Established by retired telecom employees, this museum houses an impressive collection of equipment. Ranging from solid wooden wall mounted phones to sleek cellular telephones, you can witness how communications technology has progressed since Alexander Graham Bell’s attic workshop until today.
Uncover manual switchboards, working Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central office switches, displays of step-by-step private automatic branch exchanges (showing their stepping switch principle), outside plant displays including poles, cables, splicing tools and equipment, plus an impressive library devoted to telephone-related references books.
Hours of Operation
The Telephone Historical Centre’s museum exhibits fully operational pieces to show both social and technological significance of this milestone in communications history. As North America’s largest museum of this kind, it welcomes visitors of all ages.
Visitors to the Museum can explore how technology has developed from wall-mounted rotary dialers made of solid wood to mobile phones used today, with one of the world’s finest collections of antique phones and related equipment on display at this unique attraction.
Exhibits at the Bell System Museum include working Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central office step switches, a hands-on switchboard, recreations of independent phone exchanges in rural and small town Midwest communities with glass insulators, outside plant displays featuring poles, cables, splicing tools and equipment, antique telephones as well as an extensive cataloged telecommunications reference library. Knowledgeable docents who currently or recently worked for Bell offer guided tours.
The Museum is managed by the Telecommunications History Group, a non-profit 501(c)(3) volunteer organization founded in 1990 by both active and retired Bell System employees, along with members of Telecom Pioneers employee service organization.
Admission
Telephone Historical Centre is one of the world’s premier hands-on museums, featuring an impressive array of communications equipment spanning from solid wood, wall mounted, hand cranked operator directed phones all the way up to today’s pocket sized touch screen celluar phones. Furthermore, working Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central office step switches are included alongside outside plant displays with poles, cables and splicing tools and equipment and a comprehensive cataloged telecommunications reference library.
This museum, housed in a restored 1896 telephone building listed on the National Register of Historic Places and with wheelchair access throughout, is managed and run entirely by volunteers from Southwestern Bell, AT&T and Telecom Pioneers (a non-profit 501(c)(3) employee service organization). Volunteer docents consist of current and retired telecom employees willing to share their love of history with visitors through docentship opportunities at this museum. On display here are hundreds of antique phones, switchboards and related equipment dating back to WWI through Gulf War along with hundreds of novelty phones!
Parking
Jefferson Barracks Park hosts this accessible museum housed in a fully restored 1896 building. Showcasing an extensive collection of antique telephones and related equipment, this makes for an exciting visit for families, students on field trips or sightseeing tours alike.
Established by retired ED TEL employees in 1987, this museum is one of the largest of its kind in North America. With working Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central office step switches, antique telephones, switchboards, outdoor plant displays of poles cables splicing equipment tools as well as an extensive telecommunications reference library it chronicles how communications technologies have profoundly transformed human lives over time.
Parking options at this museum include both an ample public lot nearby, as well as metered street parking spots. Disabled hangtags or license plates may use any space without restriction (ZTL restricted zone spaces should be avoided), however we highly suggest taking the shuttle bus from parking lot to museum for optimal results.
Group Tours
The Telephone Historical Centre houses one of the finest collections of telephones ever assembled in one place. It offers working Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central office switches, antique phones, switchboards, outdoor plant displays featuring poles, cables and splicing tools along with outdoor plant displays featuring poles as well as cables spliced together, cataloged telecommunications reference library as well as knowledgeable docents who volunteer their time to guide visitors through its museum exhibits.
Roseville, California boasts one of the largest and most extensive collections of antique telephones in North America. This museum provides an educational family outing, school field trip or sight-seeing tour destination for groups. Their extensive collection features crank wall phones, rotary dial phones and novelty phones – each telling an interesting tale of communications technology evolution over time.
