums for All’s program of free admission for people receiving SNAP benefits by showing an EBT card at participating museums nationwide.
The museum was established by retired ED TEL employees and opened on December 3, 1987 in Old Strathcona neighbourhood of Edmonton. Later it relocated to Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre in central Edmonton where it operates under non-profit status and is accredited with Museums Alberta. Visitors will enjoy browsing its extensive collection of wooden box phones, crank phones and novelty items which take them back in time; working Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central office switch equipment and outside plant displays including poles cables splicing equipment tools as well as its cataloged Telecommunications reference library!
