TELEPHONE MUSEUMS

TELEPHONE MUSEUMS

The list is not exhaustive, nor do all of the museums listed specialise exclusively in� �our� kind of interest. Some are more professional than others whilst some are frankly a bit amateurish but are all worth visiting. Owing to constant change, entries may become out of date so it is always worth telephoning in advance.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in BRITAIN

  • AIR DEFENCE COMMAND & CONTROL MUSEUM, RAF Neatishead, Norwich, NR12 8YB. Exhibits cover the WW2 and Cold War periods; the museum is located 15 miles north-east of Norwich off the A1151 road. Visitors welcome by appointment (telephone the Director on 01692-630930 extension 7309).
  • THE ALMONRY HERITAGE CENTRE, Abbey Gate, Evesham, Worcs. (01386-446944). Open 10.00-17.00 except Sundays 14.00-17.00. Excellent local museum with surprisingly large collection of old telephones.
  • AMBERLEY CHALK PITS MUSEUM, Amberley, Arundel,� BN18 9LT (01798-831370, fax 01798-831831). Opposite Amberley station, easy road access. Opening hours vary according to time of year, daily in high season.�� Comprehensive industrial archeology museum, with a nice section on telecomms, including a restored rural telephone exchange. http://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk/
  • AVONCROFT MUSEUM OF BUILDINGS, Stoke Heath, Bromsgrove, Worcs., B60 4JR (01527-31886/31363). Buildings spanning seven centuries have been re-erected here, from windmills to prefabs. British Telecom has assisted by supplying examples of all its designs of telephone kiosk. Open from early March to late November from 11.00 onwards. Daily in summer, weekends and Bank Holidays at other times. Closed some Mondays though� (best to ring first). Admission charge.
  • THE BAKELITE MUSEUM, Orchard Mill, Bridge Street, Williton, Somerset, TA4 4NS (01984-632133). Open Easter to end September. Term time: Thursday to Sunday 10:30-18:00; School holidays: every day 10:30-18:00. �A unique display of vintage plastics and domestic items set within a 17th century watermill�. Shop, bookshop, licensed caf�, bed and breakfast also on site.
  • BAMPTON MUSEUM. This delightful museum, in� Bampton, Devon, has now closed. The instigator hopes to re-establish it on another site nearby.
  • BATTLE OF BRITAIN CONTROL ROOM, RAF Uxbridge, Uxbridge, Middx. (01895-237144). Underground operations room with all the plotting tables and other paraphernalia, preserved exactly as it was on the morning of 15th September 1940. Individual and group visits, by appointment only. Contact Warrant Officer Chris Wren.
  • BRUCE CASTLE MUSEUM, Bruce Grove, Tottenham, north London (12 minutes walk from Bruce Grove station). Interesting collection of telecomms artefacts, including � samples of submarine telegraph cables of the 1850s, including the first UK-France cable 1850, telegraph instruments, various telephones and two patterns of National Telephone Company enamel sign. � Website at http://www.brucecastlemuseum.org.uk�although this doesn't mention the telecomms items.
  • CABINET WAR ROOMS, Clive Steps, King Charles Street, London, SW1 (020-7930 6961). Churchill's underground wartime headquarters,� recreated to look as if they have been left as they were at the time of the Blitz. All telephone equipment on show. Open daily� 10.00-17.15, admission charge.
  • DESIGN MUSEUM,� Butler's Wharf, Shad Thames,� London,� SE1 2YD (020-7403 6933).� A small number of design classic phones are on show. The shop sells a booklet on telephone design.
  • ESSEX SECRET BUNKER, Crown Buildings, Shrublands Road, Furze Hill, Mistley, Essex, CO11 1HS (01206-392271). Open daily 10.30-16.30. Former Cold War period bunker, later the Essex county war headquarters. This� underground structure� was built in 1951 and has been packed with 80 tons of authentic Cold War period equipment, with the original plotting board, telecomms equipment and other effects on display.
