Did You Know There’s a Telephone Museum in New Hampshire?
There seem to be museums for everything nowadays.
As it turns out, a telephone museum sits up in Warner, New Hampshire.
You may be asking yourself, "Why? That seems like such a random type of museum. And why New Hampshire, of all places?" We were wondering ourselves, and decided to look into it.
According to their website, the New Hampshire Telephone Museum was founded by Alderic O. “Dick” Violette, who had an extensive career in the telephone business. During the course of his life and career, he built up an extensive collection of "telephone equipment, including phones, tools, books and related memorabilia." The Telephone Museum, which opened in 2005, features 1,000+ artifacts from his collection, amongst other items. Pretty cool, huh?
The Museum offers both guided and self-guided tours where people can learn more about the history of telecommunications and view this extensive collection. Besides Violette's items, other exhibits include:
...the collection of the Violette & Bartlett families who collectively worked in the telephone industry for over 85 years. Also featured is the collection of Garry Mitchell, another longtime telephone worker from Woodbury Connecticut, as well as gifts received from the public.
Interested in checking this place out yourself? The Museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10am-4pm from May 1 through October 29, and Tuesdays AND Saturdays from 10am-4pm in November, December, March, and April. Admission is $7 for adults between ages 18-64, $6 for seniors, and $3 for students in grades K-12.
For more information about the New Hampshire Telephone Museum, visit their website here.
In the meantime, let's look at some other museums in the Granite State.
These Are 15 of the Best Museums in New Hampshire
Gallery Credit: Megan Murphy
25 Historical Figures With Interesting Ties to New Hampshire
Gallery Credit: Megan Murphy