London Dungeon facts for kids
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| Established | 15 September 1974 |
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| Location | County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, South Bank, London, SE1 United Kingdom |
| Public transit access |  Waterloo Waterloo Waterloo East |
The London Dungeon is a popular tourist attraction located on London's South Bank in England. It's a bit like a haunted house mixed with a history lesson, where you get to experience scary and sometimes funny recreations of famous historical events. It uses live actors, cool special effects, and even some rides to bring history to life.
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Discover the London Dungeon's History
The London Dungeon first opened its doors in 1974. It started as a wax exhibition showing scary parts of history. You could see wax figures of famous people like Boudica, a warrior queen, and Mary Tudor, also known as "Bloody Mary."
Later, in the 1980s and 1990s, the Dungeon changed. It added live shows where actors would guide you through events like the Great Fire of London or the story of Jack the Ripper. This made the experience much more interactive.
In 1992, a company called Merlin Entertainments took over. They decided to make the Dungeon even more exciting and scary, focusing on interactive horror rather than just historical facts.
In 2013, the London Dungeon moved to a new home at County Hall on the South Bank. This new spot is right across from the Houses of Parliament, which is the same building Guy Fawkes tried to blow up in 1605! The move cost £20 million and took a whole year to rebuild, making the Dungeon even better.
What to Expect at the London Dungeon
The London Dungeon offers a thrilling journey through 1000 years of London's past. You'll find 19 different shows, 20 actors, and 2 exciting rides.
As you walk through, actors play famous and sometimes scary characters from history, like Jack the Ripper and Sweeney Todd. The shows use amazing sets and special effects to make you feel like you're really there. You might experience events like the Black Death plague or the Gunpowder Plot.
Actors playing characters like "The Torturer" or "The Plague Doctor" will interact with you, making the experience even more immersive. One of the highlights is the "drop ride to doom," which is a free-fall ride designed to feel like a public hanging!
The Original Tooley Street Dungeon
The first London Dungeon, which opened in 1974, was a walk-through attraction showing dark British history. In the 1980s and 90s, it grew to include detailed animated shows, such as those about the Great Fire of London and Jack The Ripper.
In 1997, the Dungeon was largely redesigned. It introduced a water ride called Judgment Day. Visitors would go through a mock trial and then board a boat, pretending to go to their execution. This boat ride was very cleverly designed in a small space.
Later, in 2000, the Fire of London section was brought back. It made you feel like you were in the burning streets of 17th-century London, using smoke effects and a spinning tunnel.
As Merlin Entertainments took over, more shows with live actors were added. These included a mirror maze called Labyrinth of the Lost and a show about the Great Plague. In 2004, the Judgment Day boat ride was changed and renamed Traitor - Boat Ride to Hell.
In 2006, a Sweeney Todd show was added. It used special sounds and effects to make you feel like you were meeting the character, and then your chair would suddenly tilt backwards for a surprise!
A new interactive ride called Vengeance 5D opened in 2011. It was a seated shooter ride themed around a séance, but it only lasted for one season.
The last tour at the original Tooley Street location happened on January 31, 2013. When the Dungeon moved, some of its old props were even sold at a car boot sale!
Other Dungeon Attractions Around the World
The London Dungeon is part of a bigger family of "Dungeon" attractions. There are six Dungeons in the UK and several others in different countries.
In the United Kingdom
- The Blackpool Tower Dungeon
- The Castle Dungeon at Warwick Castle
- The Edinburgh Dungeon
- The York Dungeon
- The Alton Towers Dungeon
In Europe
- Amsterdam Dungeon
- Berlin Dungeon
- Hamburg Dungeon
In Asia
- Shanghai Dungeon
In the United States
- The San Francisco Dungeon (This one closed in June 2021)