  • FLEUR-DE-LIS HERITAGE CENTRE, Stone Street, Faversham, Kent. Here, in one of the finest heritage centres in the country, they are working on a UAX13 (rural automatic exchange) and a kiosk. The exchange came from Littlebourne, near Canterbury, and is of a type widely used in east Kent and elsewhere.
  • GOONHILLY EARTH STATION, Cornwall. Part of the former Taunton museum collection is on display at the Visitor Centre here.
  • GUERNSEY TELEPHONE MUSEUM, Hermes, La Planque, Cobo Road, Castel (01481-711221). Free admission Tuesday and Wednesday evenings (19.00-21.00), April-September. "Telephones, switchboards and other equipment as used in the Bailiwick of Guernsey since the first telephone exchanges were opened on 28th July 1898." http://www.guernseytelecoms.com/index_mus.html
  • HACK GREEN SECRET NUCLEAR BUNKER, French Lane End, Hack Green (postal address: Box 127, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 8AQ). (01270-629219, fax 01270-629218). Originally built as a radar station during World War 2, the bunker was rebuilt as a top-secret Regional Seat of Government during the 1970s, a function which it retained until 1993. Preserved in excellent order, the two-level structure contains what were government offices, dormitories, canteen and a BBC studio and now houses an extensive museum of civil defence and Cold War memorabilia as well as large room full of GPO equipment.� It is open daily from 10.00-17.00 until� the end of October then at weekends and public holidays (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day) during November-February. From March it reverts to seven-day opening.
  • HELLFIRE CORNER at Dover Castle, Kent. Tour of once secret� wartime installations buried deep inside the cliffs includes tour of communications room, with large quantities of old switchboards, amplifiers and other equipment. Dover Castle is in the care of English Heritage and a single admission fee is charged for admission to all the exhibits. Tours of the secret underground tunnels leave approximately every 15 minutes in summer and every 45 minutes in winter; the tour takes 50 minutes. The last tour starts at 17.00 in summer and at 15.00 in winter. The castle opens daily at 10.00 and closes at 18.00 (16.00 October to March).
  • JERSEY, Former� German fortress-class (2m reinforced concrete) trunk cable exchange in Trinity Gardens. The bunker is relatively undocumented but there may be a plan of the original layout in the Channel Island Occupation Society archives, who also have a slim volume of biography on the "Last G.P.O. Engineer" (who ended up stuck "for the duration") which certainly refers to him taking the cables out of service and I *think* reconnecting them
    after the surrender and Trinity Gardens is mentioned if memory serves. This exchange is believed to be the terminating/switch control for the undersea cables from France, mainly teleprinter but with some voice circuits and linked on to Guernsey (HQ). The direct cable to the UK was "live" throughout the Occupation, but the Island Kommandantur refused to activate it even
    immediately pre-liberation for disarmanent talks. In the last days (post D-Day and the recapture of the Cherbourg region (Regional HQ) the only communication between the islands and Berlin was by means of one transmitter at the St. Jacques Naval Comms bunker in Guernsey [John Germain].
  • KELVEDON HATCH R4 BUNKER, Kelvedon Hatch, Essex (01277-364883). Open daily 10.00-16.00 with tours on the hour. Formerly top secret, this huge underground structure� is an excellent example of an R4 Rotor (radar defence) bunker built in the early 1950s as a Sector Operations Centre for the Metropolitan Sector of Fighter Command. It later became a Sector Operations Centre for UK Warning & Monitoring Organisation. remaining top secret until recently, it is now easy to find, with a brand-new entrance from the main Brentwood-Ongar road (north west of Brentwood, near Kelvedon Hatch). You are welcome to ring for directions. Here too there is a large collection of telephone and teleprinter equipment, and volunteer helpers are sought�come and have a look around, then sign the book to volunteer.
