The SkyWalk
Five centimetres of glass between you and the Promenade 115 metres below, and daring yourself to stand on it is half the fun.
When this steel tower opened in May 1894 it was the tallest man-made structure anywhere in the British Empire, an unabashed copy of the Eiffel Tower that had gone up in Paris only five years earlier. It still stands 158 metres over the Blackpool Promenade and still does the one job it was built for: lifting visitors above the Irish Sea until Britain's most famous seaside town looks like a model village beneath their feet. The Tower Top is what most people come for. A lift carries you to a glazed observation deck at roughly 115 metres (380 ft), where the SkyWalk lets you stand on five centimetres of glass and watch trams crawl along the seafront below. On a clear day the coast runs north to the Lake District and, occasionally, the Isle of Man shows itself. A short 4D film is included in the ticket at no extra cost. Allow about an hour, longer in summer when a single lift and long queues slow everything down. One serious caveat: the top can close in high winds, which are common on this coast, so make it the first thing you do on a still day rather than the last thing you postpone. The tower does not stand alone. Its base is a Grade I listed Victorian complex holding the Tower Circus, which has not missed a season since 1894, the ornate Tower Ballroom with its celebrated Wurlitzer organ, and the Tower Dungeon, an actor-led walk through Lancashire's grislier history that genuinely frightens young children. Everything is ticketed separately: the Tower Top is £15 for an adult, while a two-attraction bundle is £24 against £30 bought singly, and three attractions cost £34. For a Gulf family the top plus the circus is the sensible pairing. The Ballroom is a working dance floor, so a visit mostly means sitting and watching tea dances, and it is best admired from the doorway if that is not your thing. Pushchairs are not usually taken up to the top, so carry the little ones or take turns. The tower is about a fifteen-minute walk from Blackpool North station and roughly an hour and a quarter from Manchester by car or train, which makes it an easy day trip from there. In summer, book online to save money and skip the ticket desk; in winter expect doors closing around four and daylight leaving even earlier.
Five centimetres of glass between you and the Promenade 115 metres below, and daring yourself to stand on it is half the fun.
A traditional circus show staged between the tower's four legs, and it has not missed a season since opening day — the best second pick with children after the top.
A gilded dance floor with a famous Wurlitzer organ; a quick look is enough unless tea dances are your thing.
The Promenade, Blackpool FY1 4BJ
Yes, if you pair it with the beach and perhaps the circus; the top alone is an hour and does not justify seventy-five minutes each way. Pick a clear, calm day and check the website that morning, because the top can close in high winds and the view on a grey day is not worth the ticket.
The London Eye is a little higher, far busier and much dearer, and its view is of a capital city. Blackpool gives you sea, coastline and a glass floor for £15, but do not travel for it alone; go up if you are already in Blackpool.