History

The Eiffel {y'-ful} Tower, an immense stucture of

exposed latticework supports made of puddle iron, was
erected for the Paris Exposition of 1889. The Prince of
Wales (later King Edward VII of England) officiated at  
the ceremonial opening. Of the 700 proposals submitted
in a design competition, one was unanimously chosen, a
radical creation from the French structural engineer
     
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (b. Dec.
Eiffel Tower
under construction 15, 1832, d. Dec. 28, 1923), who
was assisted in the design by
engineers Maurice Koechlin and
Emile Nouguier, and architect
Stephen Sauvestre.
Eiffel Tower and the
However, the controversial tower Trocadéro fountains
elicited some strong reactions, and  
a petition of 300 names —
April 1888 including those of Guy de
Maupassant, Émile Zola, Charles Garnier (architect of the Opéra
Garnier), and Alexandre Dumas fils — was presented to the city
government, protesting its construction. The petition read, "We, the
writers, painters, sculptors, architects and lovers of the beauty of
Paris, do protest with all our vigour and all our indignation, in the
name of French taste and endangered French art and history, against
the useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower."

Nature lovers thought that it would interfere with the flight of birds
July 1888
over Paris. But the Eiffel Tower was admired by Rousseau, Utrillo,
Chagall, and Delaunay. It was almost torn down in 1909 at the
expiration of its 20-year lease, but was saved because of its antenna
— used for telegraphy at that time. Beginning in 1910 it became part
  of the International Time Service. French radio (since 1918), and
French television (since 1957) have also made use of its stature. In
the 1960s, it was the subject of a wonderful study by semiologist
Roland Barthes.

Built to celebrate the science and engineering achievements of its age,

soaring 300m / 984 ft. (320.75m / 1,052 ft. including antenna) and
December 1888 weighing 7000 tons, the structure consists of two visibly distinct parts:
a base composed of a platform resting on four separate supports
(called pylons or bents) and, above this, a slender tower created as
the bents taper upward, rising above a second platform to merge in a
unified column.

This unprecedented work, the tallest structure in the world until the
Empire State Building was built about 40 years later, had several
antecedents. Among them were the iron-supported railway viaducts
designed by Eiffel, an arch bridge over the Douro River in Portugal
with a span of 160 m (525 ft), and a design for a circular, iron-frame
tower proposed by the American engineers Clarke and Reeves for the

completed
May 1889
 
Centennial Exposition of 1876. Eiffel knew and publicly acknowledged this influence; he was
no stranger to the United States, having designed the wrought-iron pylon inside Frederic
Bartholdi's Statue of Liberty in 1885. Later in the same year, he had also begun work on the
cupola of the Nice observatory.

Eiffel was the leading European authority on the aerodynamics of high frames (he wrote
"The Resistance of the Air" in 1913). In the construction of the Eiffel Tower, the curve of the
base pylons was precisely calculated so that the bending and shearing forces of the wind
were progressively transformed into forces of compression, which the bents could withstand
more effectively. Such was Eiffel's engineering wizardry that even in the strongest winds his
tower never sways more than 4-1/2 inches. The superskyscrapers erected since 1960, such
as the World Trade Center, were constructed in much the same way.

However difficult its birth may have been, the Tour Eiffel is now completely accepted by
French citizens, and is internationally recognized as one of the symbols of Paris itself.

Facilities and Views

In the basements of the eastern and western pillars, one can visit the gargantuan 1899
machinery which powers the elevators, an astonishing spectacle reminiscent of a Jules
Verne novel. From the Tower's three platforms — especially the topmost — the view of Paris
is superb. It is generally agreed that one hour before sunset, the panorama is at its best;
don't forget to bring your camera, and experiment with the f-stop settings to capture a
dazzling sunset on the Seine. If you can't be there in person, then check out a Live Aerial
View of Paris with TF1's webcam online: from the top of the Eiffel Tower, you can see
Paris in real time, 24 hours a day, whatever the weather conditions in the French capital. To
get the most out of this view of Paris, we suggest you surf their web site between 7:00 AM
and 9:00 PM GMT (1:00 AM and 3:00 PM Eastern Time in the U.S.), when the City of Light
is at its best. 

