Tower Bridge

Time Out says

Fri Feb 1 2013

Opened in 1894, this is the 'London Bridge' that wasn't sold to America. Originally powered by steam, the Tower Bridge drawbridge is now opened by electric rams when big ships need to venture this far upstream (you can check when the bridge is next due to be raised on the website).

The Tower Bridge Exhibition tells the history of the bridge and explains how its original machinery, two steam pumping engines which are still in place, worked. From the high walkways there are stunning views of London to the west and east. An immersive show uses the latest visual effects invites visitors to an audience with Queen Victoria (played by Cally Lawrence), along with her faithful subjects Sir John Wolfe-Barry (played by Sebastian Abineri), the Victorian civil engineer who designed Tower Bridge, and its architect Sir Horace Jones Robert Benfield), to learn about the story of Tower Bridge.

From March 29 2013 illustrations from Miroslav Sasek's classic children's book 'This is London' go on show. Originally published in 1959, the book tells the history of London through charming, typically 1950s illustrations. The display includes many of these images, along with updated information, and challenges viewers to see which buildings featured in the book can be spotted from Tower Bridge.