The Crystal Palace

The Crystal Palace was a huge iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park to house the Great Exhibition of 1851 (photo tour). After the exhibition the building was moved to Upper Norwood where it stood from 1854 until 1936, when it was sadly destroyed by fire.

Today the park where it stood is still known as Crystal Palace Park, but where the building originally was, now stands the 222 metre Crystal Palace Transmitter, which is surprisingly, London’s 2nd tallest structure (second only to Canary Wharf!).

There are remnants of the exhibition still here however, including this awesome collection of wholly anatomically inaccurate dinosaur sculptures!

Another relic of the Victorian era is this fantastic circular maze, which dates all the way back to 1872!

Obligatory Wikipedia links: The Crystal Palace, the Great Exhibition, Crystal Palace Park, the Crystal Palace Transmitter, Crystal Palace Victorian Dinosaurs.

Thanks: Alain Trembleau and Simon Cope.