Former and current telecom employees as well as their families will find the Telephone Historical Centre an enjoyable and educational experience. Here, visitors can relive more than 100 years of technological advances while learning more about those who helped to establish this network of telephone service.

This museum first opened on December 3, 1987 in a telephone exchange building in Old Strathcona and later relocated to Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre. However, due to relevance issues, financial issues and structural concerns it closed in April 2019 for good.

Collections

The Telephone Historical Centre houses an expansive collection of artifacts, equipment and history related to telephone technology at this museum – one of the largest of its kind in North America! Additionally, this museum offers many activities suitable for all ages to enjoy.

This series comprises various files detailing town histories, exchanges and facts, buildings, storms and disasters as well as personal recollections including some scrapbooks. A large binder with newspaper clippings related to SNET promotions is also included.

This series is divided into two subseries; Contemporary and Historical. Contemporary photographs are organized alphabetically while the Historical subseries attempt to follow a 1991 SNET records management schedule, with historical photos organized alphabetically by subject heading. Many older SNET photos in protective sheets or folders require special care when handling, while some images are large and fragile; four flap enclosures provide protection from handling. It is an absolute must see for anyone interested in Edmonton’s communications history! This collection should not be missed!

Exhibits

Alberta’s telephone era is depicted through photos, news articles and artifacts from this collection that tell its tale of innovation, technology, business and people.

Artifacts and replicas help visitors trace the history of telephone use in Edmonton and North America through time. From early wooden three-box wall telephones to more familiar rotary dial handsets, this collection shows how technology has advanced from manual switching to automatic switching over time. Furthermore, many artifacts feature QR codes which visitors can scan with their smart phones to gain more information on each piece in the collection.

The museum features working switches and other exhibits that enable visitors to experience telephone history first-hand. Notable examples include a manual system step-by-step private automatic branch exchange that illustrates line switching used before electronic switching systems became prevalent; and mobile telephone display that tracks their development from 1980s car phones to modern cellular technologies.

Archives

Edmonton and Alberta can discover their telecommunications history in our extensive archives, which contain an abundance of historical photographs, news articles and memorabilia from Edmonton’s telecom past.

Archival material is an invaluable asset for researchers, students and the general public alike. Sheldon Hochheiser of AT&T Corporate History Department shares some of its many strengths.

One of the most significant documents is Thomas Watson’s notebook in which he recorded his first attempt at transmitting intelligible speech on March 10th 1876 and it still gives him chills today.

The Telecommunications History Group (THG) is an umbrella non-profit organization comprised of two physical museums located in Seattle and Denver as well as an extensive digital archive that features historic directories, photographs and slides as well as books and stock certificates as well as oral histories with former telephone industry employees – this information can be viewed upon appointment.

Events

Today, making phone calls can seem like performing a magical act: grab your cell phone and push a button – voila – your mom in Philadelphia or grandma in Florida are now speaking directly with you! At Oklahoma City’s Telephone Historical Centre you can see all the equipment that made this possible — even old phones with wires and cords attached!

The museum boasts memorabilia from past Olympic Games and Albuquerque Balloon Fiestas, along with antique telephone tools and an active switchboard suitable for demonstration purposes. All this can be found housed within its four-story former telephone building from 1906 that once housed Bell System operators connecting New Mexico with other parts of the nation.

The Telephone Historical Centre, founded in 1987, is a volunteer-run non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Nominated for a Laurel Award presented by Duncan & Craig LLP of Edmonton to community-based organizations who demonstrate innovative and creative approaches to fulfilling their missions, it received this honor in 2015.

The Telephone Historical Centre is an engaging museum featuring numerous exhibits. Visitors can explore communications technology through hands-on displays as well as its collection of working operator switchboards and military telephones.

The Museum boasts functional Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central-office switches, antique telephones, outside plant displays with poles, cables, splicing equipment, tools and much more.

The Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War

From the late 1800s on, historians have searched Gettysburg’s bloodstained battlefield for artifacts that illustrate its significance. Now, its museum houses one of the largest collections of Civil War relics in America.

The museum features two main attractions; A New Birth of Freedom narrated by Morgan Freeman and the 377 foot diameter and 42 foot high Cyclorama painting depicting Pickett’s Charge that took more than one year to create.

David Wills House is another must-see attraction and President Lincoln stayed here while writing the Gettysburg Address. This seven-gallery museum tells Wills’ story along with that of Gettysburg via exhibits and audio/visual presentations; visitors should allow at least an hour and a half for their visit to fully appreciate everything this place has to offer.

