Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site

Highlights

Note: Due to COVID-19, the visitor experience at Parks Canada places will be different than it has been in the past. The health and safety of visitors, employees and all Canadians is of the utmost importance. 

Parks Canada is asking visitors to comply with recommendations from Nova Scotia public health authorities by wearing a mask in indoor public spaces, and by respecting recommended social distancing measures at all times.

Parks Canada’s network of protected places is large and diverse. Visitor access, services, and even opening dates may vary across Cape Breton Island and Canso depending on local circumstances. Please visit pc.gc.ca/ns and follow Parks Canada’s social media channels for information and updates on the status of all Parks Canada places. 

On July 13, Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site reopened with self-guided tours and select visitor services available. To find out more information about what’s open and what’s closed on site, visit pc.gc.ca/bell

Overview

Parks Canada’s Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site commemorates the genius and compassion of renowned inventor Alexander Graham Bell. Exhibits show how he and his associates achieved Canada’s first powered flight with their airplane Silver Dart, produced the world’s fastest watercraft, advanced recording technology, designed giant kites and, of course, invented the telephone.

Original artefacts, films, and family photographs highlight his scientific and humanitarian work. Visitors can also enjoy hands-on activities and a variety of programs. Situated on 10 hectares of land with a superb view of the Bras d’Or Lake in Baddeck on Cape Breton Island, the site overlooks Bell’s summer home, Beinn Bhreagh, still privately owned by his descendants.

White Glove Tour

The Canadian Signature Experience is the stamp of quality that the international tourism marketplace recognizes. There are 8 Canadian Signature Experiences in Nova Scotia including the White Glove Tour.

Pull on your white gloves and slip behind the scenes to discover the private life of one of the most influential figures in human history. Now you can touch the depths of his inventive genius.

In the “The Parlour” hold Bell’s comfort items: his favourite jacket, walking stick, the personal notebook he kept tucked in his pocket. Follow the love story between “Alec” and Mabel Bell, “the girl for whom the telephone was invented.” Pull the curtain back in “The Workshop” to see how Bell put everyday items to extraordinary use. Pick up his tetrahedral cells, model kites and hydrofoils. Hold Bell’s history in your hands; it might just change your world.