London Eye Pier facts for kids
 |
|
| Type | River bus and tourist/leisure services |
|---|---|
| Locale | River Thames, London, UK |
| Owner | Merlin Entertainment |
| Operator | London River Services |
| Coordinates | 51°30′12″N 0°07′14″W / 51.50341°N 0.120527°W |
  London Eye PierLocation in Central London
|
|
The London Eye Pier is a busy boat dock right in front of the famous London Eye Ferris wheel. You can find it on the South Bank of the River Thames in Central London, England.
This pier is a hub for many different river boats and tour cruises. It's also known as Waterloo Millennium Pier.
Don't mix it up with the old Waterloo Police Pier. That one was on the other side of the river, near Waterloo Bridge. It's now called the Tower Lifeboat Station and is home to the RNLI's Thames lifeboat service since 2006.
Contents
Building the Pier
The London Eye Pier was designed by Beckett Rankine and Marks Barfield Architects. It was built by Tilbury Douglas, which is now called Interserve.
A main reason for building it was to protect the London Eye from boats. It acts like a safety barrier.
This pier was one of five new piers opened in 2000 along the River Thames. The Millennium Commission helped pay for them as part of the Thames 2000 project. The other new piers were Blackfriars Millennium Pier, Millbank Millennium Pier, Tower Millennium Pier, and Westminster Millennium Pier. These piers were part of a bigger plan to improve transport and the river area in London.
Boat Services at the Pier
The London Eye Pier is a stop for many different boat services. Here are some of them:
- Commuter boats: These are like river buses that travel between Embankment and Woolwich. They are run by Thames Clippers.
- Summer cruises: These fun boat trips go between Westminster and Greenwich during the warmer months. City Cruises operates them.
- Speedboat tours: If you like adventure, you can take a fast speedboat tour to Canary Wharf and the Thames Barrier. These tours are offered by Thames Rockets.
For commuter boats, Waterloo Pier is a turnaround spot. Boats heading upriver stop at Embankment, then Waterloo. From Waterloo, they start their journey back downriver towards Bankside.
Getting There
The London Eye Pier is easy to reach by public transport:
- Waterloo Underground station and London Waterloo station are both very close.
- You can also catch the London Buses route RV1 bus nearby.
Fun Places Nearby
There are many exciting places to visit close to the London Eye Pier:
- London Eye: The giant Ferris wheel itself!
- London Aquarium: See amazing sea creatures.
- Dali Universe: An art exhibition featuring works by Salvador Dalí.
- Florence Nightingale Museum: Learn about the famous nurse.
- Big Ben: The iconic clock tower.
- South Bank arts precinct: A lively area with theaters, galleries, and street performers.
Images for kids
-
The London Eye and the River Thames.
-
A view of the pier from the river.
-
Boats docked at the London Eye Pier.
-
Another angle of the pier.
