Blackpool Tower
Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
One of the country’s best loved landmarks and an icon of the British seaside, Blackpool Tower recently celebrated its 130th birthday. Since its opening in 1894, the 158 metre tall tower is one of the town’s most popular tourist attractions with visitors lured not only by the views from the Tower Eye, but the world famous Ballroom, the Tower Circus and the other myriad family-friendly attractions held within the building.
Blackpool Tower has renewed its reputation in recent years thanks to the frequent appearances of its grand ballroom on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Designed by renowned architect Frank Matcham, the current ballroom opened its doors in 1899. It features a unique sprung dance floor, spectacular, ornate design and its own Wurlitzer organ. In addition to the annual visits from the Strictly crew, the ballroom hosts guided tours, spectator events, while there are even opportunities to glide across the dance floor yourself.
Today the tower is the 125th tallest in the world, and there can be no missing it — especially when it’s lit up as part of the Blackpool Illuminations — sitting proudly in the middle of the promenade. The Tower Eye boasts the best views in the region, as visitors are provided with a panoramic vantage point looking over Blackpool in one direction and the Irish Sea in the other. Why not start your trip with a 4D cinema experience, before braving the five centimetre thick glass SkyWalk and then recovering in the sky high cocktail bar?
There’s more too. The Tower Circus is as old as the tower itself, and the seasonal show still astounds as acrobats perform jaw dropping stunts, while clowns deliver their comedy capers to an eager audience. As if that wasn’t enough, families can also enjoy dinosaur mini-golf, the gruesome Blackpool Tower Dungeon and The Fifth Floor — a new attraction featuring a family bar, a circus-themed arcade and 8K virtual reality roller coaster.
