Is there anything inside Big Ben?

Inside the Elizabeth Tower: A total of 399 winding steps connect eleven floors, a clock mechanism room, the clock itself, and the belfry containing the famous 'Big Ben' bell.



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The Elizabeth Tower is the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. It contains the Great Clock, a striking clock with five bells. The tower is nicknamed Big Ben, a name which was originally applied only to the largest bell of the clock.

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Inside Big Ben and how to visit You can visit Big Ben by booking a 90-minute guided tour that takes visitors up 334 stairs to see the clock mechanism room, behind the four clock dials and the Belfry, where the famous bell is located. Tours can be booked by visiting the official UK Parliament website.

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114 steps up inside the tower is the Prison Room, but you don't need to worry about being locked up there yourself. The prison room was used for MPs who breached codes of conduct, but it hasn't been used since 1880.

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There is no Big Ben and Parliament entry fee as such because the entry inside the Big Ben tower is not allowed for the tourists except the ones who are UK residents. However, the area around Big Ben is accessible to the public and the view of the tower can be enjoyed free of cost.

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A symbol of democracy and a central part of what makes Britons feel British, Big Ben has become synonymous with both London, the United Kingdom and 'the Mother of Parliaments. ' And it not only holds a special place in the people of Britain's hearts, but in the hearts of MPs as well.

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But just how loud is Big Ben, and is the decision to protect hearing worth silencing the famous, historic landmark? At close proximity, the sound of Big Ben measures 118 decibels, which is loud enough to cause physical pain.

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Big Ben's chimes were silenced in 2017 to allow for a refurbishment of the 96m (315ft) Elizabeth Tower. Costs ballooned to £80m and the project took a year longer than expected. After five years, the 13.7-tonne bell finally chimed again and was officially unveiled in January.

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The London clock tower, Big Ben was rotated by a quarter, causing the hammer to strike a different place of the bell. Meanwhile, the hammer was lightened to prevent further damage. The bell has sounded at a slightly different pitch ever since, and the crack has never been repaired.

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Weighing around five tons and housed directly beneath the belfry, the clock mechanism consists of three trains, or sections: the going train, which advances the four sets of hands; the chiming train, which pulls the cables that make the four quarter bells ring; and the striking chain, which powers the giant hammer that ...

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8 Fascinating Facts about Big Ben in London
  • We're not sure who Ben was - but we have a couple of ideas.
  • The Clock Tower took over 15 years to build.
  • Big Ben is a marvel of Victorian engineering.
  • Big Ben miraculously survived World War II.
  • The bells of Big Ben chime a distinctive melody.


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1716: The bell from the clock tower is recast and later hung in the South West Tower of St Paul's Cathedral. If Big Ben is ever unable to strike, the bell in St Paul's is heard instead.

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The moniker Big Ben has been in use for over 150 years, and the nickname was originally applied only to the enormous bell inside the tower. The Great Bell received i's sobriquet in honor of Sir Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner for Works, who raised Big Ben to its current place atop the tower.

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2012: The Clock Tower is renamed the Elizabeth Tower to honour HM Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. 2017: The largest and most extensive conservation of the Elizabeth Tower begins to preserve the clock tower for future generations.

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