Signal Hill — Marconi's First Whisper
Decipher the mystery of the first transatlantic wireless signal received on Signal Hill in 1901. Uncover Marconi's hidden correspondence and expose the truth behind the breakthrough that changed history.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
December 12, 1901
Signal Hill — Marconi's First Whisper
You are a junior assistant to Guglielmo Marconi, December 1901, on the blustery heights of Signal Hill, St.
John's, Canada. Your scientific investigation begins at
Relive December 12, 1901 when Guglielmo Marconi captured the first transatlantic radio signal from the cliffs of Signal Hill.
The story that haunts this land
Johnson Geo Centre welcomes you at the foot of Signal Hill Road, built in 2001 in a former quarry with its 2000 m² of exhibitions on Newfoundland geology. Its rock samples dating back 500 million years testify to the geological history that shaped these cliffs where Marconi would install his antennas. The interactive museum prepares you to understand why these rocky heights, formed in the Precambrian, offered the ideal position to capture radio waves from Cornwall, England.
Cabot Tower has stood since 1897 on Signal Hill, 18 meters high, built for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and the 400th anniversary of John Cabot's arrival in 1497. This tower, never completed as a fortification, became the maritime signaling office before housing the Marconi exhibition. Here the Italian inventor installed his equipment on December 12, 1901, receiving three morse dots — the letter 'S' — that revolutionized global telecommunications.
Queen's Battery reveals its period cannons since 1762, artillery battery built during the Seven Years' War. This site witnessed the final British victory against the French in 1762, last battle of this conflict on North American soil. Restored with panoramic views over St. John's harbor entrance, this strategic position controlled ships approaching Newfoundland for two centuries — the same horizon Marconi scanned for his transatlantic radio experiments.
Signal Hill National Historic Site, designated in 1951, concentrates three centuries of military and telecommunications history. Since the 17th century, this British fort organized cannon firings for salutes and signals to ships. The 1 km North Head Trail connects the summit to the batteries, offering the same route soldiers took while watching the Atlantic. Ross's Valley hospital from the 1890s, destroyed by fire in 1911, reminds that these heights also served for health isolation.
Your mission concludes with understanding that Signal Hill concentrates the evolution of communications: from Indigenous smoke signals to warning cannons, then to Marconi's radio waves that connected America to Europe. You take away the revelation that this St. John's hill, sentinel of Newfoundland and Labrador, was the first invisible bridge thrown across the Atlantic — forever transforming our relationship with the world and distance.
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
The game downloads to your phone on start. Once the "✓ Downloaded" indicator appears, everything works without data — narration, AR, GPS and puzzles. Perfect abroad without a data plan.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
The Route
5-10 curated sites across the territory
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 14,90€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Historic navigation
Follow 15th-century navigation techniques and discover how Cabot used stars and sun to cross the Atlantic
Coastal landscapes
Explore Newfoundland's cliffs and promontories as seen by the first European to set foot in modern North America
Ancient cartography
Decrypt Venetian cartography methods and reconstruct the secret maps of America's discovery
First American land sighted by modern Europe
Signal Hill — June 24, 1497
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01What's the difference with a regular indoor escape room?
Outdoor escape game format: no physical locks, no actor, no fixed time slot. You start when you want, progress through Signal Hill, Cape Spear and Newfoundland coasts with your phone, and the city itself is the set. More immersive on local history, more flexible in pace.
Q02What walking pace should we expect?
Easy stroll: between stops you walk 3 to 7 minutes. No tough climbs unless flagged on the product page. If you really want to push, you can jog between stops, but that's not the point.
Q03Does Signal Hill — Marconi's First Whisper work for team-building?
Yes — it's actually one of our main use cases. Outdoor escape game format, teams of 4 to 6, live ranking possible between groups. For companies above 12 participants, contact us: we can issue linked codes.
Q04Best season to explore Signal Hill, Cape Spear and Newfoundland coasts like this?
Spring and autumn are the best seasons: mild temperatures, fewer tourists, gorgeous light. Summer is also great but go for early morning before 11 or late afternoon. Winter is perfectly playable, especially in southern cities — Signal Hill, Cape Spear and Newfoundland coasts often feels more authentic then.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
Relive December 12, 1901 when Guglielmo Marconi captured the first transatlantic radio signal from the cliffs of Signal Hill.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
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