Eiffel Tower replicas and derivatives and one in the Isle of Man and sold shares to potential investors, including many prominent Blackpool families. When the corporation got into financial difficultly John Bickerstaffe stopped the scheme from collapsing and ensured the scheme was a success. The Blackpool Tower, though one of the oldest, is not a true replica of the Eiffel Tower and differs from the Paris tower in a number of ways: it is approximately half the height of the Eiffel Tower (158 m compared to 324 m), it is not freestanding and the base contains buildings which house entertainments including the Tower Circus and
Eiffel Tower structure in France after the Millau Viaduct. The tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second levels. The top level's upper platform is above the ground – the highest observation deck accessible to the public in the European Union. Tickets can be purchased to ascend by stairs or lift to the first and second levels. The climb from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the climb from the first level to the second. Although there is a staircase to the top level, it is usually accessible only by lift.