Blackpool Zoo

Blackpool’s famous zoo has been a major attraction at the seaside resort for over 50 years and it is now home to around 1,350 animals of all shapes and sizes. 

Blackpool Zoo: Providing homes for animals since 1972

Blackpool Zoo may not be the oldest or the largest zoological park in the country but there can be little doubt that it is one of the most popular with hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

Covering an area of around 32 acres, Blackpool Zoo opened in 1972 on the site of Stanley Park Aerodrome. The aerodrome opened as Blackpool Municipal Airport in 1931 and the former control tower and hangar are still used today, although for slightly different tenants. At the start of the Second World War, the airfield was requisitioned by the RAF and used for parachute training with four hangars being constructed for the repair and assembly of Wellington bomber aircraft.

After it closed as an operational RAF aerodrome, the site became the home of the Royal Lancashire Show and with the closure of the Blackpool Tower menagerie, it was planned to become a 140 acre zoo with a safari park. Due to rising costs, the safari park idea never became reality but in a blaze of publicity, the zoo nevertheless opened on July 6th, 1972.

A whole host of animals have arrived over the years, including Asian elephants, Gorillas, Red Pandas, Monkeys and many more. Indeed many new developments have been taking place over the past 50 years and future seasons will see further improvements and additions. New major investment has just been announced and the plans will include new animal facilities for the big cats as well as refurbishment of the zebra house.

Driven by a very passionate team, Blackpool Zoo’s future has never been brighter and we can all look forward to many more years of pleasure at this excellent facility.

Blackpool Piers: Three Gems in the Irish Sea

Blackpool just wouldn’t be the same without the three iconic piers stretching out into the Irish Sea. They have been a feature of this coastline for well over a century and they continue to be hugely popular with locals and visitors alike.

Blackpool is unique amongst British seaside resorts in having three piers along the seafront. Whether you’re on the hunt for live entertainment, food stalls, games, a stick of rock or just some bracing sea air, the North Pier, Central Pier and South Pier have something for everyone.

Each pier has a different feel and some unique features. You can start your stroll at the quaint North Pier – the oldest of the three – and take a leisurely walk along the Golden Mile to the Central Pier before finishing things off at the South Pier. While each pier offers 21st century facilities, they have been a feature of the seafront for well over 100 years!

North Pier

As mentioned above, Blackpool’s North Pier is the oldest of the three, having been opened to the public in 1863. A favourite amongst visitors, this is the only Blackpool Pier to be listed at Grade II and it is the epitome of tranquility and simplicity. You won’t find a wealth of funfair rides here although there is still plenty to entertain visitors of all ages.

Central Pier

Blackpool’s Central Pier is right at the heart of the action with a wide range of amusements, shopping and shows. Here you can find the instantly recognisable Big Wheel which has recently been enlarged, while the views from here – particularly of the Blackpool Tower – are second-to-none.

Central Pier was opened one year after the North Pier in 1864 and from Day One the emphasis was one fun rather than relaxation. A fire in 2020 damaged the structure but it has since been fully restored and remains one of Blackpool’s most popular attractions.

South Pier

Built in 1893 and originally known as the Victoria Pier, this is the youngest of Blackpool’s three piers and has been developed as a mini theme park above the waves. Here there are thrills and excitement aplenty for all the family, with the hugely popular Blackpool Pleasure Beach right on the doorstep.

History of Blackpool Tower: 1894 to Present Day

The famous Blackpool Tower is a hugely popular icon which has been a feature of the Fylde coastline since its construction in 1894. 

Blackpool Tower has stood tall over the Fylde coastline since 1894, the iconic structure celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2019. It opened to the world on May 14th, 1894 and with a host of attractions at its base, it proved hugely popular with the public from the outset and continues to attract millions of annual visitors to this day.

Blackpool’s famous tower is one of the most instantly recognisable buildings in the country and with five top-class attractions housed within its confines, there can be little doubt that it continues to be one of the most loved landmarks in the UK.

Blackpool Tower Circus

the Blackpool Tower Circus has been a huge hit with families for many years and continues to be one of the most popular attractions at the seaside resort to this day. It first appeared in 1894 – the same year as the opening of the tower – and has never missed a single season – even during the two World Wars.

