Visit to Alexander Graham Bell's Museum, Estate and Grave

Alexander Graham Bell's Estate and Grave

The Bell Estate, about 650 acres, is situated in a splendid location of natural beauty .

Bell called his estate Beinn Bhreagh meaning beautiful mountain in Gaelic.

The entrance is low key and you will notice the access roads are dirt.

Jack McDonald, the caretaker of the estate, met me at the entrance and gave me a tour.

Bell and his wife being driven on their estate by Jack's grandfather.

Bell's coffin at his burial in August 1922.

There is a wonderful scale to the grave that befits the grandeur of the man.

I dressed up to have my photo taken at the grave of Alexander Graham Bell and his beloved wife, Mabel Hubbard.

Alexander Graham Bell's natural stone tombstone.

The tombstone text. Bell was extremely proud of his American citizenship.

On October 25, 1996 less than a month after I retired, I paid my respects to Alexander Graham Bell, one of my childhood heroes and the man who had made possible my 30 year career at Bell Laboratories, by visiting his grave, located at Beinn Bhreagh, his estate in Nova Scotia, Canada. Many find my tribute to Bell fascinating and educational. Another memorable article is The New York Times obiturary.

I stayed at the historic Telegraph House in nearby Baddeck. As fate would have it, I was assigned Room 1, which Bell had lived in for months while his estate was being completed.

While in Baddeck, I also visited the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. This is largest collection of Bell's artifacts and inventions. Contact and logistical information is available from Parks Canada to plan your visit.

Since Bell is buried on private property, I wrote Grosvenor Blair, his great-grandson, who owns the estate, and he not only granted me permission to visit, but had Jack McDonald, his caretaker give me a tour of the estate. Mr. McDonald, who is the grandson of Alexander Graham Bell's caretaker and driver, shared with me many personal details and stories about Bell that he had learned from his grandfather. I felt deeply honored.