The Jefferson Barracks Telephone Museum

Johannes and Schaper report that most visitors to their museum have been nostalgic older people as well as curious younger visitors.

This was one of the earliest military installations west of the Mississippi River, serving as a recruiting and outfitting depot and hub for western military expeditions. Its soldiers saw action in nearly every American conflict including Civil War. Furthermore, it also functioned as a hospital treating more injured soldiers than any other post.

The museum is housed in a former officers’ quarters that was constructed in 1896 and features exhibits organized chronologically with accompanying photographs and information panels. Highlights of the display include an early candlestick phone that operated by cranking cylinders for calls; an anachronistic leg-worn rotary dial telegraph used to send Morse code between fields; as well as an elaborate operator switchboard containing all its equipment – an undertaking of Telecom Pioneers, an organization comprised of retired Bell employees that worked tirelessly on their project.

The A&H’s Telephone Museum

A&H’s Telephone Museum takes visitors on an educational journey through communications technology and the history of telephones. Featuring working Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central office switches, antique telephones, switchboards, outside plant displays of poles and cables as well as splicing equipment and tools as well as an annotated cataloged telecommunications reference library – there is something here for every telephone enthusiast at A&H!

These exhibits tell the tale of how local resident Carl Galloway’s creation of Winter Park Telephone Company contributed to its rapid development and success, as well as detailing telephone technology throughout history, featuring numerous hands-on displays.

Group tours for 10 or more may be booked two weeks in advance and feature the Maitland Art Center, a contemporary art gallery; Maitland Historical Museum; and Telephone Museum on its main campus.

The Art & History Museums of Maitland are recognized as a National Historic Landmark and represent Greater Orlando’s only art and history museum. They house Maitland Art Center, Telephone Museum, Waterhouse Residence Museum & Carpentry Shop Museum as well as artist residencies.

The Connections Museum

The Telecom Pioneers, an organization of retired telephone and telecom employees who want to preserve old technology, operate this non-profit museum. Situated within an old CenturyLink (former Southwestern Bell and AT&T) central office building in Seattle, its exhibits include many exhibits dating back to 1920s and 1960s including operator switchboards; numerous pieces of telephone-related equipment; hundreds of historical telephones as well as poles, cables, splicing equipment and tools from outside plant displays.

One of the main attractions at the museum are its working Panel and Crossbar electromechanical central-office switches, said Sarah Autumn, one of its volunteer phone workers at the museum. These “magic machines” can only be found at two other remaining No 5 crossbar offices (one is at The Telephone Museum in Ellsworth, Maine) but still allow calls between switches through an emulated telephone number using computer programs which constantly simulate calls between switches, keeping their equipment exercising itself.

Although many technologies have become peripheral, the telephone remains central to social interactions and identity projects across a spectrum of social settings. This special issue seeks to further our knowledge of its history through case studies with novel perspectives and unconventional approaches.

The museum is owned and managed by Telecom Pioneers, an association of retired telecom professionals. Volunteers operate it.

Founded in 1987

The Telephone Historical Centre is the largest facility of its kind in North America, perfect for all ages and offering hands-on learning of history.

From Alexander Graham Bell’s attic workshop to today’s flip phones, discover how communications technology has advanced throughout its history. Take part in an actual switching station test or hear about one local entrepreneur who used phones to improve customer service at his father’s grocery store.

In 1987, the museum was established by ED TEL retirees and employees as an effort to preserve Edmonton’s telephony history. It features hands-on exhibits as well as multi-media presentations. Furthermore, there is a comprehensive library containing books related to telephone technology; antique telephones; memorabilia; plus there is even replacement parts available here! It serves both family histories research as well as providing replacement parts. This museum stands as Canada’s only such institution – visitors may even discover replacements parts for their antique phones while searching family trees at once!

Laurel Award Nominee

Today, making phone calls seems almost like magic: all it takes is one touch and push of a button before instantly talking with your mom in Philadelphia, grandma in Florida or best friend in New York. But visit the Telephone Museum and you’ll discover it wasn’t always this easy – back then there were wires and cords everywhere!

Girlguiding’s second highest honor, the Laurel Award is bestowed upon members who have made an exceptional contribution to guiding. This usually means being active within their district, division and county; holding various roles within these structures; acting as an outstanding leader within their community and being an example to all around.

