Blackpool Tower 125th Birthday: Five facts about Blackpool Tower

Image source, Getty Images / 鶹Լ

It's Blackpool Tower's 125th birthday today!

To celebrate, we've put together a list of everything you need to know about the iconic sea-side tourist attraction!

One

Image source, Getty Images / London Stereoscopic Company

Image caption, It takes a staggering 15,000 yards of carpet to cover the floor of the Blackpool Tower!

The Blackpool Tower was built way back in 1894 and opened its doors on 14 May.

It is one of the most iconic buildings in the UK and one of Britain's best loved landmarks.

It has several attractions to bring tourists to the seaside town, including the Tower Eye, the Tower Ballroom, the Tower Circus and the Tower Dungeon.

Two

Image source, John Chillingworth/PicturePost/HultonArchive/Getty

Image caption, Two girls eating ice cream on Blackpool beach in 1954

When it first opened, it was nicknamed the 'Wonderland of the World'.

The idea to build the impressive tower came from Sir John Bickerstaffe.

He was a former Mayor of Blackpool and was inspired by visiting The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

Three

Image source, Hulton Deutsch / Getty Images

Image caption, Blackpool Tower requires constant maintenance. It takes seven years to paint it from top to bottom! Here are two workers in 1933 repairing the tower.

There are more than FIVE MILLION bricks in the Tower, which is 518 feet 9 inches high - that's the same as over one hundred Ariana Grande's standing on top of each other!

Four

Image source, Birmingham Post and Mail Archive/Mirrorpix/Getty

Image caption, Dancers in Blackpool Ballroom in the 1960s

The Blackpool Tower has a famous ballroom.

You might have seen some your favourite celebs strutting their stuff across the iconic dance floor on Strictly Come Dancing.

The original ballroom opened in August 1894 and the present ballroom was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1899.

Five

Image source, Ronald Startup/Picture Post/Getty Images

Image caption, A scene from the Blackpool circus in 1953

There's even a Blackpool Tower circus!

It opened its doors in 1984 and hasn't missed a season since!