London landmark is Lake Havasu City’s claim to fame
Aug 4, 2012, 4:38 PM | Updated: 4:44 pm
LONDON – The London Bridge is an iconic symbol of the
history and prosperity of this city. So what in the name
of Winston Churchill is the original structure doing in
Arizona’s Lake Havasu City?
Lake Havasu City has dubbed the structure its “claim to
fame.”
Purchased in the late 1960s for nearly $2.5 million by
chainsaw entrepreneur and Lake Havasu City founder Robert
McCulloch, the London Bridge is now a main attraction in
Arizona – second only to the Grand Canyon.
The bridge was put up for sale in 1968 when it was evident
a new bridge would be more beneficial to the city of
London. It was taken down in sections, shipped across
5,400 miles of ocean and land, then reconstructed over the
Bridgewater Channel.
According to the Lake Havasu Convention & Visitors Bureau,
thousands of visitors flock to the bridge for a 45-minute
walking tour in which they get a taste of World War II
history and a bit of paranormal activity.
Several visitors throughout the bridge’s 41 years said
they have seen phantom bobbies – London’s police officers
– and a lady wearing a black dress.
Interestingly enough, bats also flock to the Lake Havasu
City bridge, a spokesperson for the visitors bureau said,
as opposed to mice and rats in London. But the
supernatural mystery remains.
In London, the new bridge constructed to replace the one
in Lake Havasu City attracts millions of people every
season and is a major financial focal point for the area
surrounding it. Many businesses have built their names
featuring the bridge, according to a representative for
DiscoverLondonBridge.co.uk.
That includes a haunted house tour under the bridge that
features some of the more gruesome moments in London’s
history. There has been some form of a London Bridge over
the Thames River since Romans founded the city around 43
A.D. The stone arch bridge now in Lake Havasu City was
built in the 19th century.
Blake Behrens, a Phoenician in London for the games, has
seen both structures and said the experiences are
completely different.
“Lake Havasu is more touristy,” Behrens said. “In London,
it’s more cultural.”
A version of London Bridge built after Arizona’s Lake
Havasu City purchased the old one offers views of the
River Thames and information on the span’s history.
