The Marconi Centre
A small volunteer-run museum on the Cornish cliffs at Poldhu, on the site of Marconi's first transatlantic radio transmission in 1901.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Poldhu, near Mullion, is the place from which Guglielmo Marconi's wireless station sent the first transatlantic radio signal. The station's plot was bought in 1900, and its transmitter was built over the following winter. A storm destroyed the original circular aerial in September 1901, and a temporary fan-shaped aerial was used instead.
On 12 December 1901 Marconi and his assistants heard a faint signal of three dots, the Morse letter S, sent from Poldhu, at Signal Hill in Newfoundland. The event is seen as a turning point on the way to broadcasting, satellite communication, mobile phones and the internet.
The Marconi Centre opened on 12 December 2001, exactly a century later, a few yards from the original transmitter site above Poldhu Cove. It is run by volunteer members of the Poldhu Amateur Radio Club, which also has its radio rooms there. Visitors can watch a short video on Poldhu and Marconi's work, read wall panels, listen to short-wave radios and take an information sheet for a self-guided walk across the adjoining fields where the ruins of the old transmitter building can be seen.
Highlights
- Site of the first transatlantic radio signal in 1901
- Short video presentation on Marconi's work at Poldhu
- Short-wave radios to listen to
- Self-guided walk to the ruins of the old transmitter building
- Free entry and free parking
Permanent exhibition
- Poldhu and Marconi – A short video presentation and wall panels on the Poldhu wireless station and Marconi's transatlantic experiments, with short-wave radios to listen to.
- Founded
- 2001
- Operated by
- Poldhu Amateur Radio Club
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Entry is free; the centre relies on donations to maintain its facilities.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Wheelchair access is reasonably flat via a shallow ramp with rails. Disabled parking bays are on the driveway to the right of the Marconi Centre car park. Visitors with access concerns are welcome to contact the centre before arriving.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Poldhu Cove · 9-min walk
Take the number 34 bus from Helston to Poldhu Cove (about 38 minutes), then walk uphill for about 9 minutes. The Transport for Cornwall app is recommended for planning bus journeys.
By car
Free parking
Free visitor parking in the Marconi Centre car park at the end of the road on the left as you drive up the hill from Poldhu Cove; walk up by the footpath to the right of the car park. Disabled bays are on the driveway to the right of the car park.
- Accessible parking
The centre is at Poldhu Cove rather than in Mullion village.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
Standard and disabled toilets. No café or shop is mentioned.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Visitors can take an interpretation sheet for a self-guided walk across the adjoining fields. Group visits, for example school or club parties, can be arranged by e-mail to the club secretary. |
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