Location: The Promenade, Blackpool, Lancashire Date completed: Officially opened 14th May 1894 Designers: Charles Tuke, James Maxwell Function: Tourist attraction

Despite the lure of low cost foreign travel, the attractions of Blackpool still draw millions of holidaymakers every year. Starting as a small coastal village, Blackpool began its climb to fame in the mid 18th century, when sea bathing became fashionable. However it was the arrival of the railways that made it a major attraction. By 1881 it was the archetypal British seaside resort, complete with piers, theatres, donkey rides and fish and chip shops. A few years later in 1890 the Blackpool Tower Company was formed. On 14th May 1894 the Blackpool Tower was opened to the public. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, rising to 518 ft (158 m) it cost an eye watering £290,000 (when a skilled workman might earn £120 a year), using five million bricks, 2,500 tons of iron and 93 tons of cast steel. Despite the huge cost, the company made a profit of £30,000 in 1896. The Tower was not painted effectively and corroded over the years, to the point where it was considered for demolition. Instead, between 1921 and 1924 all the steel work was replaced and the Tower remained open.

Today the Tower is the iconic landmark of Blackpool. It still offers visitors a magnificent bird's eye view of the surrounding area through the Blackpool Tower Eye, with its glass floor. But the Tower is merely the visible centrepiece of an extensive entertainment facility within the Tower complex. This was renamed "Tower World" and opened by Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1992. The tower Circus occupies the base of the Tower. Starting in 1894, it has opened every season since. Other attractions are Jungle Jim's Towering Adventure for youngsters, and the Tower Lounge Bar, with a capacity for 1,700 guests. The Menagerie closed in 1973 and the Aquarium in 2010, replaced by the Dungeon.

Maintaining the tower is a demanding full time job and the workers who carry out the task are called "Stick Men". Painting the Tower takes seven years to complete. In April 2002 the Blackpool Tower maintenance team featured in a BBC programme "Britain's Toughest Jobs".