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Blackpool Attractions
The attractions in Blackpool have something for everyone from the Blackpool Tower, The Pleasure Beach to the Blackpool Zoo. Days out in Blackpool are wonderful. Whether you come to Blackpool for a day out, weekend or a week there is so much to do and so many attractions you will have a hard time deciding what to do and what to visit. Blackpool days out are fun for people of all ages from children to adults there is something for everyone.
Blackpool Tower
The tower is 158 m (518 ft 9 in) tall. It was inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. It cost GBP £42,000 to construct, and it first opened to the public on 14 May 1894. It is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers. 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, Winter Hill, southern Cumbria, North Wales, and the Isle of Man, in addition to Blackpool and the rest of the Fylde peninsula. An additional two platforms and the "crow's nest" are only accessible to staff. The enclosed lower platform contains a glass floor above the south-west leg that allows visitors to look down on the street below. The tower is topped by a flagpole, which 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 a local FM station (RadioWave 96.5) 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. In 1900, the tower was rebuilt with 14 platforms.
| Hotels near Blackpool Tower | ||
| Calypso Hotel | from £30.00 | |
| Royal Vincent Hotel | from £18.00 | |
| The Blackpool | from £32.00 | |
| The New Osterley Hotel |  | from £72.00 |
| The Shanklin Hotel | from £21.00 | |
The Pleasure Beach
Pleasure Beach, Blackpool has a mixture of traditional wooden rides, modern steel roller-coasters, small family rides, highly-advanced thrill rides and generations-old rides still in original working order. Some regular visitors believe that the Pleasure Beach has been neglected over the past few years, although the park is currently re-branding with new rides and shows. Another major attraction is the ice shows, including 'Eclipse' and 'Hot Ice', and a casino. The Pleasure Beach is currently undergoing a major refurbishment with new paths and coatings, new paint jobs for the rides, and a complete park re-branding. Following the loss of the famous 'Happy-Sun' logo, MD Amanda Thompson promised that the relatively small amusement park would undergo major development. Pleasure Beach, Blackpool attracts about 6 million visitors a year.
| Hotels near The Pleasure Beach | ||
| Lichfield Hotel | from £28.00 | |
| St Albans Hotel |  | from £55.00 |
| Classic Big Blue Hotel | | from £69.00 |
| By The Beach | | from £62.50 |
| Roker Hotel | from £35.00 | |
Blackpool Zoo
Located two miles from Blackpool's sea-front in Lancashire, England, Blackpool Zoo provides a home to over 1,500 animals from all over the world. The Zoo aims to provide its visitors with a stimulating, informative and enjoyable experience that demonstrates its role in the conservation of endangered species. Since the purchase of the Zoo in 2003 by a private company, £10m has been invested in updating facilities on the site including the animal enclosures and plans are in place for 2007 for further investment in the Zoo. Opened in 1972, in recent years the Zoo has been the subject of demonstrations by local animal rights campaigners, who allege that the conditions in which some of the animals are kept do not reflect their natural habitat and therefore are not conducive to the animals' welfare. These groups stage peaceful pickets and distribute leaflets, usually on bank-holiday weekends. The Zoo prepares for these events by producing targeted, anti-protestor literature that is distributed upon their arrival. 2005 saw the opening of the 'Dinosaur Safari', a walkthrough exhibition featuring plastic models of 32 life-size dinosaurs around a trail. The exhibition has had a lukewarm reception as the models of the dinosaurs are deemed by many to be unrealistic and the extra cost of the trail catches many guests unaware. The Dinosaur Safari was however made free or included within the normal price entrance to the zoo, in mid 2007. Giraffes are back in 2008, the last time they were at the zoo was 1993. A new house was built on the south side of the zoo for the Giraffes in summer 2008. In summer 2009, penguins are to be added to the list of animals at the zoo.
| Hotels near Blackpool Zoo | ||
| De Vere VILLAGE Herons Reach Blackpool - Hotel and Leisure Club | | from £72.00 |
| Carlee | | from £28.00 |
| St Andrews Guesthouse |  | from £60.00 |
| The Address |  | from £25.00 |
| Chelston Hotel - Guest House | from £28.00 | |
Winter Gardens
The Winter Gardens is a large complex of theatres and conference facilities in the town centre of Blackpool, England. The site was opened in 1878 but a large part of the current building is relatively recent, dating back to the 1930s. The Winter Gardens is a favoured venue for political conferences, having hosted the main annual conferences for trade unions and all three major British political parties. In fact, the owners of the centre claim that every British prime minister since the Second World War has addressed an audience there. The Winter Gardens has also been the venue of the Blackpool Dance Festival since its inception in 1920 and hosts the Stan James World Matchplay darts tournament every July.
| Hotels near Winter Gardens | ||
| Ferris Wheel Hotel | from £20.00 | |
| Rosebank Villa | | from £27.00 |
| The New Osterley Hotel | | from £72.00 |
| Astoria Hotel | | from £25.00 |
| The Boltonia | | from £27.00 |
Other Attraction near Blackpool
- Lancaster Castle - One of the best-preserved and hardest-working Castles in the country, Lancaster Castle is used as Courts and Prison.
- Fleetwood Museum - Fleetwood Museum brings to life the history of Fleetwood and the Lancashire Coast.
- Camelot Theme Park - Camelot. The land of great Knights and Amazing Days.