Blackpool Tower Birthday, we celebrate this great achievement with 20 Blackpool Tower Facts.

Towering over Blackpool, Blackpool Tower was the tallest man-made structure of the British Empire when it was completed.

To this day, it remains a main attraction in Blackpool, seeing thousands of visitors every year.

Visit the incredible Blackpool Tower.

Main Image Kind Permission and © Gregg Wolstenholme @wolstenholmepic | greggwolstenholme.co.uk

First 10 Blackpool Tower Birthday Facts

1. Blackpool Tower Circus opened to the public on 14th May 1894 and they haven’t missed a single season since.

2. To cover the floor of the Blackpool Tower building, it takes 15,000 yards of carpet.

3. The Tower now uses 25,000 eco-friendly LED lights but when it opened it used 10,000 light-bulbs.

4. Painting the entire Tower structure from top to bottom, including replacing corroded steelwork, takes approximately seven years.

5. The Tower buildings have more than five million bricks.

6. The Tower buildings occupy a total area of 6,040 square yards – that’s around 5,050 square metres!

7. By 1896, the Tower and the buildings had already cost around £290,000.

8. 3,000 customers took the first rides to the top of the Tower when it opened.

9. The Tower measure 518 feet and 9 inches to the top of the flagpole. That’s around 158 metres!

10. When the Tower opened, the admission cost sixpence and another sixpence to take the lifts up to the top. The Circus also cost extra.

Another Great 10 Blackpool Tower Birthday Facts

11. Just the Tower itself has 2,493 tons of steel and 93 tons of cast iron. The base has 985 tons of steel and 259 tons of cast iron.

12. The Ballroom has a unique sprung dancefloor and stunning architecture, housing five attractions.

13. The Ballroom comprises 30,602 blocks of oak, mahogany, and walnut, with the floor measuring 120 feet by 102 feet. That’s around 36 metres by 31 metres.

14. There’s an inscription above the stage from a Shakespearean sonnet, Venus and Adonis, reading: “Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear.”

15. The Ballroom has large crystal chandeliers that take more than a week to clean.

16. Dancing on Sundays wasn’t originally allowed. Instead, there was an evening of sacred music.

17. There used to be other strict rules, such as “Disorderly conduct means immediate expulsion” and “Gentlemen may not dance unless with a lady.”

18. The Ballroom was badly damaged by fire in 1956, taking two years and £500,000 to restore.

19. The Circus hasn’t had animals since 1990.

20. Boxing, snooker, and wrestling have been held in the circus ring.

Blackpool Grand Theatre

Take a look at what’s on at Blackpool Grand Theatre this Autumn / Winter 20/21

Blackpool Grand set out a COVID-Community Communication Programme (CCCP) during the Coronavirus pandemic. Our aims were simple, to CONNECT, COMFORT and UPLIFT. We would Connect people by offering tutorials on communication tools like Zoom and conduct community face-to-face meetings (book readings, youth groups and more). Comfort through stories of heritage, memories and storytelling, and to Uplift visitors spirits through laughter and exercise. Please do enjoy and if you can afford to donate please do.

The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it’s possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice around COVID-19, visit the World Health Organisation. If you’re in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Main Image Kind Permission and © Gregg Wolstenholme @wolstenholmepic | greggwolstenholme.co.uk