Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower, UK) - Facts for Kids

Basic Information & History

Big Ben is actually the nickname of the giant bell inside the famous clock tower at the Houses of Parliament in London, England — not the tower itself!

The official name of Big Ben’s tower is the Elizabeth Tower, renamed in 2012 to honor Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee — before that, it was simply called the Clock Tower!

Big Ben began telling time to London on May 31, 1859, and has been keeping Londoners on schedule for over 160 years!

Big Ben’s tower stands 316 feet (96.3 meters) tall — that’s as high as 21 double-decker buses stacked on top of each other!

The clock faces of Big Ben are so big that each one is 23 feet (7 meters) across — wider than most kids’ bedrooms!

Each minute hand on Big Ben’s clock faces is 14 feet (4.3 meters) long — about the same length as a small car!

Big Ben’s famous chimes can be heard from as far as 5 miles (8 km) away when London is quiet!

The Big Ben bell weighs 13.7 tons — that’s about the same as two large African elephants!

Big Ben’s clock tower took 13 years to build, from 1843 to 1856, but the clock itself didn’t start working until 1859!

The famous Big Ben tower was designed by architect Augustus Pugin, who sadly died before his masterpiece was completed!

Architecture & Construction

Big Ben’s tower is built from 850 cubic meters of stone and 2,600 cubic meters of bricks — that’s enough to build about 70 small houses!

The clock faces of Big Ben are made with 324 pieces of opal glass, making them look like beautiful puzzles!

Big Ben’s hour hand is made of gun metal and weighs about 660 pounds (300 kg) — as heavy as a small horse!

The clock mechanism in Big Ben is so precise that it’s regulated by a stack of old British pennies placed on the pendulum!

Big Ben’s pendulum is 13 feet (4 meters) long and beats once every 2 seconds!

The clock faces of Big Ben are illuminated by 28 energy-efficient LED bulbs behind each face, replacing the original gas lighting!

The stone used to build Big Ben’s tower is called Anston limestone, which came from a quarry in Yorkshire, England!

There are 334 steps to climb from ground level to the belfry where Big Ben (the bell) hangs!

Big Ben’s clock faces are positioned exactly 180 feet (55 meters) above ground level!

The minute hands on Big Ben’s clock travel a distance of 118 miles (190 kilometers) every year. That’s like walking from London to Weymouth!

Special Features & Hidden Secrets

Inside Big Ben’s tower, there’s a prison room that was once used to lock up misbehaving Members of Parliament!

Big Ben has five bells in total — the largest is “Big Ben” itself, and four smaller “quarter bells” that chime every 15 minutes!

The clock mechanism of Big Ben is so accurate that it’s kept in time by adding or removing old pennies from the pendulum — each penny changes the clock’s speed by 0.4 seconds per day!

Big Ben’s tower has a light above the clock faces called the Ayrton Light, which illuminates when Parliament is in session at night!

The clock faces of Big Ben are cleaned by a team of brave window cleaners who abseil down from the top of the tower!

Big Ben’s clock mechanism is wound three times a week by hand, and it takes about 1.5 hours each time!

There’s a small kitchen and bathroom hidden inside Big Ben’s tower for the clock mechanics to use!

The numbers on Big Ben’s clock faces are 24 inches (60 centimeters) tall — that’s as big as a two-year-old standing up!

Big Ben’s tower has a slight tilt of 0.26 degrees to the northwest — that’s about 1/16th of the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa’s tilt!

The clock mechanisms in Big Ben use a special ‘double three-legged gravity escapement’ invented just for this clock!

Historical Events & Cultural Significance

Big Ben survived the London Blitz during World War II, although the Houses of Parliament next door were hit by bombs!

The BBC has been broadcasting Big Ben’s chimes since New Year’s Eve 1923 – making it one of the longest-running broadcast traditions in the world!

During World War I, Big Ben’s clock faces were darkened at night to comply with wartime blackout rules!

Big Ben’s chimes have only been silenced for major events, including the funerals of Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, and Queen Elizabeth II!

The original Big Ben bell cracked during testing in 1857 and had to be melted down and recast!

The current Big Ben bell also developed a crack in 1859, but instead of recasting it, they just turned it slightly and used a lighter hammer!

Big Ben chimes in the key of E, and its melody is based on four notes from Handel’s “Messiah”!

The phrase “Big Ben” was possibly inspired by Sir Benjamin Hall, who supervised the bell’s installation and was known for being very tall!

Big Ben has appeared in hundreds of movies and TV shows, making it one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world!

Modern Day & Visitor Information

Big Ben underwent a major restoration from 2017 to 2022, the largest repair project in its entire history!

During Big Ben’s major restoration from 2017 to 2022, workers discovered that the clock’s original color scheme was actually blue, not black!

The restoration of Big Ben cost about £80 million — that’s enough money to buy about 16 million ice cream cones!

Big Ben’s clock faces are now painted in the original Prussian blue color that was discovered during restoration!

Modern LED lights in Big Ben’s clock faces can change color for special occasions, like red, white, and blue for national celebrations!

UK residents can arrange to climb Big Ben’s tower by contacting their local Member of Parliament!

It takes about five hours to adjust all four clock faces of Big Ben when daylight saving time begins or ends!

Big Ben’s bells ring in a special sequence called the Westminster Quarters: G, F, E, and B.

Each clock face of Big Ben contains the Latin words “DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM” which means “O Lord, keep safe our Queen”!

Big Ben’s tower is now equipped with modern fire detection systems and a building management system to monitor its condition!

Fun Numbers & Records

Big Ben’s minute hands are 14 feet (4.3 meters) long and weigh about 220 pounds (100 kg) each — heavier than a giant panda!