Blackpool Tower
The Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in the town of Blackpool, Lancashire, in the north of England (Grid reference SD306360). The tower, 518.9ft (158 m) tall, was inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It cost GBP £42,000 to construct, and it first opened to the public on 14 May 1894.
Unlike the Eiffel Tower, it is not quite free-standing, its base is hidden by a building housing the Blackpool Tower circus. The top of the tower is accessed by two lifts. There are four viewing platforms open to the public, the lower of which is completely enclosed. These afford views of much of Lancashire, southern Cumbria, North Wales and the Isle of Man, in addition to Blackpool and the rest of the Fylde peninsula. A further two platforms and the "crow's nest" are only accessible to staff. One of the higher platforms has a glass floor that allows visitors too look down on the street below. The tower is topped by a flagpole, and normally flies the Union flag except during the illuminations when the flagpole is lit by nearly one hundred lamps. The tower is used as a transmission location by one local radio station and a variety of non-broadcast services. National and regional FM services do not use the tower, because inland locations provide sufficient coverage of Blackpool. The tower is normally painted dark red, but for its centenary in 1994 was painted gold.
Blackpool is a popular seaside resort, and the tower, with its beachfront location, is the main attraction. The tower is lit during the annual illuminations, when the town and seafront are adorned with colourful displays of bulbs that stretch up and down the waterfront for several kilometres.
It is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers.
