Most people know that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, but fewer know that Bell actually invented it right here in Ontario! The Bell Homestead in Brantford transports you to the very place where groundbreaking technology was born.
Walk through the doors of the Bell family home and travel back in time to the 1870s, when the inventor was on the cusp of introducing his innovation to the public.
At this national historic site, “you will see how the Bell family lived and worked,” says its website.
“You will learn about how Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and see how the telephone has changed since then.”
It was the clean air of Canada that drew the Bell family to Ontario — when they moved to Brantford from Scotland and England, they hoped that it would help then-23-year-old Alexander recover from his lung infection.
Once he got well again, Alexander accepted a teaching job at the Boston School for the Deaf in the United States, according to the Bell Homestead website.
“He would come back to Brantford to spend the summers and holidays with his family,” and then on July 26th, 1874, he invented the telephone right here in Ontario.
Recent Posts
This 11.5 km trail in Ontario has a forest boardwalk & natural ‘punchbowl’
This cozy lake town in Ontario is a colourful wonderland in autumn
View this post on Instagram
Encyclopedia Britannica notes that Bell’s first one-way long-distance call was transmitted from Brantford to Paris, Ontario over a telegraph wire.
Later, Bell’s telephone was commercialized through the formation of the Bell Telephone Company.
At the Bell Homestead, you can take a one-hour guided tour of the Bell family home and Canada’s first telephone office.
The historic site also has a museum store and a cafe that’s open seasonally from May to September.
Speaking of homegrown inventions, the town of Almonte has a museum dedicated to the inventor of basketball, who was raised in the area.
We love a day trip destination with a side of local history, and it’s safe to say that this spot will give you something to talk about.
Bell Homestead National Historic Site
When: Tuesday to Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PM
Where: 94 Tutela Heights Road, Brantford
Cost: $10.25 per adult