  • KIDDERMINSTER RAILWAY MUSEUM, reached via the Severn Valley Railway station. Primarily railway relics but with some nice single needle telegraphs and railway telephones.
  • KINGSTON-UPON-HULL.� Kingston Communications, formerly the Hull Corporation Telephone Department has some items, viewable on application to Telephone House, Carr Lane.
  • MANCHESTER, GREATER MANCHESTER MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Liverpool Road Station, Liverpool Road, Castlefield, Manchester, M3 4JP (0161- 832 2244). Open 10.30 am - 5 pm daily.�
  • MUSEUM OF COMMUNICATION, Saltire Court, Castle Terrace, Edinburgh. Closed June 1999 by ScottishTelecom.
  • MUSEUM OF SUBMARINE TELEGRAPHY, Porthcurno, Cornwall. Open April to October, 11.00-15.00 on Wednesdays and Fridays only.
  • NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY MUSEUM, Wharf station, Tywyn, Gwynedd, LL36 9EY. Two single needle telegraphs.
  • NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM, Leeman Road, York, YO2 4XJ (01904-621261). Mainly trains but some telephone and telegraph exhibits also.
  • NAVAL COMMUNICATIONS & RADAR MUSEUM.� Visits by appointment only. Write to� Lt. Cdr W.E. Legg RN (Retd), Museum Curator, HMS Collingwood,� Fareham,� PO14 1AS.
  • �NORWICH TELECOM MUSEUM. Closed but planned to re-open under volunteer management.
  • OXFORD TELECOM MUSEUM, BT Museum, 35 Speedwell Street, Oxford,� OX1 1RH (01865-246601). Opened by appointment. Not a huge museum but a very comprehensive collection.
  • ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS MUSEUM, Blandford Camp, Dorset, DT11 8RH (01258-482248). Admission free, open 10.00-17.00 Monday to Friday, 10.00-16.00 weekends June to September. The museum is clearly signposted from the B3082 Blandford to Wimborne road and contains a comprehensive display of military line and radio communications from the Crimean War to the present day.
  • ROYAL MUSEUMS OF SCOTLAND, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF (0131-225 7534). Good collection of early telegraphs. Also has a Sinclair telephone switch, a semi-automatic exchange which predates Strowger.
  • SCIENCE MUSEUM, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2DD (020-7938 8000). Telecommunications gallery with many interesting exhibits (plus many other items in store.)
  • SCOTLAND'S SECRET BUNKER, Troywood, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8QH (01333-310301, fax 01333-312040). This is one of the underground nuclear war command centres equipped in the 1960s, known to devotees as Anstruther. It is open from Easter until the end of October, from 10.00 to 18.00. Parties and coaches welcome. The communications centre, emergency broadcasting studios and computer room are all preserved with authentic artefacts.
  • STORY OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS, formerly the� Telecom Technology Showcase, London. BT's premier museum, sadly closed in August 1997 although all the artefacts are still in situ.
  • TELEPHONE MUSEUM, at the MILTON KEYNES MUSEUM, McConnell Drive, Wolverton, Milton Keynes. See their own website www.mkheritage.co.uk/TTM and the main MK Museum website www.mkheritage.co.uk for opening times (mainly weekends) and how to find the place.
  • TIME-BALL TOWER, Victoria Parade, Deal, Kent (01304-360897).� A four-floor museum of time and telegraphy. The time-ball drops at 1pm daily. Tuesday-Saturday 12 noon-4.45pm, Easter to September.
  • WOLLATON PARK INDUSTRIAL MUSEUM, Courtyard Buildings, Wollaton Park, Nottingham, NG8 2AE (tel/fax 0115-928 4602). Contains the former Ericsson museum collection of telephones and switching equipment, presented by the Plessey Company. Many more items in store than on show.
  • WESTERN APPROACHES COMMAND CENTRE, Derby House, 1 Rumford Street, Liverpool, L2 3SZ (0151-227 2008). This underground headquarters was the command centre for the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. Visitors today can see the RAF plotting room, the main operations room, the cypher room, teleprinter room and the telephone exchange. Open all year round but confirm by ringing the number shown.

