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Crowning a hill in north London with sweeping views across the capital, Alexandra Palace has served for a century and a half as a grand venue for entertainment, recreation and public gatherings, earning the affectionate nickname Ally Pally. First opened in 1873 as a People's Palace intended to bring culture and leisure to ordinary Londoners, it was destroyed by fire within days and rebuilt and reopened in 1875, a pattern of disaster and revival that has recurred through its history, most seriously in a major fire in 1980 after which it was again restored. The building's place in history was secured in 1936, when the British Broadcasting Corporation transmitted the world's first regular high-definition television service from a studio and mast on the site, making the palace the birthplace of broadcast television. Today the vast great hall, with its enormous organ, hosts concerts, exhibitions, banquets and sporting events, and the palace is widely known as the home of the televised world darts championship, which fills it with a boisterous crowd each winter. The complex also contains a Victorian theatre, painstakingly restored, an ice rink, a boating lake and a pub, set within extensive parkland. The combination of panoramic views, a richly layered history and a busy calendar of events gives the palace a distinctive character among London's landmarks. Tickets for events are sold through the box office and online, the grounds are open daily, and the elevated terrace offers one of the finest free vistas of the city skyline throughout the year across every season of the calendar. The surrounding parkland, with its boating lake, deer enclosure and far-reaching views, complements the building and gives visitors a reason to come even when no event is scheduled. Major restoration in recent years has reopened the long-derelict Victorian theatre and the former television studios, allowing the public to explore parts of the building connected to its broadcasting heritage. Whether drawn by a concert, a sporting event, an exhibition or simply the panorama from the terrace, visitors find in Alexandra Palace an unusual blend of grand architecture, cultural history and open green space that few of the capital's venues can rival, and its hilltop setting ensures it remains a much-loved landmark.