Blackpool Tower Ballroom

The Blackpool Tower Ballroom is as old as the Tower itself. Dating back to 1894, this venue is world-famous and is known for its spectacular architecture, decoration and sprung dance floor. The ballroom itself measures 102 by 120 feet and comprises of no less than 30,602 desperate pieces of mahogany as well as walnut and oak.

Blackpool Tower Eye

Those with a head for heights can pay a visit to the Blackpool Tower Eye, this popular attraction situated some 380ft above the promenade with views as far as Manchester, Liverpool and the Isle of Man. This is a thrilling attraction for all the family and visitors can walk out – if they dare – onto the glass viewing platform. Don’t worry, the glass is five centimetres thick! Tickets for the Eye include the 4d Cinema Experience.

Blackpool 4D Cinema Experience

The Blackpool Tower 4D Experience brings to life the history of the structure and is a great introduction to the famous tower. The experience lasts approximately 5 minutes and is included in the Blackpool Tower Eye ticket. This is one of the newer attractions within the Tower and certainly one of the most popular.

Blackpool Tower Dungeon

At Blackpool Tower Dungeon, visitors can immerse themselves in shows covering over 1000 years of history, however they will need to survive the torturer!!! Special effects and rides bring this history alive with ten laugh-out-loud shows.

The Story of Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Today, Blackpool Pleasure Beach provides 21st century entertainment to millions of visitors annually. With some of the biggest, fastest and technologically advanced rides in the world, this is a real playground for those seeking thrills and excitement and this has been the case for over one hundred years. 

Blackpool’s famous Pleasure Beach celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2021, testament to its continued popularity. That is certainly a lot of history! 

Most visitors to Blackpool will pay a visit to Blackpool Pleasure Beach at some point. This venue has been a favourite of many generations of holidaymakers and continues to be so to this very day, the popular visitor attraction continuing to open new rides each year to keep up with ever-increasing demand.

The South Beach area of Blackpool was developed later than the town centre and the promenade didn’t extend down to this part of the resort initially. Gypsies moved into this area and ran fairground rides in the 19th century, however they were moved on in around 1910 to allow for redevelopment and for the expansion of the newly-created amusement park.

The first person to offer organised rides to visitors was John Outhwaite, the Yorkshire meat trader opening a steam carousel in 1895. William George Bean followed with a pedal-bike monorail on leased land between the Carousel and the gypsy encampment. It was Bean who founded the Pleasure Beach Company on April 23rd, 1896 and he joined forces with rival Outhwaite soon after, between them borrowing £30,000 and purchasing 40 acres of land next to the Star Inn.

In 1905, the site was renamed the ‘Pleasure Beach’ and the rest is history!

While there have been many new rides added over the years, visitors today can still see a handful of the original features. The iconic Flying Machine – located close to the main entrance – was opened in 1904. The original purpose of this ride was to raise funds to enable Hiram Maxim to attempt a flight of one mile! The gondolas on the original ride have been replaced with rocket carriages but otherwise it is still essentially the same ride.

In 1909 a roller skating rink was opened and in 1935 this was demolished to allow for construction of what is now the oldest Ice Drome in the world. The Ice How here began in 1936 and is now the world’s longest running show on ice.

Until 1923, the Pleasure Beach actually was right on the beach! At this point however, the promenade was extended south on reclaimed land and the site is now separated from the sea by a busy stretch of road and the tram lines.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach today is world famous with some of the fastest and most up-to-date rides in the world.

Blackpool History

Blackpool may be a booming 21st century seaside resort boasting all of the latest rides and attractions, however it has a fascinating history stretching back over centuries.

Blackpool Central Railway Station: Busiest in the World

Today, the vast majority of visitors to Blackpool arrive by road, however that certainly wasn’t always the case. Indeed it was the arrival of the railways which really boosted the town’s fortunes and opened it up as a seaside destination in its own right. Until the arrival of the railways, Blackpool was little more than an insignificant village, however with trains connecting the town to Manchester, Liverpool and further afield, the scene was set for the resort to turn into one of the premier seaside destinations in the country.

Blackpool Central Station – initially called Hounds Hill – was opened in 1863. This was initially little more than a minor town centre terminus with a single isolated line connecting to Lytham, however further lines were built and eventually the station was the largest in Lancashire with no less than 14 platforms – the same number as London Paddington.