Many other museums have telephone exhibits on show, particularly the larger museums of science and industry, some local museums of rural life and several preserved railways, tramway and transport museums. An excellent guide to these is the Steam Heritage Preserved Railways, Industrial, Transport, Ship, Aircraft & Military Museum & Rally Guide published annually on 1st March by TEE Publishing, The Fosse, Radford Semele, Leamington Spa, CV31 1XN� (01926-614101, fax 01926-614293) and available direct or from most large newsagents.

�

Telephone museums and related places to visit in ARGENTINA

  • MUSEO DE TELECOMUNICACIONES. Avenida de los Italianos 851, Buenos Aires (tel: 00 54 11-4968 3116, fax 00 54 11-4968 3120, e-mail museo@ta.telecom.com.at ).

Telephone museums and related places to visit in AUSTRIA

  • POST- UND TELEGRAPHENMUSEUM. In the Technical Museum, Mariahilfstrasse 212, Vienna.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in BELGIUM

  • MUS�E DES POSTES ET TELECOMMUNICATIONS, Grand Sablon 40, Brussels.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in CANADA

  • BELL CANADA MUSEUM, 6055 Monkland Avenue, Montreal, H4G 1H3 (00 1 514-870 4696).� Bell Canada�s historical collection of equipment, opened on request. Archive centre, also open by appointment, is at 1055 Beaver Hall Hill, Montreal, H2Z 1S4 (00 1 514-870 7088, fax 00 1 514-870 2537).
  • BELL HOMESTEAD, 94 Tutela Heights Road, Brantford, Ontario, N3T 1N3 (00 1 519-756 6220, fax 00 1 519-759 5975). Historic residence of the Bell family, open 10.00-18.00 summer, closed Mondays.
  • CANADIAN FORCES COMMUNICATIONS & ELECTRONICS MUSEUM, Vimy Post Office, Kingston, Ontario, K7K 5Z0 (00 1 613-541 5395, fax 00 1 613-541 4489. Large display of military communications equipment.
  • EDMONTON TELEPHONE HISTORICAL INFORMATION CENTRE FOUNDATION, Box 4962, Edmonton, Alberta, T6E 5GB, Canada (00 1 403 441 2077, fax 00 1 403 433 4068).� Located at 10437 - 83 Avenue, Edmonton.� Publishes a very handy and comprehensive World Directory of Telephone Museums.
  • NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Box 9724, Ottawa Terminal, K1G 5A3 (00 1 613-991 3083, fax 00 1 613-3636).� Hands-on exhibit from Strowger to optical fibre.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in CROATIA

  • PTT-MUSEJ, Jurisiceva 13, Zagreb (274811).

Telephone museums and related places to visit in the CZECH REPUBLIC

  • POST MUSEUM, in former Cistercian monastery, Vyssi Brod (40km south of Budweis).
  • POSTOVNI MUZEUM, Holeckova 10, Prague.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in DENMARK

  • TELEFONMUSEET, Svanemollevej 112A, 2900 Hellerup near Copenhagen (00 45-3399 4050, fax 00 45-3162 3770) Open Sundays 14.00-16.00. A large collection of telephones and switchboards on display, including just about every variant possible of Ericsson magneto table telephones.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in EIRE

  • DUBLIN. The training section of Telecom Eireann intends to set up a museum here shortly. Currently the items are in store at Kimmage Manor.
  • MAYNOOTH COLLEGE, Maynooth, County Kildare. This is the home of the electrical collection of the Reverend Nicholas Callan, who invented the induction coil. Among items on display are a single needle and other telegraph apparatus. Free admission, by appointment.
  • VALENTIA ISLAND MUSEUM, Valentia, County Kerry. Pays special attention to the European terminal of the 1858 Atlantic cable.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in FINLAND

  • TELEGALLERIA, Elimaenkatu 9A, Helsinki (00 358-0704 2050, fax 00 358-0704 2045).

