Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum expands with new education center

What is it: As a means to enrich and educate museum-goers, the Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum in Milan is constructing a new education center. The Don Gfell Education Center is made possible through a $50,000 Destination Development Grant from Shores & Islands Ohio.

The museum, located at 9 N. Edison Drive, opened to the public on Edison’s birth bicentennial in 1947. The new exhibit space’s namesake, Don Gfell, was a superintendent of the Edison school district and had a lifelong passion for education and generating interest in Edison. Gfell, who died in January 2023, was an integral part of the campaign to place a statue of Edison in the U.S. Capitol and amassed a large personal collection of Edison antiquities.
While construction takes some time, three rooms have been converted into one large room. There is now a handicapped restroom, and the cabinets have been repaired.

Courtesy of Thomas Edison Birthplace MuseumThe refinished floors in a portion of the Don Gfell Education Center.Why is it important: Robert Wheeler, great, great-grandnephew of Edison and president of the Edison Birthplace Association, notes the importance of the grant to make the exhibit space a reality.

“This grant helped us to enhance the facilities to better tell the Edison story and support our mission, education, and inspiration to youth,” Wheeler says.

The ongoing remodeling at the museum is also important because it is fulfilling a dream of Gfell’s.

“The museum was restricted by size and this will allow for a lot more room to display the artifacts," Wheeler says.

Artifact acquisition: Gfell and his family are responsible for almost all of the artifacts that will be on display. New artifacts are being readied for display, including a five-inch concert cylinder player, an Edison effect bulb (first patent in electronics), and electric appliances Edison made for the home, including toasters, coffee makers, and an iron.

How to get involved: The Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday through the month of August. For other hours and for information on the museum’s one-hour guided tours, visit the museum’s website or call 419-499-2135.