Virginia Telephone Museum - Telephone Pioneers of America

The Virginia Telephone Museum
Pioneers Museum Website
713 E. Grace Street Richmond, Virginia 23218 (804) 772-1118
E-mail: vtmrva@wcast.info

We are temporally closed.

For the safety of our invited guest and dedicated
volunteers, we will remain closed until further notice.
Our next open house is scheduled in the spring of 2021.

However, we continue to offer our off-site group
historical and technical lectures upon request.

To schedule an off-site group lecture, please call or e-mail us
with a place/date/time request.
Someone will get back in touch with you soon.

The Museum began assembly in 1991 in the back of the Pioneer Office at 3520 Elwood Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. Dedicated retirees gathered exhibits, wired switchboards to phones, set up displays, cataloged items and finally opened in May of 1993 during the annual Old Dominion Pioneer Reunion. Exhibits expanded over the years, with corporate contributions of equipment representing telephony over the years from outside plant, central offices, pbx's and private homes. Photos, tools, paper records, manuals and payroll cards represented a portion of items. Building signs, Vail Awards, photographs, newsletters and even some of a retiree's personal library accumulated in 1999. Bell Atlantic was completing a merger with Nynex and advised staff that the Ellwood building was to be vacated. That move was delayed until the GTE-Bell Atlantic merger formed Verizon. After things settled from that merger, Verizon provided space for the Museum in the 713 E. Grace Street building. Packing began in September 2004, with the move completed in October of the year. Setup at the new location was completed in the spring of 2005, with the official opening in June. All work after the move has again been done by retiree volunteers. The new location has a library space, which holds telephony and Pioneer items for research and simply browsing. Currently the museum is open by appointment, by calling 800-423-3422. School class trips are always welcome, and funds are available to assist with the cost of school busses to transport students to and from the Museum. Additional volunteers are always welcome. For information call the pioneer office.

Special Links

History of the Telephone Pioneers

New Vision Pioneers

The Old Virginia Telephone Museum
1991-2005

The old Virginia Telephone Museum was maintained by the Richmond Life Member Club of the Old Dominion Chapter #43, Telecom Pioneers of America which was sponsored by Verizon. The Life Member Club had the responsibility of collecting, storing, processing, and displaying items of importance to the heritage of the telephone. The museum had a diverse collection which was readily available to the public for their enjoyment.

The Virginia Telephone Museum was housed in a Verizon building located at the corner of Ellwood Avenue and Thompson Street in Richmond, Virginia. The museum was open the first Friday third Wednesday of each month from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Group tours were available. The museum was relocated to 713 East Grace Street in Richmond, Virginia in 2005 and the old building was sold.

Quick Tour of the old Museum Maintaining the old Museum Old Location - Click On Map To Enlarge