Established by a group of retired telecom workers, this museum features an operational Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central-office switch as well as an operator switchboard, outside plant displays including poles, cables, splicing equipment and tools, poles of telephone-related items from its collection and hundreds of items related to phone use over time from wooden wall-mounted devices in the past to sleek cellular phones today. Visitors can see firsthand how far phone technology has progressed since solid wood wall-mounted phones with operator controls were first used!
Self-Guided Tours
The museum’s extensive collection documents over 100 years of telephone technology. Beginning with its first solid wooden, wall-mounted hand crank telephone to today’s pocket-sized touch screen cellular phones, its displays reflect how this revolutionary invention revolutionized our lives.
Our educational exhibits are created to spark the minds of people of all ages. They aim to foster curiosity in people that inspired Alexander Graham Bell’s groundbreaking invention while driving innovation that continues to advance telecommunications technology forward.
Roseville Telephone Museum offers an ideal venue for family outings, school field trips and group sight-seeing tours. Our docents are current and former ED TEL employees who love sharing the history of telephone with visitors. Furthermore, our mobile tour app makes exploring our museum easy at your own pace!
Group Tours
Telephones have become such an integral part of daily life that it is easy to forget their revolutionary nature just a century ago. At this museum you’ll gain a fascinating look into this remarkable invention’s history as well as those who created it.
Discover antique telephones, manual switchboards, the original phone booths, a working panel and crossbar electromechanical central office switch, as well as telephone-related tools and displays of Step-by-Step private automatic branch exchange (demonstrating its stepping switch principle), plus an outside plant exhibit including poles, cable, splicing equipment and other tools.
Group tours provide an excellent way for groups of ten or more to experience the museum and can save money by being booked four weeks in advance.
Special Events
A museum situated in an historic building offers an amazing collection of telephones, equipment and memorabilia for you to enjoy during a fun family outing, school field trip or group sightseeing tour experience.
The Museum is comprised of one-level exhibits with wheelchair access. These include an operator switchboard, military telephones from World War I through Gulf War, novelty phones in various shapes and sizes as well as a phone pole complete with climbing equipment – not to mention tons of memorabilia related to telephone use!
The Telecommunications History Group is a non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization founded in 1990 by both active and retired telecommunications employees who were appalled to see historic items being lost as buildings were demolished or departments no longer required them. THG strives to preserve this history for future generations.
Contact Us
The Telephone Historical Centre in Edmonton is dedicated to collecting, organizing, documenting, exhibiting and storing material related to the history of telecommunications in Edmonton. Established on December 3rd 1987 in Old Strathcona neighbourhood and later relocated to Prince of Wales Armouries location by 2004 for improved accessibility it operates under non-profit charitable organization with accreditation by Museums Alberta providing hands on exhibits that highlight communications principles as well as an extraordinary multi-media historical Telecommunication Theatre Show experience for visitors.
The facility houses an outstanding collection of working switching equipment, which makes for a wonderful attraction for visitors of all ages. One of the largest facilities of its type in North America, it remains an all-ages attraction despite having been established 31 years prior. However, due to relevancy concerns and financial issues related to building costs as a foundation’s motives for closing after 31 years in Edmonton.
