I finally went inside of a lighthouse! The Long Point lighthouse on Twillingate Island offers guided tours to the top of the tower and I was so happy about it. I’ve been wanting to go inside of a tower ever since I started my Lighthouses of Newfoundland adventure.
The Long Point lighthouse was built in 1876 and stands strong over 300 feet above sea level. It’s located at Crow Head, Twillingate, which can be found at the very end of Route 340. The first lightkeeper was Samuel Roberts, followed by 13 other lightkeepers with the current one being Hayward Canning.
Fun Fact: The Long Point lighthouse is the only brick lighthouse known to have survived in the province. It was originally built with brick and was later encased in a thick layer of concrete after the tower suffered damage from an earthquake in 1929.
Going inside of the lighthouse was so much fun for me. I loved the spiral staircase and being able to see the mechanisms and lantern room up close. You can see the original brickwork from inside the tower as well. The lantern room features lovely, triangular glass paned windows and a lantern with a focal height of 101 metres and a range of 16 nautical miles.
The views from inside the lantern room were incredible. I saw an iceberg in the ocean in one direction, the lightkeeper’s dwelling from another, and views of Burnt Island and the coastline. You can also see the parking lot with a craft shop (where I bought a Twillingate hat and a pretty ring).
There’s a lot of history inside of the dwelling attached to the lighthouse. You can learn all about the lightkeepers, the tower itself, the nautical flags and their meanings, the different lanterns and fog horns, and even more in the books they have available for viewing. There’s a long walkway with information about other lighthouses on the island too. There’s even a little shop area if you’re looking for souvenirs or local crafts.
I’m super grateful to have visited this lighthouse and being able to go inside of the tower. The staff were very kind and informative as they shared what they knew about the dwelling and tower. I highly recommend visiting the Long Point lighthouse if you are travelling in the area and looking for something to do.
Until next time…
Whoa Dana 