Telephone museums and related places to visit in FRANCE

  • MUS�E REGIONALE �LES T�L�COMMUNICATIONS EN FLANDRE�, 12 avenue Foch, Marcq-en-Baroeul/Nord (00 33 3-2072 3028). Open Wed, Sat, Sundays 10.00-12.00 and 14.00-16.00. Large collection of telegraphs, manual telephone switchboards and auto equipment. Model of Chappe telegraph, captured German field teletype.
  • MUS�E DES ARTS ET METIERS, Paris (00 33 1-4027 2372, fax 00 33 1-4027 2662). Metro station: Arts et M�tiers. Very disappointing for a national science museum, the whole collection is stuck in a timewarp circa 1961 with no new additions or evidence of renovation since then. Small collection of telephones and telegraphs.
  • MUS�E DE LA POSTE, 34 Boulevard de Vaugirard, Paris.
  • MUS�E DES PTT, Riquewihr/Alsace,
  • MUS�E DES T�L�COMMUNICATIONS, Pleumeur-Boudou. This earth station in Britanny is the French equivalent of Britain�s Goonhilly Down and houses a museum spanning 150 years of telecommunication history. English-speaking telephone service 00 33 2-9646 6380.
  • TELECOM MUSEUM, 45 rue de Soupetard, 31049 Toulouse (00 33 5-6148 4284). Described as "un petit mus�e des telecommunications. Le responsable est M. Michel."
  • WAR MUSEUM,� Parc St. Pierre (opposite the Town Hall), Calais(00 33 3-2134 2157,� fax 00 33 3-2196 6240). Open 1/2 -31/3, 1/10 - 30/11 -1100 - 1700hrs. (Closed Tues). 1/4 - 30/9, 1000- 1800hrs. (open every day). Collection of war souvenirs mainly depicting the German occupation of Calais from 1940-45. The museum building was formerly the German Navy's main telephone exchange in northern France.

    "Situated in the giant Mako bunker, former headquarters of the German Navy, in Saint-Pierre Park next to the Hotel de Ville, the museum describes what happened in and around the town, from the battles of May 1940 to the liberation in September 1944. Within the heavily camouflaged bunker, one of the biggest built by the Germans in France, there are fascinating displays devoted to the Battle of Britain, the Royal Green Jackets Regiment, prisoners of war, the Resistance, the German Navy and daily life during the Nazi occupation. Entry costs 15 francs for an adult, 10 francs for children, and people in wheelchairs will find good access to all the exhibits."

Telephone museums and related places to visit in GERMANY

  • GERMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM (Deutsches Museum) Museumsinsel 1, 80538 M�nchen� (00 49 89-217 9274, fax 00 40 89-217 9324).
  • GERMAN POSTAL MUSEUM (Deutsches Postmuseum) Schaumainkai 53,� Frankfurt am Main (00 49 69-606 0230, fax 00 49 69-606 0123).
  • MUSEUM OF� POST AND TELECOMMUNICATION (Museum f�r Post und Telekommunikation), Leipziger Str./Ecke Mauerstr., 10117 Berlin. Closed until 1999 for rebuilding. Temporary location� An der Urania 15, 10787 Berlin (0049 30-7501 6890) Open Monday to Thursday 09.00-17.00; Saturday and Sunday 10.00-17.00.
  • MUSEUM OF� POST AND TELECOMMUNICATION (Museum f�r Post und Telekommunikation), Stephansplatz 5, 20354 Hamburg (00 49 40-3503 7701). Open Tues/Wed//Friday 10.00 -15.00, Thursday 10.00 -18.00.
  • PHILIPP-REIS-SAMMLUNG, Hugenottenstrasse 93, Friedrichsdorf/Taunus. The Germans consider Reis� the true inventor of the telephone.
  • POST AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS MUSEUM (Post- und Fernmeldemuseum) Freidrichstrasse 13, Stuttgart (00 49 711-2000 3344, fax 00 49 711-2000 3456).
  • POSTMUSEUM, Zeppelinstrasse 24, Hannover.
  • POSTMUSEUM, Koblenz.
  • ���Telefonmuseum Hittfelder Bahnhof, Gustav-Becker-Str. 9, D-21218 Hittfeld. (00 49 4105-126 76, fax 00 49� 4105-15 99 76) . Open� every Saturday and every Sunday from 14.00-18.00. Located in railway station.
  • TRANSPORT & TECHNOLOGY MUSEUM (Museum f�r Verkehr und Technik), Trebbiner Str. 9, 10963 Berlin, (00 49 30-254 840).
  • VERKEHRSMUSEUM, Postabteilung, Lessingstrasse 6, N�rnberg.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in GREECE

