Welcome to The Roarbots’ series of Parks Canada Adventures. Similar to our NPS Adventures, this series takes a big-picture view of a single Parks Canada site and highlights some of the best activities it has to offer. This is usually done through a kid-friendly lens and almost always includes activities and suggestions we can recommend from personal experience. And pictures. There are lots and lots of pictures. Glad to have you aboard!

Welcome to Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site!

Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922) might be best remembered as the “inventor” of the telephone, but that was just one item on his long list of life achievements. Though he popularly receives credit for the whole telephone thing, he didn’t work in a vacuum. And he wasn’t the only person working on a “talking telegraph” at the time. Yes, Bell’s device was awarded the first patent (in 1876), and it was his design that was eventually refined and resulted in the telephone we’ve come to know, but Antonio Meucci and Elisha Gray (among others, more than likely) were also working on similar inventions at the same time.

Nevertheless, Bell’s patent won the day… and solidified his place in history. But Bell wasn’t a one-hit wonder. The success of the telephone made him a wealthy man, no doubt, and meant he didn’t need to worry about “earning a living.” Instead, he could focus on experimenting, inventing, and innovating. Which is where he excelled.

This site, located across the water from Bell’s summer home in Cape Breton (Baddeck), Nova Scotia, is on the shore of Bras d’Or Lake. Though the house itself is inaccessible to the public (see below), the Parks Canada site houses an extensive museum documenting Bell’s life and work.

Stats

• Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site
• Location: Nova Scotia
• Established: 1952
• Admission: $7.80 (Canadian) per adult; senior, youth, and group rates available
• Social Sites: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube

(Click on all pictures to embiggen.)

Museum

This is the only museum in the world to house the actual artifacts and documents from Bell’s years of experimental work in Baddeck. The Bell family papers (consisting of more than 145,000 documents, many of which are digitized and available online) are housed at the U.S. Library of Congress, and Bell’s large box telephone is in the Smithsonian’s collection (at the National Museum of American History).

But artifacts, documents, and photographs related to Bell’s work not only with the telephone but also with aeronautics, hydrofoils, kites, and optical telecommunications are housed here in Baddeck.

The museum exhibits highlight Bell’s early work with the hearing impaired, his life with his wife Mabel, the road to the telephone, and his many other inventions.

On display is a full-scale replica of the Silver Dart (which made the first conrolled, powered airplane flight in Canada in 1909), the HD-4 hydrofoil (both the original and a replica), preliminary telephone designs, and various other inventions.

There’s also a kids’ discovery area filled with books, toys, and interactive activities.

Other Things To Do

Alexander Graham Bell NHS doesn’t feel like a historical site. Rather, it’s more of a science museum (because that’s really what it is). It’s a lot like many of the science museums we’ve been to (and we’ve been to a LOT). Exhibits, hands-on interactivity, and live science demonstrations characterize the site.

Kids can take part in a kite-making class where they invent and fly their own kites (30 minutes, $4.90/person). Older kids and adults can challenge themselves in the tetrahedral kite workshop, where families or groups can build and fly their own four-celled tetrahedral kite (45 minutes, $9.60/kite).

There’s also a virtual reality experience where you can “race” the HD-4. Can you beat the marine speed record of 114 km/hour? The VR experience is for ages 13+ and costs $7.30/person. (There’s a screen-only version for younger kids.)

Special Tours

Perhaps the most enticing opportunity is the White Glove Tour. This tour takes you behind the scenes and gives you an up-close experience with the Bell collection (including items not on display) and the basics of museum conservation. Participants need to be at least 12 and it costs extra ($12.27 for the 30-minute tour), but it’s been designated as a Canadian Signature Experience (one of only eight in the Parks Canada system).

The Alec and I tour (by special request, 45 minutes, $7.30/person) is a multimedia tour that focuses on the relationship between Alexander and Mabel. And the Bell Family Album is a presentation of family photographs projected on the big screen and narrated by a park tour guide (30 minutes, $3.90/person).

Bell’s House, Beinn Bhreagh

Beinn Bhreagh (“beautiful mountain”) was built from 1882 to 1893 for Bell and his wife Mabel. It features circular towers and stone fireplaces, and gardens frame the estate. The house and property are still in private ownership by the Bell family, however, and cannot be visited by the public. Many of the historic outbuildings (e.g., the Kite House, the Lodge, and the Kia Ora boathouse) ares still standing. Alexander and Mabel’s graves are located on the Beinn Bhreagh estate property. Depending on the season, you might be able to see the house from the museum, but there is no public access.

Red Chairs

This isn’t a huge Parks Canada site, so it’s pretty easy to find the red chairs here. They’re just outside the museum and overlooking Bras d’Or Lake. The Kidston Island lighthouse is clearly visible, and on a clear day in the right season, you can see Beinn Bhreagh across Baddeck Bay.

Xplorers

If you have kids, Parks Canada’s Xplorers program should not be missed. Most sites in the system offer an Xplorers booklet, which encourages kids to ask questions, discover hidden corners of the park, keep their eyes open, and be active visitors. It’s a must-do feature of every Parks Canada visit, and the kids delighted in earning their dog tags at each location.