Given that the station was situated slap-bang in the centre of Blackpool alongside all the attractions such as Blackpool Tower and Blackpool Piers, it was no surprise that it was very well patronised. Indeed in 1911 Blackpool Central Station was the busiest train station in the world, however with the advent of the motor car, its days were numbered.

Passenger numbers at Central began to decline after the Second World War and against the proposal of the 1963 Beeching report – which recommended closing Blackpool North Station – Central was closed for good on November 2nd, 1964. The Corporation had decided that the land on which Central stood was more lucrative and could be developed, however while some of the site was subsequently used as a bingo hall, the whole area still has a derelict air to this very day.

Early Blackpool

Blackpool is one of the premier seaside resorts in England with millions of visitors flocking to the town each year, however few will realise that until the 19th century it remained an insignificant village with very few visitors.

For many centuries, Blackpool was little more than a tiny hamlet on the Irish Sea although this has changed by the later years of the 18th century. By this time, many people had begun to believe that bathing in the sea could cure many diseases and visitors started to arrive in increasing numbers. Nevertheless, it remained a small place until 1781 when Thomas Clifton and Sir Henry Hoghton constructed a small private road to the village, thus making it far easier to reach. Stagecoaches started to operate from Manchester to Blackpool that same year, followed in 1782 by a service from Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Blackpool’s real growth started once the railway arrived in town and connected it with the fast growing industrial towns and cities of Lancashire and further afield. The first railway arrived in the area in 1840 although this only ran as far as Poulton in the Fylde. Six years later a branch line connected Poulton with Blackpool while a second line arrived via Lytham in 1863. At this point, Blackpool really started to boom as more and more visitors arrived and as a result, amenities had little choice but to improve to meet the demand.

In the 1850s and 1860s, Blackpool got gaslight and piped water while a Board of Health was formed at this time. In 1856 construction of the famous promenade started and this was completed 14 years later. The first of the Blackpool piers – the North Pier – was opened in 1863, followed by the Central Pier in 1868. The Winter Gardens followed in 1878 and the electric lights were first switched on in 1879. The electric tramway arrived in 1885 and South Pier completed the trio in 1893.

Blackpool is well known for its iconic tower and this was erected between 1891 and 1894, the design modelled closely on the recently-opened Eiffel Tower in Paris.

In the latter years of the 19th Century, Blackpool grew at an impressive rate. The population in 1881 was around 14,000, however by 1901 it had increased to 47,000. In 1951 the total population of the town was 147,000 and the growth levelled off at this point.

Today, Blackpool is a booming seaside resort with a record number of visitors expected in 2023. With some world-class attractions and events on offer, the town can expect to remain one of the principal seaside resorts in the UK for many years to come.

Blackpool has a wealth of attractions which between them help attract millions of visitors to the seaside resort each year, however many don’t realise that there are a great many iconic structures that have disappeared over the years. The most notable of these was the ‘Great Wheel’ which was built as a rival to the nearby Blackpool Tower in 1896.

Blackpool’s Big Wheel of 1896

Blackpool’s iconic tower dominates the skyline at the famous seaside resort with nothing to challenge it, however that wasn’t always the case. In 1896 it had a rival in the form of the ‘Giant Wheel’ although in reality it was never a genuine challenger and lasted a mere 32 years.

Designed by Walter B Bassett and situated next to Blackpool Winter Gardens, the structure was the second wheel out of four that the British Naval Engineer was to erect between the years of 1895 and 1898, the others being located at London (Earls Court), Vienna and Paris. He was taken to court by American giant wheel inventor James Weir Graydon who had invented and patented the big wheel idea, however Bassett won the case and either way, all four of his wheels were in operation by then. Nevertheless he dies penniless in 1907 and since then all of his wheels have long since disappeared.

Blackpool’s giant wheel (commonly referred to as the ‘Jolly Wheel’) closed to the general public on October 20th, 1928. Each carriage was dismantled separately from each side once by one to ensure balance and the demolition company put these up for sale at £20 each.

Today the Blackpool Giant Wheel is but a distant memory, however the Big Wheel on the Central Pier is a nod back to the time when Blackpool Tower had a big rival back in the day.