First level: 57.63 meters (189 feet). Observatory from which to study the movements of the Eiffel Tower's summit.
Kiosk presentation about the mythic painting of the Eiffel Tower. Space CINEIFFEL: offers an exceptional panorama
of sights from the Tower. Souvenir shops (yes, every tourist MUST have a miniature replica). Restaurant "Altitude
95" (phone 01-45-55-20-04). Post office, with special stamps "Paris Eiffel Tower ". Panoramic gallery displaying the
Monuments of Paris.

Second level: 115.73 meters (379 feet, 8 inches). Panorama of Paris. Telescopes, shops. Animated displays on the
operation of the elevators. Jules Verne Restaurant (extremely expensive, reservations absolutely necessary; phone
01-45-55-61-44).

Third level: 276.13 meters (905 feet, 11 inches). Exceptional panoramic views, day or night, of Paris and its
surroundings. Recently restored office, featuring wax reproductions of Gustave Eiffel and Thomas Edison in
conversation (see photo. Panoramic guide displays to aid orientation. Dioramas presenting the history of this
platform.

Interesting Facts
  300 steel workers, and 2 years  Total height with television  Pressure on foundation: 4.1 to
(1887-1889) to construct it. antenna: 320.755 meters 4.5 kg per square centimeter,
 15,000 iron pieces (excluding (1052 feet, 4 inches). depending on pier (58.26 to 64
rivets).  Height varies up to 15 cm lbs. per square inch).
 2.5 million rivets. depending on temperature.  Dates of construction: January
 40 tons of paint.  Size of base area: 10,281.96 26, 1887 to March 31, 1889.
 1671 steps to the top. square meters (2.54 acres).  Cost of construction: 7.8
 Maximum sway at top caused  Weight of foundations: million francs ($1.5 million).
by wind: 12 cm (4.75 inches). 277,602 kg (306 tons).  Total number of visitors during
 Maximum sway at top caused  Weight of iron: 7.34 million 1889 Exposition: 1,968,287.
by metal dilation: 18 cm (7 kg (8092.2 tons).  Total receipts during 1889
inches).  Weight of elevator systems: Exposition: 5,919,884 francs
 Total height in 1889: 300.51 946,000 kg (1042.8 tons). ($1.14 million).
meters (985 feet, 11 inches).  Total weight: 8.56 million kg  Total number of visitors during
(9441 tons). 2007: 6,822,000.

Location: 5, avenue Anatole France, Champ de Mars, 75007 Paris. Phone: 01-44-11-23-11 ; guided tours: 08-25-05-44-
05.
Operation: Open every day of the year. Hours: January 1 - June 12, 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. (elevator), 9:30 a.m. - 6:30
p.m. (stairs). June 13 - August 31, 9:00 a.m. - midnight (both elevator & stairs); September 1 - December 31, 9:30 a.m. -
11:00 p.m. (elevator), 9:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. (stairs).
Price of admission (tax included): By elevator — 1st floor: 4.80€/adult, 2.50€/child (under 12); 2nd floor: 7.80€/adult,
4.30€/child ; top floor: 12.00€/adult, 6.70€/child. On foot (stairs) — up to 2nd floor only: 4.00€/age 25+, 3.10€/age under
25. Children under 3 free. See web site for group rates.
Disabled access: At each of the three pillars with an elevator, access is free of any steps or turnstiles. Visitors with
reduced mobility may access the 1st and 2nd floors only. For safety reasons (notably, in case of emergency evacuation),
the top floor is not accessible to visitors in wheelchairs.
Security measures: No large-sized hand baggage or animals allowed (except for Seeing Eye dogs). Hand-bags may be
inspected by security personnel. There is no baggage check service available at the Tower.
Métro: Bir-Hakeim (line 6), Trocadéro (lines 6, 9). RER: Champ-de-Mars. Buses: 42, 69, 72, 82, 87.
Web site: http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/. E-mail: [email protected] (Public Relations).