Telephone Museum, Maitland

About Telephone Museum

The Telephone Museum in Maitland takes visitors through the history of communications technology and telephone development. The main activity is operating a working switching station, where guests can try their hand at the equipment used to connect calls. Several hands-on displays throughout the museum let visitors interact with the exhibits as they learn how communications changed over time. The collection tells the story of the Winter Park Telephone Company, founded in Maitland by Carl Galloway in 1910. Galloway originally installed phones in the homes of his father's grocery store's best customers so they could phone in orders, an early innovation in customer service. The museum explores this founding story alongside other examples of telephone technology and its evolution through the years. The interactive exhibits suit visitors interested in local history and how everyday technology developed and shaped communication in communities.