Tower Bridge and The Monument

• Record-breaking 864,652 visitors visited iconic attraction in 2018
• 10% increase on 2017 figures bucks trend across UK-wide museums & heritage sector

Tower Bridge, London’s defining landmark, welcomed a record-breaking 864,652 visitors through the doors in 2018. One of the capital’s most iconic attractions, the Bridge continues to attract domestic and overseas visitors from across the globe to the UK.

Drawing in the crowds for the bumper year have been the popular ‘Two Towers’ exhibition – exploring the stories of the individuals who built and designed the Bridge; as well as the award-winning shop offering a unique selection of toys, gifts and souvenirs.

With an average increase of 3.37% on 2017 visits across all London attractions[1], Tower Bridge is bucking the trend across the UK wide museums and heritage sector with a 10% increase on the previous year. The figures for the last financial year are a boost for the iconic attraction, which celebrates its 125^th birthday this June.

Tower Bridge generates over £6m a year for Bridge House Estates, which funds City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charity funder. City Bridge Trust is London’s biggest independent grant giver, making grants of £20 million a year to tackle disadvantage across the capital.

The attraction, owned and managed by the City Corporation, opened to the public in 1982, where the iconic high-level Walkways 42 metres above the River Thames were covered and opened to the public. 36 years on, Tower Bridge is in continuous development and aims to showcase the stories behind the engineering, people, architecture and the city that built London’s defining landmark.  This year sees the Bridge celebrate it’s 125^th anniversary with a yearlong programme of specially themed events.

Chris Earlie, Head of Tower Bridge said: “With 2019 marking 125 years of Tower Bridge, we are delighted to have welcomed 864,652 visitors in the lead up to such a landmark year. From circus aerialists, to walking tours and costumed performers, 2019 is an exciting year for the Bridge and we look forward to sharing the birthday festivities with you”.

Find out more about upcoming 125 anniversary exhibitions and events at Tower Bridge @TowerBridge and at www.towerbridge.org.uk.

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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 app to 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 16^th year, 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. This includes £110m funding to support the Museum of London’s move to West Smithfield and £4.9m for a detailed business case and next stage development, fundraising, and design work for the proposed Centre for Music.

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[1] ALVA visitor figures published 27 March 2019