15 Incredible Facts About the Eiffel Tower

When the Eiffel Tower was unveiled to the public on March 31, 1889, it became an iconic symbol of France. Here's some lesser-known trivia about this beloved monument.

1. The Eiffel Tower was originally constructed as the entrance arch for the 1889 World's Fair.

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, Paris hosted the 1889 World’s Fair (Exposition Universelle). To have their designs considered for the monumental project, artists from across the country submitted proposals for a structure that would serve as the grand entrance to the fair, located at Champ de Mars, a public park in the heart of Paris.

2. The design and construction were handled by the firm Eiffel et Compagnie.

The task was entrusted to the consulting and construction company founded by Gustave Eiffel, a civil engineer renowned for his expertise in metal structures. Eiffel had previously worked on the Garabit Viaduct, a bridge in the mountainous Massif Central region of France, which, at the time, was the highest bridge in the world. His portfolio also included the railway station in Pest, Hungary; the dome at the Nice Observatory in France; and the interior scaffolding for the Statue of Liberty.

3. Gustave Eiffel rejected the original design.

Maurice Koechlin, a senior engineer at Eiffel’s firm, was the main designer behind the tower. Engineers Emile Nouguier and Stephen Sauvestre, the head of the company’s architectural department, were also consulted. Eiffel felt Koechlin’s initial designs were too simplistic and instructed him to add more intricate details and embellishments. Koechlin’s revised design was approved by Eiffel in 1884.

4. The project demanded an immense amount of metal and hard work.

Between 1887 and 1889, 300 steelworkers spent over two years, two months, and five days building the Eiffel Tower. They assembled more than 18,000 separate metal pieces, used 2.5 million rivets, and applied 40 tons of paint.

5. Its original height was 985 feet.

When the Eiffel Tower was completed in March 1889, it stood at a height of 300 meters (985 feet). Interestingly, this height can fluctuate, as cold temperatures can cause the tower to shrink by as much as six inches.

6. It remained the tallest structure in the world until 1930.

For 41 years, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in the world, until it was overtaken by the Chrysler Building in New York, which reached a height of 1,046 feet. Just one year later, the Empire State Building became the tallest building, standing at 1,454 feet, including the spire. In 1957, an antenna was added to the Eiffel Tower, raising its height by 67 feet, making it 6 feet taller than the Chrysler Building.

7. A 300-member committee opposed the tower.

A petition was organized by authors Guy de Maupassant and Alexandre Dumas, Jr., along with hundreds of other artists and intellectuals, to protest the construction of the tower. They labeled it as 'useless and monstrous,' but their objections were ignored by the Parisian government.

8. The tower quickly became a favorite among the public.

Despite the protest, the 1889 World’s Fair was widely regarded as a resounding success, largely due to the Eiffel Tower’s striking presence. Almost 2 million visitors flocked to the tower during the fair, spending $1.4 million on tickets, making the event one of the few World’s Fairs to generate a profit.

9. It was originally intended to stand for about 20 years.

Originally, the Eiffel Tower was not meant to remain at the Champ de Mars and was planned to be dismantled in 1909. However, its top became a crucial site for a telegraphy antenna, and it remained standing. During World War I, in the Battle of the Marne in 1914, the wireless telegraph transmitter played a pivotal role in disrupting German communications.

10. The Eiffel Tower is built to endure even the strongest winds.

Eiffel, an expert in aerodynamics, and his team crafted the tower to handle intense winds without swaying more than 4.5 inches.

11. The tower is composed of three distinct levels.

Each year, 7 million visitors make their way to the Eiffel Tower, where they can explore three distinct levels at varying heights. The first level stands 189 feet tall and features an observation area, souvenir shops, history and art exhibits, an outdoor pavilion, the Madame Brasserie, and a transparent floor. The second level, reaching 379 feet, offers another observation area, shops, and the celebrated Michelin-starred Jules Verne restaurant. The highest level, at 905 feet, provides stunning views, a champagne bar, a recreation of Eiffel’s office, and panoramic maps to spot Paris landmarks below.

A thrill-seeker was arrested after attempting to ride his bike down the Eiffel Tower’s staircase.

The Eiffel Tower has witnessed numerous stunts over time, including one in 1923 when Pierre Labric, a cyclist, journalist, parachutist, and World War I veteran, descended its stairs on a bicycle.

The Eiffel Tower is given a fresh coat of paint every seven years to maintain its iconic appearance.

Around 60 tons of paint are required to rejuvenate the tower, which is owned by the City of Paris and managed by a public entity called the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE). Over 500 individuals work for SETE, serving as tour guides, security personnel, postal workers, and staff in the tower’s shops, restaurants, and boutiques.

The tower remained closed during the Nazi occupation of Paris.

From 1940 to 1944, the Eiffel Tower was shut off from the public during the German occupation. French resistance fighters severed the cables for the tower’s elevators, forcing Nazi officers and soldiers to climb the stairs to the top. Hitler had actually ordered Dietrich von Choltitz, the military governor of Paris, to destroy the tower along with much of the city; fortunately, the order was never carried out.

The iconic Eiffel Tower holds a special place in the hearts of filmmakers.

James Bond (played by Roger Moore) pursued an assassin through the tower in *A View to a Kill* (1985); Burgess Meredith played a sinister knife-sharpener in the 1949 murder-mystery *The Man on the Eiffel Tower*; and a scene from the British comedy *The Lavender Hill Mob* (1951), featuring future Oscar winners Alec Guinness and Audrey Hepburn, was filmed at this iconic landmark. Hundreds of other films have also featured the tower as a prop or backdrop.