A visit inside the magnificent Tower Bridge, London

Tower Bridge is one of the most iconic landmarks in London and a must-see attraction for anyone visiting the city. Famous for its striking towers and opening bascules, this historic bridge spans the River Thames and has been part of the London skyline since 1894.

While many people walk or drive across it every day, fewer realise you can visit London Bridge London and explore what’s hidden inside.  Yes, you can go behind the scenes, climb across the glass walkways, enjoy panoramic views of London, and see the original engine rooms that once powered the bridge lifts.

During our recent weekend in London, we visited Tower Bridge to see how it works and what’s hidden in the towers.  From climbing the North Tower to walking across the glass floor, this is one of the best things to do in London with or without kids.  Here’s what you can expect when you go inside Tower Bridge.

Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge that crosses the River Thames between Southwark to Tower Hamlets.  Opened in June 1894, it was built to join the two sides of the river, without disrupting the flow of London traffic.

It required a bascule and suspension design so that the bridge could open for passing ships on the Thames.  The result was an amazing movable bridge that is now one of London’s top landmarks and best places to visit.

The design by the city’s architect, Sir Horace Jones, was clearly a success as now over 50, 000 people cross the bridge (some in buses!) each day.  It still opens about 30 times a week to let ships through, though this was as much as 30 times a day when it opened.

Without Tower Bridge, the traffic of London would come to a standstill.

Tower Bridge is not to be confused with London Bridge, which is the next bridge down the river.  In 1968 a billionaire tycoon from America made that mistake and bought London Bridge in error.  Nevertheless, he dismantled the bridge and shipped it back to Arizona, where it is now a famous landmark.

Yes, you can go inside Tower Bridge, by visiting the Tower Bridge Exhibition, which includes the towers, glass walkways, and engine rooms.

You can walk or drive over Tower Bridge for free, but if you want to go inside you need to buy a ticket (see at end for prices).

Let’s look at what you can expect to see on a visit inside Tower Bridge.

The Tower Bridge Exhibition begins in the North Tower, where visitors climb 206 steps (or take a lift) to learn about the bridge’s construction and history.

As you ascend, you’ll find lots of fun facts on the walls, including everything you could ever need to know about the building of the bridge in child-friendly terms.  It’s a good excuse to stop and catch your breath!

At the top of the North Tower, we proceeded to the West Walkway and the most fun part of the exhibition – the glass floor!

The Tower Bridge glass floor is a transparent walkway 33.5 metres above the Thames, offering views of the traffic, boats, and pedestrians below.

The kids were a little apprehensive at first, but soon built up courage to lay across it looking down on the world passing by below.  There’s also mirror above, so you can take some cool selfies.  Luckily, we had the glass walkway to ourselves so could take as long as we wanted.

Whilst you’re there it’s a great location to get some fantastic views of London’s skyline.  We had a birds’ eye view of many iconic buildings, including the Shard, the Gherkin, St Katherine’s Docks and of course the Tower of London.

After crossing the high-level walkway, the route continues into the South Tower, where the exhibits focus on the workers and divers who built Tower Bridge.   You can then climb down the other side of the tower, which is far easier than on the way up!

To get to the engine rooms, follow the blue painted line on the pavement.  As you’re looking down, you can read the bronze plaques commemorating the former Tower Bridge workers.  You’ll then arrive at the last part of the tour, the engine rooms.

The Tower Bridge engine rooms house the original Victorian machinery that once powered the bridge’s bascules using steam engines.  There’s plenty of exhibits, so visitors can learn all about the technology used to power the bridge lifts, from the boiler room to the bascule drive engines.

Whilst the boys loved the engineering aspects of the exhibition, I loved the fascinating life stories of the workers who used to operate the machinery.  In 1894, it took a team of eighty to manage the steam engines, but with today’s modern technology it only needs a team of twelve, who can open the bridge at the touch of a joystick.

A visit to Tower Bridge takes around 1 to 1.5 hours, including the towers, glass walkway, and engine rooms.

Yes, visiting Tower Bridge is worth it, especially for families and first-time visitors to London.  The combination of history, views, and interactive exhibits makes it one of the city’s best value attractions.

Tower Bridge is within walking distance of several top London attractions, making it easy to plan a full day of sightseeing.   From here you could easily visit the Tower of London or walk to St Paul’s Cathedral, the Monument, and St Catherine’s Docks.

You could also cross to the other side for some of the attractions on the South Bank, such as the Globe or the Tate Gallery.

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Tower Bridge is located next to the Tower of London on the River Thames, close to Tower Hill underground station. (5 minutes’ walk)

Address: Tower Bridge Road, London, SE1 2UP.

Tower Bridge is open daily from 09:30am to 6:00 pm, apart from 24-26^th December.  Last entry is at 5pm.

It’s best to go first thing in the morning, if you want to avoid the crowds.

Walking across Tower Bridge for free, but tickets are required to visit inside the towers and engine rooms.

Click here for current admission prices.  If you are doing lots of sightseeing in London, you should consider a London Pass, for reduced prices on main attractions.  If you are travelling by train you will be able to get a 2 for 1 discount.  Click here for National Rail’s Days Out offer.

Yes, Tower Bridge is very family-friendly, with lifts available for buggies and interactive exhibits for children of all ages.

Younger children can follow the Tower bridge Cat Trail.  As they make their way through Tower Bridge, they can find installations and characters from the book.  They can collect stamps in an apprenticeship record to become part of Bella the Cat’s special team!

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