The best family days out in London and beyond rated by kids and teens
Average K-Rating based
on 8 K-Rating reviews
The Tower Bridge Exhibition offers a unique chance to explore the world’s most historic bridge. One of Thames’ iconic features, Tower Bridge was built in 1886-94.
In its exhibition, you can explore the fascinating past of the bridge’s structure and incredible Victorian Engine rooms.
When you arrive at Tower Bridge you have the option to either climb the stairs or take the lift. The stairs aren’t as tiring as those at Covent Garden Tube or St Paul’s Cathedral. When you reach the top, you arrive in a room which shows a film about why Tower Bridge was built.
The film, which includes a very unamused Queen Victoria and some Victorian beards which put all East London facial hair to shame, is very informative, easy for kids to understand and a great way to catch your breath back before venturing onto the walkway.
The glass walkway is the real selling point of the bridge. It only covers a section of the two walkways and so it can get crowded but it is a great addition to the bridge. A little patience is necessary but you shouldn’t have to wait too long for your photo opportunity.
Looking out the windows on the sides of the walkways you can also see great views of the river. The west walkways arguably have a better view for tourists as you can see landmarks such as Monument, the London Eye, the Shard and St Paul’s. Don’t forget your camera!
Once you have exhausted all photo and selfie opportunities on the walkway you can take the lift back to the ground floor where you can follow the blue trail to the engine rooms. Interestingly, they are not actually on the bridge, but next to it on the south bank of the river. The Victorian engines are spectacular to see and still move.
At the end of the exhibition, there are interactive models to help explain exactly how the bridge worked. Perfect for budding engineers!
It’s neat, but short and a very manageable size for youngsters. You can see how the mechanisms that lift the bridge are designed – the fun part was the glass bottom section of the floor where you can peer down onto the bridge and water below. It’s right near The Tower of London, but doing both might be a bit much for one day as there’s loads to do at The Tower of London. Paid entry.