Nominees must be proposed by members of their relevant commission and, after being discussed with their commissioner, should include a fully completed awards application form, member’s Guiding History Report and no more than eight letters of support from individual leaders and/or committees.

Located in the Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre

The Telephone Historical Centre (THC) of Edmonton is an Edmonton museum dedicated to preserving the history of telecommunications technology, making it Canada’s sole telephone museum. Established by retired ED TEL employees and opened to the public on December 3, 1987 in an old telephone exchange building located near Old Strathcona before moving its operations to its current home at Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre in 2004.

This interactive museum showcases a vast collection of telephones, tools and other artifacts from years gone by. A great place for children to learn how technology has progressed since their invention; plus there’s even an award-winning multi-media Historical Telecommunications Theatre Show to enjoy!

The museum is open from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM from Monday to Saturday and closed on Sundays and holidays. Admission fees can be adjusted depending on one’s ability, while group rates are also offered. In addition to these items, this museum also houses the Loyal Edmonton Regiment Military Museum as well as several artifacts from local telephone systems including copper cabling, manhole covers and collectible insulators.

Open to the Public

The Centre is open to the public for research, organization, storage and display of historical materials related to the invention and development of telephones. Owned by a foundation that is accredited with Museums Alberta; their focus is preserving Edmonton’s communication history rather than turning a profit.

The Museum boasts a working switchboard, step-by-step private automatic branch exchange, and hundreds of pieces of telephone equipment on display. Exhibits showcase the history and significance of telephone use across cultures and commerce around the globe while honoring craftsmanship, ingenuity, and industry of pioneers who pioneered telecommunication technology.

This museum is one of its kind in Canada and provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn about the exciting history of telephones. Their collection ranges from wooden prototypes all the way up to modern mobile phones – it even boasts interactive and educational exhibits ensuring everyone will find something of interest here! This makes a fantastic spot for family visits or group outings!

The Telephone Historical Centre preserves telecommunication history from its inception until today, featuring fully operational pieces that showcase both social and technical significance of this remarkable breakthrough in communications.

This facility is the largest of its kind in North America and suitable for visitors of all ages. You’ll discover vintage phone directories, step inside an automatic exchange using the stepping switch principle and browse our extensive library of telephone books and technical manuals.

The Jefferson Telecom Telephone Museum

As landlines fade into oblivion in favor of smartphones and cellular networks, some quirky, small “hidden” museums in Greene County Iowa are helping preserve their history. One such museum is Jefferson Telecom Telephone Museum founded in 1957 by a family-owned business out of Jefferson. Executive director Carol Johannes and assistant director Ken Schaper of this historic telephone museum came on our show Thursday as we shared its tale as one of the first nationwide museums.

The museum features an impressive array of items, such as old-fashioned black Bakelite phones with dials that clacked and ticked as someone spoke; party lines where neighbors shared one phone circuit but each house had a distinct ring tone to identify who was calling; an automatic timer warned phone hogs after six minutes or they’d be disconnected; listeners even called in with stories of olden days!

The American Museum of Telephony

An American Museum of Telephony located in Mountain Ranch in northern California burned to the ground last week during a wildfire, but lucky for telecommunications enthusiasts as there will still be virtual exhibits that can be visited now.

This interactive collection takes visitors on a tour of communications technology and its development since the invention of the telephone. A hands-on switchboard enables visitors to test out switching stations for themselves; additionally, there is also an historic item such as a Step-by-Step private automatic branch exchange which illustrates its operation.

The museum also honors non-Bell System phone companies that provided service in rural and small-town Midwest communities outside the Bell System, such as phone exchanges. Displays include glass insulators and recreations of independent phone exchanges. Furthermore, C. L. Brown started his business here before expanding nationally through Sprint’s acquisition.

The BellSouth Telephone Museum

The United States boasts a host of telephone museums ranging from extensive exhibits in county historical museums to dedicated structures filled with phones salvaged from scrap piles. Many are maintained by passionate private collectors, retired phone company employees or civic groups such as Telecom Pioneers of America.

The BellSouth Telephone Museum, housed in an impressive restored 19th-century building, is one of the country’s premier museums. Though only open four hours each week, making a point to visit this surprisingly enjoyable yet thoroughly educational history museum should definitely be on your agenda!

