Telephone Museum Gridley

Very cool, clean and nicely laid out!

How is it possible that nobody else has ever reviewed this before?!
The Gridley Telephone Museum is a JEWEL!
If you ever find yourself in the Bloomington, Champaign, Urbana etc (East central IL) area and you have any interest in telephones, communication, or history, you owe it to yourself to visit this museum. The museum is easily the most interesting destination within a 200 mile radius of the BMI airport.
It is attached to the library in Gridley, IL. The staff is all volunteer (some also work in the library). The man who ran the Gridley telephone company (which is still in existence, right around the corner; one of the last ‘independent’ telephone companies left in the country) set up this museum with things found in the basement of the old building where the Gridley Telephone Company was housed. You will see 100+ year old phones, tools, test equipment, giveaways and trinkets… and a great historical timeline of phones and equipment from the late 1800s to today.
They also have recreated the original manual telephone switchboard (and it works!). Kids or adults can place a call from one of the old wall crank-​phones, and a live operator (if there is an available volunteer) will connect your call to another phone on the wall. The whole thing takes place in a recreated (using the original equipment and furniture) central office!
They also have the original solid wood phone booth. The volunteer who was on site when I was there told me a great story about how she used to use that phone booth to call home to get picked up when she was a youngster.
Call 48 hours in advance to make sure a volunteer will be available when you visit. Admission is free and they don’t hit you up for a donation. I saw a donation box by the door an popped in $ 5. They were very appreciative. There are some nice souvenirs (like a mug with a handle in the shape of a telephone receiver for $ 8 or picture postcards of the museum; 4 for $ 1) for sale but they don’t push the sales.
All in all, a great experience and a fun outing for anyone interested in phones. Highly recommended.