Blackpool, The No: 1 UK Seaside Resort
Blackpool is a popular seaside town and resort in Lancashire, England. Lying along the coast of the Irish Sea, it has risen to prominence as one of the most visited towns in Europe and a major centre of tourism.
Blackpool currently boasts more guest house beds than the whole of Portugal. It is home to some of the U.K's most popular attractions and events and welcomes visitors from around the world. Many of the regular visitors come from northern England and the west of Scotland.
Blackpool remains a summer entertainment venue, specialising in variety shows featuring entertainers such as Ken Dodd and Roy 'Chubby' Brown.
Blackpool Dance Festival is a world famous annual ballroom dance competition of international significance.
For the last three years, Blackpool has played host to the Rebellion Punk Rock Festival, an annual event which moved back to Blackpool after a few years in nearby Morecambe.
Blackpool Illuminations consisting of a series of lighted displays and collages arranged along the entire length of the sea front, seven miles in total, attract many visitors from late August to early November. Each season a famous person "flicks the switch" to turn the lights on in an opening night switch on ceremony.
Blackpool boasts some important landmarks, most of which appeared originally as part of the flourishing tourist industry including Blackpool Tower, Central Pier and the Twin Climbing Towers.
Blackpool Tower, opened in 1894. it has been a dominant landmark of the Blackpool skyline since that time. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, it is 518 feet & 9 inches in height. Beneath the tower is a complex of leisure facilities, entertainment venues and restaurants, including the world famous Tower Ballroom and Tower Circus.
North Pier - The northernmost of Blackpool's three piers. It includes a small shopping arcade, a small tramway and the North Pier Theatre toward the end of the pier. The pier end also used to have a helicopter pad, but this was damaged in a Christmas storm in 1997 and collapsed into the sea.
Central Pier - The middle pier, includes a large Ferris wheel and shops.
South Pier - The southernmost pier. Almost directly opposite the Pleasure Beach, it houses a theme park.
Pleasure Beach Blackpool - An amusement park with rides including the Pepsi Max Big One, which was the world's fastest and tallest complete circuit rollercoaster between 1994 and 1996.
The Winter Gardens is a large entertainment and conference venue in the town centre. It includes the Opera House (one of the largest theatres in Europe), Pavilion Theatre, Empress Ballroom, Spanish Hall, Arena and Olympia.
Blackpool Zoo - provides a home to over 1,500 animals from all over the world.
Grand Theatre - Victorian theatre designed by Frank Matcham. Also now known as the National Theatre of Variety.
Great Promenade Show - Series of modern artwork installations along Blackpool's South Promenade. Includes the Blackpool High Tide Organ an unusual musical monument which uses the movements of the sea to make music.
Louis Tussaud's Waxworks - waxwork museum, featuring models of celebrities,
Doctor Who Exhibition - the biggest Doctor Who exhibition in the UK - contains props and costumes from the long-running BBC TV series, including some from recently aired programmes.
Sandcastle Water Park (now known as Waterworld) - An indoor swimming pool with slides and waves. Next to the South Pier.
Stanley Park - Grade II historic park and gardens with golf course, cricket club, sports arena, lake, art deco restaurant, model village, gardens, etc.
Odeon Cinema - Situated on a multi-complex site, on Rigby Road, with 10 screens.
The Syndicate Nightclub, holds just over 5,000 people.
Blackpool tramway runs from Starr Gate in Blackpool to Fleetwood and is the only surviving first-generation tramway in the United Kingdom.
The tramway dates back to 1885 and is one of the oldest electric tramways in the world. It is run by Blackpool Transport and runs for 11 miles and carries 6,500,000 passengers each year.
The tramway was for a long time the only working tramway in the United Kingdom outside of museums. It was also the UK's first electric system.
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