ABOUT THE LONDON EYE
The London Eye is located on the Southbank almost opposite the Houses of Parliament at Westminster Bridge and next to the former County Hall which is now among other things the Marriott County Hall Hotel.
The British Airways London Eye has arguably become the number one tourist attraction in London. From the top of the wheel it is possible to have ( on a clear day ) a spectacular view of London as far away as Wembley Stadium from this central location of London on the curve of the River Thames.
Since its opening, it has been the major factor in the popularity growth on Southbank which offers a wealth of attractions to suit all tastes. Within a very few minutes walk there is The Royal Festival Hall, Dali Universe, London Aquarium, Gabrieles Wharf and the Oxo Tower to name but a few. A short stroll across the Westminster Bridge takes you to The Houses of Parliament and a great photo opportunity to snap the London Eye in all its glory. Trafalgar Square is only a 15 minute walk away through Parliament Square. Waterloo Station and Eurostar are only 5 minutes walk from the London Eye and County Hall.
- The London Eye wheel has a diameter of 135 metres
- The Wheel weighs 1200 tons
- Parts of the Eye delivered by boat has only 40cm clearance under Southwark Bridge
- If it were not for the dampers the top of the wheel would sway up to 3 metres side to side, but in reality it is only 15cm.
- There are 32 capsules, all made in France
- It travels at 0.26 metres a second making the round trip every half an hour.
- It can carry up to 800 people, that is, 25 per capsule.
- The Eye is supported on 45 concrete piles each one being 33 metres deep.
- 2000 people were involved in the construction.
- The project took only 16 months to complete and cost £ 75m
Queues for the London Eye can be very long with 2 hour waits being common. It is possible to pre book London Eye tickets to save the wait.
Opening times 2006
Winter: October - May: 10.00am - 8.00pm daily
Summer: June - September 10.00am - 9.00pm daily
Exceptions: Annual maintenance: (3 - 8 January inclusive) Closed and Christmas Day Closed
Ticket office hours:
The London Eye County Hall ticket office open's at 9.30am each morning.
Opening times may be subject to change.
The London Eye has full disabled access both on to the Eye and to use all the facilities inside the County Hall.
Check out our London Eye map page to see recommended London attractions to combine with a trip to the London Eye
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