Blackpool Tower: The Eiffel Tower Inspired It, But the Victorian Ballroom Below Is the Real Attraction

Blackpool Tower opened in 1894 at 158 metres, five years after the Eiffel Tower provided the architectural ambition and the proof of concept. It is significantly shorter than the Parisian original, but the Eiffel Tower does not have a Victorian circus that has run every year since 1894, or a ballroom in the Louis XIV style where tea dances still happen with a Wurlitzer organ rising from below the stage floor. The building that surrounds and supports the tower is, in many ways, more interesting than the tower itself.

The Ballroom

The Blackpool Tower Ballroom is a functioning 19th-century ballroom with gilded plasterwork, carved balconies, chandeliers, and the Wurlitzer. Tea dances with the organ run daily throughout the year. The spectacle of watching people dance waltzes and quicksteps under the Victorian gilt ceiling is both kitsch and completely sincere, which is the tone of Blackpool as a whole. Entry to the complex includes access to the Ballroom floor; sit at one of the tables around the edges and watch or join in.

The ballroom’s original decor dates from 1898 and has been carefully maintained. The organ is one of the few surviving examples in regular daily use.

The Circus

The Tower Circus has operated under the tower continuously since 1894, making it one of the longest-running indoor circuses in the world. The arena was built over a water tank; at the finale, the floor descends and the arena fills with water for an aquatic spectacle. Performances run several times daily; tickets are separate from the complex entry at around GBP 18 per adult. The circus moved away from animal acts years ago and now focuses on acrobatics, clowns, and high-wire work.

Tower Eye

The observation deck gives 360-degree views across the Irish Sea and Lancashire coast. On clear days the Isle of Man is visible to the west; the Lake District hills appear to the north. A glass floor section produces the standard vertiginous response. Combined complex and Tower Eye tickets cost around GBP 25 to 35 per adult; online booking saves money over walk-up pricing.

The Illuminations

Blackpool Illuminations run from late August through early November each year, covering approximately ten kilometres of promenade in light displays. The tradition started in 1879 with arc lamps to publicise the promenade and has grown annually since. The displays now include animated tableaux, illuminated trams running the full length, and projections on the Tower.

Viewing is free from the promenade. Illuminated trams run the coastal route; the ticket is standard tram fare. October weekdays are the least crowded period.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

The amusement park at the south end of the promenade has operated since 1896 and contains the Grand National (1935 wooden racing coaster), the Big One (65 metres, tallest in the UK when it opened in 1994), and the Icon (launched coaster, 2018). The historic wooden coasters from the 1930s give Pleasure Beach more interest to serious enthusiasts than a park of purely modern steel rides. Wristband entry costs GBP 35 to 55 depending on day and season; book online.

Eating and Staying

Fish and chips are the correct thing to eat in Blackpool. Bispham Fish Bar at the north end of town is locally regarded as the best chippy; cod and chips around GBP 12. No. 1 South Beach near the Pleasure Beach is the most reliable restaurant in town for quality cooking, mains GBP 15 to 25.

The Hilton on the promenade is the most comfortable hotel option (GBP 100 to 180 per night). Hundreds of guesthouses behind the promenade offer B&B from GBP 40 to 60 per room, making this some of the most affordable seaside accommodation in England.

Getting There

Direct trains from Manchester (1 hour), Preston (20 minutes), and Leeds (1.5 hours) serve Blackpool North station, 15 minutes walk from the Tower.