Showtown Blackpool
Showtown Blackpool, located just off the Golden Mile, is Britain’s first museum dedicated entirely to fun and entertainment. It celebrates Blackpool’s unique place in popular culture, and an interesting fact is that its collections were built with the help of performers, show families, and seaside entertainers who donated costumes, props, and personal stories. This makes Showtown feel less like a traditional museum and more like a backstage pass to the town’s showbusiness heritage. Inside, the galleries are arranged around Blackpool’s most iconic themes. The Circus section explores daredevil acts, clowning traditions, and the famous Blackpool Tower Circus, with original costumes and interactive displays. The Magic gallery reveals secrets of illusionists who performed in the resort’s theatres, including props from legendary magicians. The Dance gallery celebrates ballroom culture, from the Tower Ballroom’s gilded splendour to the rise of modern competitions. Visitors can see glittering costumes, trophies, and film clips that capture Blackpool’s role as a dance capital. The Seaside gallery dives into holiday traditions, from donkey rides to fortune tellers, with colourful objects that evoke generations of family trips.
Blackpool United Kingdom
Showtown sits right in the centre of Blackpool, Lancashire, just off the promenade on Bank Hey Street. The address is Showtown, Bank Hey Street, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 4TQ. It stands next door to Coral Island and only a few doors away from the famous Blackpool Tower, making it easy to reach on foot from the seafront or by tram. The museum celebrates Blackpool’s long history as a place of entertainment, with interactive galleries on circus, magic, dance and the Illuminations. Immediately outside you have the Blackpool Tower itself, with its circus, ballroom and viewing decks. A short walk along the prom leads to the Winter Gardens, another classic entertainment complex with theatres and halls. Further along the seafront the Pleasure Beach offers rides and traditional fun, while Sea Life Blackpool provides an aquarium experience. The compact central location means you can easily combine a visit to Showtown with the Tower, the promenade and other nearby attractions at a relaxed pace.