The Eiffel Tower has reopened as of June 25, 2020, after three months of being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some new guidelines have been implemented for visitors to ensure a safe and healthy experience. All visitors over 11 must wear a face mask, hand sanitizer is readily available, and social distancing measures will be implemented. Onsite restaurants and shops will still be open.
The Eiffel Tower, with seven million visitors each year, is the world’s most heavily visited paid attraction. The gardens surrounding the tower are kept manicured by a full-time crew of 38 workers. Loitering is forbidden; street vendors strictly regulated.
Though we very much enjoyed the “skip the line” time-saving benefits of visiting the Eiffel Tower in the past, this special feature has become meaningless due to its exploding popularity. Based on the long time-consuming queue to go up the Eiffel Tower, we now recommend a quick look-see stop and then moving on! As a much more pleasant alternative, we suggest a stop at Montparnasse Tower in the 15th Arrondissement. Going up to the 56th floor in Europe’s fastest elevator, one sees the most spectacular views of Paris!
If you’re interested in ascending to the top of the Eiffel Tower itself, we recommend visiting close to sundown to see the remarkable views and staying until it is dark out and the lights come on. At the top of the hour, a five-minute display features thousands of sparkling lights lassoing the tower. The tower is an awesome thing to behold at twilight when darkness fully envelops the city and the tower is enveloped by its spectacular light show.
After returning to the ground, following climbing the tower, you’ll appreciate the tower’s romance and engineering even more. For a final look, stroll across the Seine River and look back for great views of the defining symbol of Paris.
Eiffel Tower Construction Facts
- Construction began: 26th January 1887
- Completely built: 31st March 1889
- Construction time: 2 years 2 months 5 days
- Designer: Alexandre Gustave Eiffel
- Material: Cast Iron
- Number of iron bars used: 18,038
- Number of rivets used: 2,500,000 rivets
- Current color: Brown
- Painting frequency: Every 7 years
- Height (with antenna): 324 m or 1,062 feet
- Total weight: 10,100 tons
Facts About the Eiffel Tower Steps & Elevator
- Number of stories: 108
- Number of steps from ground level to platform at top: 1,710
- Number of elevators: 2 elevators, departing approximately every 8 minutes
Other Interesting Eiffel Tower Facts
- Visitors per year: nearly 7 million
- Number of lights: 5,000,000,000
- Which structure surpassed it as the tallest building in the world and when: The Chrysler Building in 1930.
- Year the Eiffel Tower began radio transmission: 1908
- How French reacted when Hitler visited the tower: Elevators were disabled but they claimed there were no spare parts to replace, thinking he would climb the tower by stairs. But he stayed on the ground.
- Number of deaths during construction: 0— One Italian worker died showing off for his girlfriend, but it was on a Sunday so he was not working.
- Few people realize that Gustav Eiffel built a little hideaway apartment for himself on the top level of the tower. Eiffel used the plush space for quiet reflection and occasional visitors and resisted all offers to rent it out (visitors can peer inside the still-furnished space).