  • POSTAL MUSEUM, 5 Rue du Stade Pagrati, Athens.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in HUNGARY

  • TELECOMMS MUSEUM (Telef�nia M�zeum) Budapest 1014, �ri Utca 49, on Castle Hill. (201 8188). Fun place for children, where they can make 100-year old exchange spring to life. Open Tuesday - Sunday, 10.00-16.00, closed Mondays.
  • TRANSPORT & COMMUNICATIONS MUSEUM with old railway telgraphs and telephones (K�zleked�si M�zeum) 1146 Budapest, V�rosligeti Street 11 (342 0565, fax 344 0322).� Open Tuesday-Friday 10.00-18.00 (early May - end September), 10.00-16.00 end September� - early May. 10.00-18.00 Saturdays and Sundays.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in ICELAND

  • TELECOMMUNICATIONS MUSEUM, Landss�mi Islands HF Coast Station (Loftskeytas��in), on Su�urgata, 150 Reykjavik (00� 354 ���� 550 6410, fax 00 354 550 6416). Open on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday afternoons only from 13.00 to 18.00 hours.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in ITALY

  • MUSEO STORICO PT,� Viale Cristoforo Colombo, Rome.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in JUGOSLAVIA

  • PTT-MUSEUM, Palmoticeva ul br. 2, Belgrade.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in LIECHTENSTEIN

  • POSTMUSEUM, Vaduz.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in LUXEMBOURG

  • POST & TELECOMMS MUSEUM, Place de la Gare, L-2417 Luxembourg (00 352-4088 7322, fax 00 352-406867 ).

Telephone museums and related places to visit in THE NETHERLANDS

  • POSTMUSEUM, 82 Zeestraat, The Hague. 00 31 70-630949. Open daily 10.00-17.00, Sundays and public holidays 13.00-17.00. Small charge made. Excellent museum, with many displays including a working Rotary exchange. Bookshop with technical books.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in NEW ZEALAND

  • Post and Telecomms Museum, Ferrymead Historic Park, Christchurch, New Zealand. Good selection of Rotary and step-by-step exchange equipment as well as telephone and telegraph instruments, road vehicles and so on.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in NORWAY

  • POSTMUSEET, Tollbugata 17, Oslo (00 47 2-408059).

Telephone museums and related places to visit in POLAND

  • POST & TELECOMMUNICATIONS MUSEUM, skr. pocztowa 2030, 50-954 Wroclaw 1. Open weekdays (except Tuesday) 10.00-15.00 Sundays 11.00-14.00.� Wroclaw is the former German city of Breslau and the museum is in the pre-war German telecomms headquarters. Morse, Hughes and Baudot telegraphs, old telephone apparatus, of mixed German and Polish origin. It is understood that a similar collection in Warsaw was lost during the war, so this is now the best telecomms museum in Poland.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in PORTUGAL

  • MUSEO DOS CTT,� Rua de D. Estefania 175, Lisbon.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in RUSSIA

  • POLYTECHNICAL MUSEUM, Moscow.
  • POPOV CENTRAL MUSEUM OF COMMUNICATIONS, St Petersburg.
  • POSTAL & TELEGRAPH MUSEUM. Inside Kazan railway terminus, Komosolskaya Plotschad, Moscow.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in SAN MARINO

