Built to be taken down
Gustave Eiffel's company got a permit for 20 years. When it was due to expire in 1909, the tower survived because it had become a giant radio antenna, too useful for the army to dismantle.
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Eiffel Tower: the history, and the tower that was meant to come down
Built in two years for the 1889 World's Fair, hated by half of artistic Paris and due to be taken down after 20 years, the tower was saved by a radio antenna. Here's what you're looking at, and what to listen for when you get there.
Opened1889
Height330 m today
Iron parts18,000+
Rivets2.5 million
Hear the Eiffel Tower story, in the app's voice
A short preview. The full story plays on its own when you walk up to it with Urban Tales.
Three stories most visitors miss
1
2
72 names under the first floor
Eiffel had the names of 72 French scientists and engineers painted in gold around the tower, just below the first platform. They were painted over in the early 1900s and restored in the 1980s.
3
Hitler never went up
During the German occupation the elevators stopped working. The story goes that the French cut the lift cables so that Hitler, who visited Paris in June 1940, would have had to climb the stairs. He stayed on the ground.
TipLook for the 72 names on the frieze just under the first floor, on all four sides. With Urban Tales running, the tower's story plays as you walk across the Champ de Mars.
Nearby landmarks
Eiffel Tower: common questions
Why was the Eiffel Tower built?
As the entrance arch and showpiece of the 1889 World's Fair, marking 100 years since the French Revolution.
Was the Eiffel Tower meant to be temporary?
Yes. It had a 20-year permit. It was kept because it was useful for radio and military communications.
How tall is the Eiffel Tower?
About 330 meters today including antennas; it was 312 meters when it opened in 1889.