Scarborough Spa Cliff Lift 150th Anniversary

Scarborough Spa Cliff Lift 150th Anniversary

The Spa cliff lift celebrates 150 years with a free festival!

One of Scarborough’s most cherished landmarks and the oldest funicular railway in Britain is celebrating a major milestone this summer with a series of events planned to mark its 150th anniversary.

North Yorkshire Council, in partnership with Scarborough Spa and Animated Objects are hosting a free weekend of family activities, live performances and heritage displays on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th July to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Spa Cliff Lift.

Running from 11am to 5pm each day, the celebrations will take place at Scarborough Spa and the lift itself, offering visitors a chance to step back in time while enjoying a full programme of entertainment.

Built in 1875 at a cost of about £8,000, the Spa Cliff Lift was a marvel of Victorian engineering and quickly became a defining feature of Scarborough’s South Bay. Originally powered by water and gas engines, it has carried millions of passengers between the Esplanade and the Spa over the decades.

The weekend opens with a ceremonial descent by local dignitaries, echoing the lift’s original launch, accompanied by a live brass band. Inside the Ocean Room, visitors can enjoy creative workshops, performances and heritage displays.

Scarborough-based arts group, Animated Objects, will demonstrate working models of the lifts showing its evolution and artwork by young people inspired by its story will be on show throughout the venue.

Pop down from 11am each day for this FREE event!