  • MUSEO POSTALE, Borgo Maggiore, San Marino.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in SPAIN

  • MUSEO POSTAL Y TELECOMUNICACION,� Pasaje de Montalban, Madrid. (00 34 1-521 4260)

Telephone museums and related places to visit in SWEDEN

  • POSTMUSEUM, Lilla Nygatan 6, Stockholm.
  • SCIENCE MUSEUM, Stockholm. Large section on telecommunications, subsidised by Ericsson.
  • TELEMUSEUM, Museivagen 7, S-115 27 Stockholm (00 46 8-663 1085, fax 00 46 8-663 2604).

Telephone museums and related places to visit in SWITZERLAND

  • MUSEUM F�R KOMMUNIKATION, Helvetiastr. 16, Bern� (00 41 31-357 5555, fax 00 41 31-357 5599).
  • SWISS TRANSPORT MUSEUM, Lidostrasse 5, CH-6006 Luzern (00 41 41-314444, fax 00 41 41-316168). Open 10.00-16.00 daily. Two halls devoted to posts and telecomms, including working exhibits of all types of automatic telephone selectors used in Switzerland. The museum is mainly orientated to non-technical visitors and thus fascinating for children (huge model railway!). Hefty admission charge.

Telephone museums and related places to visit in the USA

  • BELL�S WORKSHOP, 125 High Street, Boston, Mass 02107 (00 1 617-743 1167, fax 00 1 617-743 6057). Telephone museum containing a replica of Bell's original workshop. Another related museum at 185 Franklin Street.
  • GTE COMMUNICATIONS MUSEUM, 303 East Berry Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Open 10.00-16.00 Monday to Friday. Hundreds of items, many rare phones plus a working Strowger exchange demonstrator. Open� Thursday and Friday 12.00-16.00, Saturday and Sunday 13.00-17.00 May-October. Closed July 4.
  • ILLINOIS BELL MUSEUM, Chicago (00 1 312-964 8444).
  • MUSEUM OF INDEPENDENT TELEPHONY, Box 625, 412 South Campbell Street, Abilene, Kansas 67410 (00 1 913-263 1757).
  • PIONEER MUSEUM OF LINCOLN TELEPHONE & TELEGRAPH, Lincoln, Nebraska (00 1 402-476 4321).
  • PIONEER MUSEUM OF NEW YORK, 57 East 14th Street, Huntington, NY 11746 (00 1 516-423 2275).
  • SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE National Museum of American History, Division of Electricity, Washington DC, USA� (00 1 202-357 1840, fax 00 1 202-357 4256).
  • TELEPHONE PIONEER COMMUNICATION MUSEUM, 140 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco 94105 (00 1 415-542 0182, fax 00 1 415-4133. extensive collection of telecomm exhibits. Archive Centre is at 1515 19th Avenue, San Francisco 94122 (00 1 415-661 6469, fax 00 1 415-661 1077) and is the largest catalogued archival collection in North America.
  • TELEPHONE PIONEER MUSEUM OF TEXAS, 2nd Floor, 1 Bell Plaza, Dallas, Texas, USA (00 1 214-464 4359). Large museum, located on corner of Commerce Street and South Akard Street. Admission free.
  • U.S. ARMY SIGNAL CORPS MUSEUM, Attn: ATZH-SM, Building 36305, Ft Gordon, GA 30905-5293, USA (00 1 706-791 3856). The exhibits and administration building is located at Avenue of the States and 37th Street.� Open Tuesday-Friday 08.00-16.00, Saturday 12.00-17.00. Closed Sunday, Monday and all federal holidays.

This is a fraction only of the dozens of telephone-related museums in the USA. For more information buy the guide published by the Edmonton Telephone Historical Information Centre � entry under Canada.

  • All the foregoing information is published in good faith but details can alter at any time. If you spot anything wrong, please help avoid other people's disappointment and send us an e-mail�thanks!
    •

    Information index