125 YEARS FOR £1.25: TOWER BRIDGE CELEBRATES LANDMARK BIRTHDAY WITH SOUVENIR BOOKMARK

  • Special admission entry offer of £1.25 to Tower Bridge on 29 and 30 June available for all visitors when purchased on the day
  • Join the party as Tower Bridge celebrates 125thanniversary weekend with series of themed FREE events
  • Events include a Big Birthday Bash for Bridge architect Sir Horace Jones as costumed Victorians tread the Walkways to bring the story of opening weekend to life
  • For more information on the 125 anniversary weekend visit: towerbridge.org.uk/125   

Raise a toast to Tower Bridge this June as London’s best-loved landmark invites YOU to join its 125th birthday celebrations.  

A special admission entry offer of £1.25 to Tower Bridge is available throughout the anniversary weekend for all visitors when purchased on the day, all including an exclusive souvenir bookmark. 

Officially opened on 30 June 1894, visitors are invited to explore 125 years of the Bridge through a series of special offers and events throughout the anniversary weekend:

Tower Bridge – what if? 

  • Saturday 29 June – Monday 30 September, daily
  • Situated on the external piers of Tower Bridge
  • Admission FREE

Part of the City of London’s architectural arts programme, Fantastic Feats: The Building of London, Tower Bridge is working with Bermondsey-based All Things Studio to create an outdoor Victorian diorama offering passers-by a glimpse into some of the alternative river crossing designs presented to the City of London’s special committee in 1876. From the fanciful to the downright farcical - the diorama offers an intriguing view into what London’s skyline could have looked like.

Meet the Victorians

  • Saturday 29 – Sunday 30 June, daily
  • FREE with admission entry

To celebrate the official anniversary weekend, meet the workers, engineers and passers-by that once inhabited Tower Bridge. Taking inspiration from the ever-growing archive of personal histories from the lifetime of the Bridge, costumed actors will perform across the Bridge, bringing the story of the opening weekend to life.

Family Activities 

  • Saturday 29 – Sunday 30 June, daily
  • FREE with general admission, Family Activities Passes accepted

Over the birthday weekend families are invited to recreate the huge flotilla that passed under Tower Bridge on its opening day in 1894, alongside a number of family activities taking place in the Tower Bridge Learning Space.

Happy Birthday Sir Horace

  • 20 May – September (inclusive), daily
  • FREE with general admission

Celebrate the 200thbirthday of Tower Bridge architect Sir Horace Jones, at his Big Birthday Bash in the historic Engine Rooms. Families are invited to party with the man behind Tower Bridge, featuring games, a birthday activity table, treasure hunt and Victorian photo opportunity. 

Tower Bridge: A History in Pictures

  • From 27 June
  • FREE with general admission

A brand new photographic exhibition on display in Tower Bridge’s high-level Walkways, showcasing rare archival images and new photography taken from the official 125thanniversary book.

Walking Tours – Exploring London’s Heart

  • Tours take place Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout June. Tours start at 10:00, 13:00 and 15:00
  • BSL interpreted tours: 13:00 on Saturday 1 June, Saturday 8 June and Saturday 29 June
  • Tours last 90 minutes. Tickets £5, book via the website here: https://towerbridge.recreatex.be/Exhibitions/Overview 

For centuries the Pool of London was the heart of London's trade. Join a Tower Bridge accredited guide to explore its architecture, history, art and legends as we celebrate 125 years of Tower Bridgeas the gateway to the heart of London.  

Chris Earlie, Head of Tower Bridge, said: “As the modern day Bridge Master I’m delighted to wish the Bridge a very happy 125thbirthday. Our jam-packed weekend of anniversary events is an opportunity for many of our 864,652 annual visitors to join us in celebrating 125-years of the Bridge. Not only is this a chance to explore its significance throughout the ages through the eyes of the human histories behind London’s best-loved landmark, but it’s also a chance to discover how different the 21stcentury London skyline could have looked.”

To find out more about the anniversary weekend events visit: https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/125/

 -ENDS-

 

Notes to Editors:


Tower Bridge (http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/)

 #InsideTowerBridge 

  • Tower Bridge was the creation of architect Sir Horace Jones and civil engineer Sir John Wolfe Barry. It took eight years to complete and was officially opened on 30 June 1894 by the Prince and Princess of Wales (the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra)
  • Tower Bridge opening hours: 09:30 - 17:00 (last admission)
  • Admission prices for Tower Bridge
    • Adults: £9.80
    • Children aged 5-15: £4.20 
    • Groups of 10 or more adults: £8.30 
    • Concessions: £6.80 
    • Family tickets from £15.30 
    • Under 5s free
  • A special community ticket of £1 is now available for residents of of Southwark, Tower Hamlets and the City 
  • The nearest underground stations are London Bridge or Tower Hill
  • Visit the Glass Floor up on the high-level Walkways, which gives visitors a unique perspective of London 42 metres above the Thames. “Look up on London” – a mirror installed over the West Walkway’s Glass Floor offers visitors a dizzying experience of the city. Guests are able to tread on the glass floor panels whilst traffic passes beneath their feet. It can withstand the weight equivalent to one elephant or two London Black Cabs. 
  • Download the Family Trail appto explore Tower Bridge like never before with an innovative app and activity packed booklet for 5-10 year olds. 
  • Offering refreshed collections and bespoke ranges of gifts and souvenirs, the Tower Bridge Gift Shop reopened to the public in November 2016 following a 6-week redevelopment.  In 2018 the shop won the Museums + Heritage Award for ‘Best shop with a turnover more than £500k’. Now in its 16thyear, the Museums + Heritage Awards recognise projects of excellence, and innovative groundbreaking initiatives from galleries and visitor attractions from across the globe.
  • Winner of the 2016 Sandford Award for Heritage Education. This prestigious award recognizes the importance of formal, curriculum-linked education opportunities offered to schools by heritage sites.
  • Tower Bridge is one of only 20 UK attractions to receive the Visit England Gold Attractions Accolade in both 2018 and 2019. The accolade recognises quality visitor experiences on offer and is awarded to attractions that go the extra mile to provide a high quality day out.
  • Tower Bridge is recognised as London’s defining landmark and is a proud supporter of the City Bridge Trust, generating over £6m a year, which goes towards helping charitable causes across London.
  • The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
  • The City Corporation, which owns and manages Tower Bridge, is the fourth largest funder of heritage and cultural activities in the UK and invests over £100m every year. The City Corporation is also developing Culture Mile between Farringdon and Moorgate – a multi-million-pound investment which will create a new cultural and creative destination for London over the next 10 to 15 years. 

 

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