Founded:
The Telephone Museum was founded in 1983 during the breakup of the Bell Telephone System in reaction to the loss of an unusual switching system known as "Panel." After efforts by the founders to interest older, more established museums to save the switch failed, the Panel system was sent to the scrap yard. In a very short time after its creation, the museum was able to save several large and important switching systems that had served towns in New England, primarily in Maine.
Mission:
Our mission is to demonstrate the social and technical significance of the telephone network from 1876 to the present, using working equipment to provide tangible, operable evidence of an evolving technology.
We celebrate the inventiveness, craftsmanship, ingenuity and industry of the telecommunications community through educational programs, exhibits, and special events.
Collections:
The collections were acquired through the generosity of New England Telephone and its successors, and through Independent Telephone Companies in New England. Contributions have also come private individuals who have donated everything from telephone sets to early photos of telephone workers, to crucial documents relating to the operation of the museum's switching systems.
Visiting the Museum:
The Museum is open every Thursday through Sunday during July, August and September. The Museum is also open by appointment only during May, June and October. Museum Hours are 1pm to 4pm.
Activities:
Programs and events at the Telephone Museum are posted on this calendar.