The London Bridge Experience
The London Bridge Experience is a tourist attraction located on Tooley Street, in vaults below the southern abutment of London Bridge, immediately outside London Bridge Station and rival attraction London Dungeon. It is also opposite The Shard. The attraction opened on February 22, 2008 and cost in the region of £2,000,000 to develop.
On October 31, 2007, before it opened, the BBC reported that a collection of skeletons unearthed in the crypt had scared builders so much that they refused to work alone.[1]
Guests are led by actors on a tour through the 'dark' moments of London's history, which include Queen Boudiccia's battles with the Romans, The Great Fire of London and a medieval run in with the Vikings. It explains the history of all the bridges that have been on the site: the first military style pontoon bridge built by the Romans, the first stone bridge built by Peter de Colechurch, the John Rennie Victorian bridge (which has now been relocated to Lake Havasu in Arizona), ending with the current modern bridge opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1971.
The London Bridge Experience in 2012 introduced an "audio-wand" feature, so foreign customers are able to listen to the show in their own language. This includes: German, Spanish, Italian, Polish and French.
The London Tombs
It has a sister attraction, The London Tombs which is included in the admission price. This is a scare attraction built in the remains of a former plague pit. This part of the attraction is optional and only suitable for children over 11 years old. Children under 11 can request a special "Guardian Angel tour" which tones down the scares and skips a few extreme bits.
Phobophobia Special Halloween Event
The London Bridge Experience is also home to Phobophobia, a special Halloween show, that runs throughout October every year.[2]
Awards
The London Tombs have won the Screamie Award for being The UK's Best Year Round Scare Attraction for the last 5 years (2009 - 2013)[3] The London Bridge Experience has recently been nominated by Group Travel Organiser as a finalist for "Best Attraction for Group Visits". Other finalists including: Buckingham Palace, London Eye, St Paul's Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament.
References
- ↑ "UK | England | 'Spooky skeletons' scare builders". BBC News. 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
- ↑ "The London Bridge Experience & the London Tombs | Halloween's Scariest Event in London". TheLondonBridgeExperience.com. 2011-07-17. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
- ↑ "The Screamie Awards | Previous Winners of the Screamie Awards". ScreamieAwards.co.uk. 2010-10-21. Archived from the original on 2010-10-21. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
External links
- The London Bridge Experience and the London Tombs
- Official Full Review of The London Bridge Experience and The London Tombs
- BBC News - Skeletons Found
- Viking History
- Roman London
- Elizabethan Crime and Punishment
- Discover London Bridge
Coordinates: 51°30′23″N 0°05′17″W / 51.5065°N 0.0881°W
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