Behind the Scenes: A Living History of the Eiffel Tower

Completed in 1889 thanks to the determination of one Gustave Eiffel, engineer extraordinaire with a grand vision, the Iron Lady has embodied the soul of Paris for many decades. Soaring 330 metres above the ground, its top can be seen from all over the Paris Basin. More than a simple architectural feat, the Eiffel Tower is a source of national pride, a silent witness to significant historical events and a place of wonder for millions of visitors every year.

So here’s the story of the Eiffel Tower – the symbol of an era that defied the limits of engineering and the laws of gravity. It’s a saga that continues today, with the tower playing a pivotal role in Parisian life.

Go back to Paris in the early 1880s. The Industrial Revolution was transforming the landscape of major European cities, and France was at the forefront of an era marked by the rapid rise of mechanisation, unprecedented technological innovation and economic growth. As a city, Paris was also at the epicentre of international cultural and intellectual life, drawing in great names in art, literature and philosophy from across the world.

Commissioned to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution, the 1889 World’s Fair gave France the chance to show off its skills in the fields of science, industry and art. The country was full of optimism and confidence, and it was against this background that Gustave Eiffel came up with his ambitious project to build an iron tower for the fair – a symbol of French modernity and progress. He had no idea of the role his grand scheme would play in the future of his country.

In June 1884, Gustave Eiffel’s engineers Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier began to draw up plans for the tower. Their first sketches were of a 300-metre structure, a slender pylon connected by several platforms at different heights; this did not appeal to Eiffel, who drafted in his chief architect Stephen Sauvestre to breathe new life into the project. Sauvestre rejigged the design, adding architectural elements like arches and lattice work to make it more aesthetically pleasing. His boss was thrilled by this new version of his pipe dream, and the Eiffel Tower’s history began. The project was on its way to becoming reality.

The construction of the Eiffel Tower was a titanic undertaking. Work began in January 1887, and unbelievably it was completed in a mere two years, two months and five days. The tower was inaugurated on 31 March 1889, just a few weeks before the opening of the World’s Fair. It took the dedication and skill of some 300 workers to get around the technical and logistical challenges and achieve this miracle.

Originally the tower was scheduled for demolition in 1910, but Gustave Eiffel was determined to keep it standing; he had a radio antenna and a wireless telegraph transmitter installed on the top of it and conducted his experiments in his laboratory on the top level. At first the residents of Paris regarded it as an architectural travesty on the horizon of their fair city – it was deemed “useless” and “monstrous”, but eventually the Iron Lady won their hearts and the government decided she could stay. Another episode in Eiffel Tower history – she had escaped demolition!

What is the significance of the tower today? Beyond the fascinating Eiffel Tower history, it has played a major role in shaping Parisian identity for over a century. Its iconic spiky silhouette soars proudly over the city, and it has come to represent French audacity, genius and ingenuity. A witness to the capital’s turbulent history during two world wars, it embodies both the grandeur of the past and the promise of the future.

By daring to erect the Eiffel Tower, Paris confirmed its status as the cultural and artistic capital of the world. Today locals cherish their national treasure as an unbreakable link to French history and heritage. It’s so much more than just a Parisian sight on the urban horizon: it is the very beating heart of the city – and one whose magnetic aura attracts millions of visitors every year.

The Eiffel Tower as a visitor magnet really took off in the 1960s with the advent of international tourism. Today it is a highly successful economic asset to France. Since its opening in 1889, it has been visited by more than 300 million people, and records show that more than six million paying guests per year – 75% of them foreign tourists – have visited in the last two decades.

As well as its significance to French history and engineering skills, the Eiffel Tower today is a fantastic visitor experience. You can explore its three levels with ever-more-spectacular views over Paris the higher you climb, while its restaurants, gift shops, immersive displays and VR simulations make it a fascinating family-friendly destination all year round.

The silhouette of the Eiffel Tower has loomed large over major Parisian events for decades. The setting for cultural celebrations and the backdrop for international sporting occasions, it lends a majestic dimension to national festivities and memorials. On Bastille Day (July 14), the tower lights up against the Parisian sky with spectacular firework displays at its feet, and it was of course the ever-present symbol of Paris in the 2024 Olympics.

Gustave Eiffel was born in Burgundy in 1832. His family was of German descent, and their surname was Boenickhausen. He kept his original name until the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, when the political context made his name a hindrance to conducting business in France. At that point, he decided to ‘Frenchify’ his name by adopting ‘Eiffel’ in memory of a range of hills near his childhood home.

It’s a little-known fact that the Eiffel Tower’s history has seen it change colour several times in its life. Initially painted a fetching Venetian red, it has been several shades of brown and its current colour – a subtle yellowy-brown giving it a golden hue – dates back to 1968. It’s actually painted in a lighter tone at the top and darker on the lower levels, and requires a new application of paint every seven years to protect against rust.

Climate and changing seasons both have an influence on the structure of the Eiffel Tower; the iron contracts in winter and expands by a few millimetres in summer, causing impressive variations in its size throughout the year. And although there is no risk to the tower in storms – its clever structure allows the wind to pass right through it – it does sway in strong gusts (you can feel it at the top), and is always closed in high winds for the safety of staff and visitors.

Gustave Eiffel had his own pied-à-terre perched on the top level of his masterpiece – although he never slept there, he used it as a laboratory and as a place to entertain important guests and impress clients. Today you can see a recreation of his laboratory and drawing room, with the floral wallpaper and heavy wooden furniture typical of late 19th-century décor. The wax figures in the tableau represent Eiffel himself, his daughter Claire and the famous US inventor Thomas Edison.

