The price of visiting London’s most beloved attractions has soared way above inflation over the past five decades, new research has found.
Consumer rights’ group Which found that the cost of a day out to some of the capital’s most famous landmarks has soared exponentially since 1974, sometimes by several thousand percent.
Among the attractions which has seen soar-away price increases in the past 50 years is the Tower of London, the research found, which once cost 10p to enter, the equivalent of 90p today.
Today’s ticket prices for an adult of £34.80 is a whopping increase of more than 3,700 per cent.
Entry to Madame Tussauds cost just 75p in 1974, or £7 in today’s money.
But a ticket now costs £33 if purchased in advance – rising to as much as £42 if purchased on the day - a 500 per cent increase.
Kew Gardens once cost 9p in today’s money, but prices now prices range from between £12 and £24 per adult, while the London Zoo cost 80p to enter in 1974, the equivalent to £7.20 in today’s money - far cheaper than today’s actual price of up to £33 at weekends.
Several key attractions were also free to enter five decades ago, such as St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey - which now cost £25 and £29 respectively.
The research calculated the equivalent of 1974 prices in today’s money using the Bank of England inflation calculator.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Everybody should be able to afford a day out in the nation’s capital, but our research found people must dig ever deeper to afford entry to some of London's best loved attractions.
“If you’re planning a day trip, always take the time to do some research in advance - often you’ll find cheaper prices by booking ahead rather than buying on the gate, while checking for discount schemes can also cut your costs significantly.
“Plus many of the UK’s top attractions can still be enjoyed for free - in London some of our reader’s favourite examples include the RAF museum, and even a tour of the Houses of Parliament, which can be booked ahead of time via your MP.”
Other free attractions in the capital highlighted by the consumer champion group included the British Museum, Natural History Museum and the National Gallery.
