Eiffel Tower Facts
- The Eiffel Tower was first unveiled in 1889 at the Paris World Fair
- It was considered an eyesore by many important people
- Some called it a tragic streetlamp that was deformed and ridiculous
- 130 years later it has become one of the most iconic and recognizable landmarks in the world
- Over 7 million people visit every year
- Dubbed the Iron Lady, she has undergone a few face lifts
- You can buy your ticket online 60 days in advance, so you don’t have to stand in the mile-long, winding ticket line
- You can buy a ticket only on site if you want to climb the stairs
- Go to Place de Trocadero on metro lines 6 and 9 to get an amazing view of her hourly night light show
- The tower is open until 11:45 pm
- The last lift to the top is at 10:30 pm
- At night the tower is lit
- On the hour, every hour, until 1:00 am there is a dazzling light display
- 20,000 light bulbs, 5,000 per side, sparkle in the night
- This show only lasts for 5 minutes each hour
- Restaurants in the Eiffel Tower include 58 Tour Eiffel, 58 meters above ground level
- Le Jules Verne offers fine dining
- Engineers built the tower to be wind resistant
- During a storm she will sway a few inches
- Summer heat and sun can also maker her swell and grow up to 6 inches
- She was supposed to be dismantled after 20 years
- When she was built, she housed a meteorology lab and would be used for scientific experiments in physics, astronomy, wind, aerodynamics, and electric lighting
- The tower’s ability to be used as a wireless broadcast transmission antenna is what saved it from destruction
- There are 120 antennas used to broadcast 45 TV channels and 32 radio stations in Paris
- She has been repainted 18 times…by hand
- Her first coat of paint was a reddish brown
- Today her color is bronze
- About every 7 years a team of 25 painters strip, clean, rust-proof, and repaint the entire tower…by hand
- The paint job takes about 18 months
- It takes 60 tons of paint and 1,5000 brushes to finish each job