Fascination with Eiffel Tower history has seen countless architects attempt to reproduce the iconic landmark across the globe. One of the best-known replicas is found in Las Vegas, where a 165-metre tower looms over the famous Strip. In China – 9,656 kilometres from Paris – the city of Hangzhou is home to a 108-metre replica of the tower, which is one of the region’s most popular tourist attractions. Similarly, Tokyo’s take on the tower, a vast and spindly skyscraper decorated in bold red and white stripes, shoots into the sky above the Japanese capital.

There are three levels to the tower, all with different prices and ways of access. And don’t forget to explore the Esplanade and gardens too. 

This is where you’ll find the ticket office (although it’s better to book online in advance), cafés and a souvenir shop. It’s also the departure point for the stairs and lifts going up the legs of the tower. See if you can spot the bronze bust of Gustave Eiffel by sculptor Antoine Bourdelle, or take a picture in the middle of the Esplanade looking up through the centre of the tower.

Accessible by stairs or lift, this is the busiest of the levels, and has a walkway around the outside of the tower, from where you have a 360-degree panorama over the capital and its landmarks: the Arc de Triomphe, the dome of Les Invalides, the Trocadéro esplanade… It’s dotted with touch screens for learning more about Eiffel Tower history, and you can take self-guided immersive tours on your phone or play tower-themed VR games. There are cafés and restaurants for refuelling in the Ferrié Pavillon, a leafy terrace in summer and an area of glass floor with breathtaking views down to the Esplanade!

Also accessed by stairs or lift, the second floor of the Eiffel Tower stands at a height of 115 metres. In addition to its Michelin-starred restaurant, smart café, gift shop and a patisserie selling delicious macarons, you’ll have fantastic panoramas to the Louvre, the Grand Palais, Notre-Dame, the meandering Seine and its bridges... Try for the perfect selfie with the city as your backdrop.

You’ll need a head for heights here… From the second level, take the glass-sided lift to the top, 276 metres above the rooftops. From the highest open-air observation deck in Paris (a covered platform and outdoor terrace), you can admire the whole capital laid out below, with views stretching to the Sacré-Cœur, La Défense, Bois de Boulogne and beyond. There’s also more Eiffel Tower history: a model of the tower as it looked in 1889 and a reconstruction of Gustave Eiffel’s “secret” apartment, but most people head for the champagne bar for a glass of fizz in one of Paris’s most romantic venues.

Back down on terra firma, have a wander around the peaceful water gardens immediately surrounding the tower. They are liberally planted with weeping willows and horse chestnuts – as well as a 200-year-old sycamore tree – and make a pretty spot for a picnic post tour of the tower.

There’s a breathtaking, unobstructed view of the tower from the Trocadéro esplanade north of the Seine. On the other side of the river, you can get fabulous photos framed by the greenery of the Champ de Mars.

A bit further away, you can spot the Eiffel Tower reflected in the Seine from the Pont de Bir-Hakeim. Rue Saint Dominique in the 7th arrondissement also has a unique perspective of the Eiffel Tower popular for selfies as it appears to loom above the street.

• Metro: Bir-Hakeim (line 6) is 10 minutes’ walk, École Militaire (line 8) 15 minutes, and Trocadéro (line 9) about 20 minutes.
• RER: Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel station (line C) is five minutes’ walk.
• Bus: Tour Eiffel stop (lines 30, 42 and 82) is two minutes’ walk, Champ de Mars stop (lines 69 and 86) 10 minutes.
• Vélib’ (bike-sharing): there are four bike stations near the Eiffel Tower; the closest is at 2 Avenue Octave-Gréard, about a minute’s walk away.
• Car: several covered car parks are less than 10 minutes’ walk from the Eiffel Tower (Quai-Branly-Tour Eiffel and Pullman - Tour Eiffel, both of which have disabled access, or at 133 Rue Saint-Dominique).
• Boat: Batobus Tour Eiffel stop is five minutes’ walk.

• The Eiffel Tower is open every day of the year, with details of any closures shown on its official website along with current ticket prices.
• Normal opening hours are 9:15am until 10:45pm (11:45pm at the weekends and during public and school holidays).
• To avoid crowds, visit early in the morning; for romantic moments, visit at sunset. And don’t forget the tower looks spectacular when lit up like a golden candle at night.

• To reach the first and second floors of the Eiffel Tower, you can choose between the stairs and the lift. The top is only accessible by lift.
• It takes 15 to 20 minutes to reach the first floor up 327 steps, and 20 minutes more for the 347 steps to the second floor.
• Using the stairs is not recommended for young children, the elderly or anyone with mobility issues.
• If you take the lift, your journey will take you straight to the highest level indicated on your ticket (either the second floor or the top).

There are many ways to visit the Eiffel Tower. The most popular are as follows:

• Second floor lift ticket: go directly to the second floor by lift, explore and then take the lift or stairs down to the first floor. Having spent time there, take the stairs or lift back down to the Esplanade.
• Second floor stair ticket: organise your visit as you wish. Start on the first floor, have something to eat and continue on up to the second floor, or alternatively go straight for the spectacular second-level views and stop on the first floor on your way back down.
• Top floor lift ticket: the journey has two stages, with a change of lift on the second floor taking you straight to the covered platform and panoramic terrace at the top. When you’ve had your fill of the views, take the lift back down to the second floor. From there, you’re free to visit the first floor and the Esplanade by stairs or lift at your leisure.
• Disabled visitors: priority access is given to all Eiffel Tower visitors with disabilities.

Now you know all about the Eiffel Tower’s history, we hope you’ll visit during your stay in Paris. Start planning your next trip now, and have a look at Paris neighbourhoods and some secret spots for more inspiration.