Cape Race
National Historic Site
Explore the Wild Blue Yonder
Over the last few centuries, the Cape Race Lighthouse and Marconi Wireless Station have secured a place in history as witness to some of the pivotal moments and innovations that connected and shaped our world – including the rescue efforts of the Titanic.
The Myrick Wireless Interpretation Centre
Long before cellphones and Wi-fi were around, news bulletins from Europe would be received from boats and transmitted by the New York Associated Press’ landline telegraph station – right here at the Myrick Wireless Interpretation Centre.
The first system to collect and disperse European news from incoming ships at Cape Race was put in place by Daniel H. Craig.
Here, small wooden rowboats would brave the lurching North Atlantic to pluck AP news parcels from the water. Once ashore, news packets would be relayed to Boston for telegraph via pigeon and pony.
Named for the Myrick family, who lived and worked at Cape Race from 1872 until 2007, the replica building is home to artifacts and exhibits that immerse you in the story of early telegraphy and wireless communications and marine radio in Newfoundland.
We invite you to visit the centre, where our knowledgeable guides bring history to life and share the remarkable moments that once happened here in electric detail – including the legendary distress call from HMS Titanic in 1912.
“We have struck a berg. It’s a CQD, old man”
On that fateful night the Titanic met its tragic end, Jack Phillips – the ship’s wireless operator – was conversing with Cape Race Marconi Officer (and good friend) Walter Gray. Phillips spoke cheerfully of the vessel’s magnificence, and of “the wonderful group of passengers and the good time being had by all”.
Bidding his friend goodnight, Gray turned the headphones over to the regular operator and left the station to attend to some administrative duties.
Before finishing work for the evening, Walter Gray returned to the Marconi station on his way home for ‘a look around’. At 11:55PM, the second operator burst through the door exclaiming “My God, Mr. Gray, the Titanic has struck an iceberg and is calling CQD!”- setting in motion one of the most infamous maritime disasters in history.
Myrick Wireless Interpretation Centre – Admissions
Season
July 1st, 2025 – September 15th, 2025
Hours
Daily: 10am – 5pm
Fees
To be paid on site
PLEASE NOTE:
For more information, contact the Mistaken Point Interpretation Centre at 1 (709) 438 - 1100.
Cape Race
Light House
for Morse Code
A Beacon of History and Science
One of the great national landmarks of North America, the Cape Race Lighthouse is one of the most important and powerful landfall lights in the world. Located on the rugged and fog-bound southern shore of Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula, this lighthouse has been guiding ships for over 160 years. It is also a National Historic Site of Canada and a witness to many significant events in maritime history and radio technology.
History of the Lighthouse
The first lighthouse at Cape Race – a cast iron tower with a coal oil lamp that turned by clockwork – was built in 1856 by the British Government’s Trinity House. In 1872 Patrick Myrick would take over the watch, and the Myrick family would continue to operate the lighthouse for more than 130 years!
Responsibility for the operation of the lighthouse was transferred to the Dominion of Canada in 1886. When the Marconi Company set up a wireless radio station at the lighthouse in 1904, it became one of the first places in the world to receive radio signals from ships.
In 1907, the cast iron tower was replaced by the current structure – a 29-metre-tall concrete tower, equipped with a massive hyperradiant Fresnel lens (as made by the Chance Brothers in England). Emitting a one million candle power flash, it was one of the most powerful lights in the world at that time (the light was electrified in 1926).
In April 1912, the Marconi Wireless station received a distress call from the legendary Titanic cruise-liner. The lighthouse also played a critical role in communicating with Allied convoys in both World Wars, monitoring for enemy ships or submarine activity.
The original cast iron tower was moved to Cape North in 1907, and later to Ottawa, you can visit it in front of the National Science and Technology Museum.
Science of the Lighthouse
The Cape Race Lighthouse is not only a historical landmark, but also a scientific marvel. The lighthouse contains one of the rarest and largest lenses ever made: a hyperradiant Fresnel lens. A Fresnel lens is a type of lens that uses multiple concentric rings of prisms to focus light into a narrow beam. A hyperradiant Fresnel lens is a very large and powerful version of this lens, designed for long-range visibility.
The lens at Cape Race was manufactured by Chance Brothers in England in 1906, and is one of only 12 hyperradiant Fresnel lenses left in the world. Weighing over four tons and standing over five meters in diameter, only one other remains in operation (at Makapuu Point in Hawaii). With a range of 24 nautical miles (44km), it’s considered a masterpiece of optical engineering and a supremely rare example of maritime heritage.
You’re invited to visit and learn more about this pillar of maritime navigational history. Hear stories and first-hand accounts from our expert guides and local lighthouse keepers – plus it’s the perfect place for a seaside picnic!
Cape Race Lighthouse
For more information, contact the Mistaken Point Interpretation Centre at 1 (709) 438 - 1100.