Home > Tourist Attractions  > United Kingdom  > England   Select from the following attraction(s).   Albert Dock Alton Towers Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament Blackpool Pleasure Beach British Airways London Eye British Museum Buckingham Palace Cambridge University Camden Market Canterbury Cathedral Chessington World of Adventures Durham Castle and Cathedral Eden Project Greenwich Hadrian's Wall Hampton Court Palace Harrods Leeds Castle Legoland ® Windsor London Dungeon London Zoo Madame Tussaud’s and Tussaud’s London Planetarium National Gallery National Museum of Photography, Film and Television Natural History Museum Oxford University Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Roman Baths and Pumproom Royal Armouries Leeds Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Royal Pavilion Science Museum Shakespeare Houses St Paul’s Cathedral Stonehenge Tate Britain Tate Modern Tintagel Castle Tower of London Victoria & Albert Museum Warwick Castle Westminster Abbey Windsor Castle York Minster       Alton Towers Description: Alton Towers is the most popular theme park in the UK. Set on an estate owned by the Earl of Shrewsbury, this giant amusement park has a wide range of rides and attractions aimed at young and old alike. The park, which opened in 1980, also includes 200 acres (81 hectares) of landscaped gardens, live entertainment and the historic towers building which was the residence of the Talbot family (the Earls of Shrewsbury) until 1923. The building was begun in 1814 by the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury and completed by architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, who added large Gothic fireplaces and stained glass windows in the Great Hall. Today, visitors can explore different kingdoms in the grounds of the estate, such as Ugland, the Forbidden Valley, Towers Street and Cred Street. Popular rides include the Black Hole, which plunges participants into complete darkness, the famous Corkscrew rollercoaster, the Log Flume water slide, Nemesis rollercoaster and Submission white knuckle ride which subjects its victims to 90 seconds of continual spinning. New for 2002 is the Air rollercoaster ride, which lets its riders fly through the air beneath the track, turning and spinning at every turn, along with the new Big Top, featuring illusions created by musician Wayne Dobson. The park’s season comes to an end in early November with a giant fireworks display taking place in The Gardens area. Contact Addresses: Alton Towers, Staffordshire, ST10 4DB, UK Tel: (08705) 204 060. Fax: (01538) 704 097. E-mail: info@alton-towers.com Website: www.altontowers.com Transportation: Air: Manchester Airport. Rail: Train: Alton Towers Station. Buses are available to take visitors to the park. Road: Coach: National Express operates coaches to Alton Towers (from major destinations in the UK). Car: M1 motorway, junction 23A (from London); M1 motorway, junction 28 (from Leeds); M6 motorway, junction 15 or 16 (from Manchester). Opening Times: Daily 0930-1700/1900 (16 Mar-3 Nov). Admission Fees: Off-Peak: £18.50 (adult over 12), £15.50 (child 4-11). Peak: £23.50 (adult over 12), £19.50 (child 4-11). Premium: £25 (adult over 12), £20 (child 4-11). Concessions, family pass and group pass available. Admission fees vary according to the day of the week and month; visitors are advised to check with the park operators before their visit.     Copyright © 2005 Highbury Columbus Travel Publishing Ltd.  Terms and Conditions apply.