Visit this museum and you’ll see working telephones – such as the first picture phones; rotary dialers and manual switchboards; linemen’s pole climbing stirrups for climbing poles; as well as an impressive collection of fun phones from days gone by. It also houses Carol Coursey, an ex-long distance operator renowned for her dulcet tones who is happy to show visitors around her phone demeanor while teaching proper telephone etiquette courtesy of volunteer group the Telephone Pioneers group. This museum runs entirely by volunteers from this group whose group manages operations at its entirety.

The Telephone Historical Centre

The museum explores the development of telephone technology from Alexander Graham Bell’s attic workshop to present day technology. Their collection consists of phones and equipment from late 1800s up to present day as well as an impressive library devoted to its history and practices.

The telephone may be taken for granted today, but 100 years ago it was cutting edge technology. This museum explores its history and impact on society. Bring along children for a fun educational experience; there’s even something fun to do hands on here!

The Telecommunications History Group (THG) is a 501 c (3) non-profit organization supported by membership dues and research fees, operating two museums and maintaining one of the world’s largest telecom archives. Their aim is to preserve the heritage of telecommunications for future generations while celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, ingenuity and industry through educational programs and exhibitions.

The collection encompasses every type of telephone box to have graced British roadsides since BT introduced their initial standard design in 1920, along with numerous types of street furniture and an archive of local telephone directories.

This museum is the result of collaboration among various community groups – notably, Gridley Library Board and local telephone company – which have worked together on its operation by volunteer workers.

Manual System Telephones

Before recent technological advances, most telephones relied on manual system service for communications. Subscribers couldn’t directly dial one another; rather they dialed into a central switchboard which linked subscribers’ wires together where operators manually relayed calls between subscribers.

Operators connected local calls by plugging patch cords into jacks that corresponded with called numbers, making use of this system well into the 20th century by independent telephone companies serving rural towns and farmers’ lines, sealiners and naval ships prior to mobile phone technology, as well as being an early opportunity for women seeking employment.

Modern automated exchanges take up far less space and offer many times the capacity of manual switchboards, yet operators remain available if you experience problems with your phone – reach them by dialing 100. The museum collection of rotary phones features some earlier models as well as one replica from Edmonton’s first telephone unit purchased for service in 1885.

Telephone Kiosks

The collection of telephone kiosks (or pillar boxes) on display is truly fascinating. There are examples from all designs introduced since 1920 when Britain introduced standard ones.

Wood was not the most practical material for use in wet climates, so the original kiosks were installed in protected locations such as hotel foyers or bus and railway stations to protect them from further wear. Furthermore, it offered protection from extraneous noise as well as prevent bystanders eavesdropping on private calls.

Giles Gilbert Scott won a competition held by the GPO to design a standardised kiosk, known as K2, that was the first step toward what we know as today’s familiar red boxes.

Kiosk advertising can be an efficient, targeted method to reach both pedestrian and vehicular traffic. MediaLease OOH provides city panels – vertical framed displays that appear on telephone structures – as well as backlit LED panels to make an impressionful statement in densely populated urban or college campus districts.

Telephone Poles

Follett says the museum boasts many antique wall phones ranging from yellow banana-shaped models to Kermit the Frog telephones as well as old operator switchboards and military telephones that have taken on a life of their own. “This collection has come together wonderfully.”

Used originally to carry telegraph wires, wood poles now serve electric, telephone and cable lines. While early poles were constructed from spruce or fir trees, more recently Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) has become the dominant species used for utility poles; other species used include shortleaf pine (Pinus sylvestris), southern yellow pine (Pinus cumana) and sassafras.

Poles are treated with chemicals and various other substances to withstand the elements and prevent internal decay. Each pole bears a tag with an identification number which specifies its street location as well as the utility company it belongs to and also displays when their last treatment took place; some tags may even be painted, stamped, or engraved for easy reference.

Telephone Directories

This museum provides visitors with an interactive telephone experience. Its collection consists of artifacts dating back to manual switching as well as an operational switchboard where visitors can dial up or down calls.

Telephone directories provide much more than names and phone numbers – they may include home and business addresses, occupation listings (which can be particularly useful when researching), church listings, charitable organization listings, school listings, hotel listings, maps etc. When looking at collections containing directories make sure there are both browse and search functions; browsing allows you to view each page as though you were reading a book itself!

Uncover Alberta’s rich telecommunications history and discover the technology, companies, and people behind its creation during this transformative era of our province’s development.