19 Mind-Blowing Eiffel Tower Facts You’ve Never Heard Before

Gustave Eiffel did not design the Eiffel Tower himself

Two of his senior engineers, Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, drafted the first version in 1884. At first, Eiffel wasn’t impressed by their sketches—he thought they looked too plain. But once architect Stephen Sauvestre added the signature arches and glass pavilion, Eiffel got on board and began promoting the project under his name.

Spain didn’t want it

Before Paris said yes, Barcelona said no. Eiffel initially proposed the tower to city officials in Barcelona, but the idea was rejected. Historical records suggest that it was turned down either due to budget concerns or a lack of interest in such a bold and unconventional design.

Luckily, the (World’s) fair was in town

It so happened that Paris was seeking a monumental, 300-meter-tall archway to serve as the entrance to its 1889 World’s Fair grounds, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Eiffel and Co.’s design was picked from among more than 100 competing submissions, and construction began on Jan. 28, 1887.

It helped that Eiffel had a hand in the Statue of Liberty

In 1879, the original engineer designing the interior of the Statue of Liberty passed away. Eiffel was brought in to replace him and created the flexible metal skeleton that keeps the statue standing to this day. In a way, that makes Lady Liberty and the Eiffel Tower architectural half-siblings.

Paris didn’t love the Tower at first

Not everyone, at least. As soon as Eiffel’s plans went public, a grumble of 300 Paris luminaries signed a petition protesting the monolith’s construction, calling it “useless and monstrous,” a “stupefying folly” and an “odious column of bolted metal.” Even after the monument was completed two years later, writer Guy de Maupassant made a point to eat lunch every day at the cafe directly below it—the only spot in Paris where he could not see the Eiffel Tower.

The Eiffel Tower instantly became the world’s tallest building

Among the most impressive Eiffel Tower facts is that it became the tallest structure in the world when it opened on March 15, 1889. It stood 984 feet tall and held the record for 41 years, until 1930, when the Chrysler Building surpassed it, at 1,046 feet.

But the Eiffel Tower got the last laugh

In 1957, a 67-foot antenna was added, making the Eiffel Tower 6 feet taller than the Chrysler Building. Of course, by then, the Empire State Building had already claimed the title of tallest.

It literally grows in the sunlight

Thanks to thermal expansion, the Eiffel Tower can grow up to 6 inches taller on warm days and lean several inches away from the sun.

It used to be yellow

The Eiffel Tower wasn’t born with that perfect bronzed tan; it has been repainted 19 times, roughly once every seven years (other colors the Tower has worn include red-brown, yellow-ochre and chestnut brown). How much paint is that? About 60 tons to cover the Tower’s surface, plus 50 kilometers of cords and 5 acres of netting.

But it will never be green

All that paint isn’t just for show—regularly applying multiple coats of paint protects the Tower’s metal from oxidizing (aka turning green, like its sister Lady Liberty). According to Eiffel himself, “the more meticulous the paint job, the longer the Tower shall endure.”

Eiffel built a secret apartment for himself

Located on the third level of the tower, 1,000 feet in the air, Eiffel’s cozy apartment was built with rustic wooden furniture, a grand piano and all the cutting-edge lab equipment of the day. He used the space to host visiting notables like Thomas Edison—but today, you can tour it yourself and tip your hat to the life-size mannequin re-creations of Eiffel and his guests.

The Tower should’ve been dismantled in 1909

Designed specifically for the World’s Fair, the Tower was initially meant to be a temporary structure with a 20-year lifespan. City officials decided to save it as tensions mounted toward World War I, when the Tower’s height became an asset for radiotelegraph transmitting.

In fact, the Tower helped the Allies win World War I

During the 1914 Battle of Marne, the Tower’s wireless telegraph transmitter was used to jam German communications, helping turn the tide for the Allies. Throughout the next five years, the Eiffel Tower became a communications hub for listening in on enemy transmissions, dispatching emergency reinforcements and even misguiding German zeppelins that tried to home in on the Tower’s signal. The Tower helped save France—and thus, World War I saved the Tower.

And it opposed Hitler in World War II

When Germany occupied Paris in 1940, city officials cut the lift cables on the Eiffel Tower so that the Reich would have to climb all 1,710 steps to the summit if they wanted to hang a swastika from it. The Germans did indeed try to hang a swastika from the tower, but the flag was so big and unwieldy it quickly blew away in the wind.

Hitler tried to demolish it, but this man disobeyed him

As the Allies neared Paris to liberate it in August 1944, Hitler ordered General Dietrich von Choltitz to raze the Eiffel Tower along with the rest of the city. Luckily, as a quick glance at the Paris skyline will show you, Von Choltitz disobeyed the order, having too much appreciation for the city and believing, finally, that the Führer had gone mad.

One con man managed to “sell” the Eiffel Tower … twice

Legendary con artist Victor Lustig had a knack for making strangers trust him. So much so that in the 1920s, Lustig convinced two separate investors to buy the Eiffel Tower, which he claimed was being sold off for scrap metal. Lustig reportedly received a $70,000 bribe from one investor, who was too embarrassed to report it to the police.

And one woman married it

In 2007, American archer Erika Labrie held a symbolic commitment ceremony with the Eiffel Tower and even changed her last name to Eiffel. When a documentary about her unconventional romance was met with scorn and cruelty, Erika found solace in a new relationship—with the Berlin Wall.

Today, you can get in trouble for even photographing it

While the tower’s design is in the public domain, a 1989 French court ruled that its nighttime light show is protected by copyright. That means professional use of photos taken at night requires permission from the tower’s operators. Technically, even today, it is illegal for anyone to publish a picture of the lit tower at night without permission from France. (Your Instagram photos are probably safe, however.)

Despite that, there are more than 30 replicas around the world

Of all the quirky Eiffel Tower facts, this one stands out: From London to Las Vegas to Lahore, Pakistan, there are more than 30 replicas of the famous tower around the world. The half-scale model at the Paris Las Vegas hotel was originally planned to be full-size, but it was too close to the airport for takeoff clearance.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• La Tour Eiffel Site
• History.com: “Eiffel Tower”
• Library of Congress: “Paris Exposition of 1889”
• Smithsonian Magazine: “Why the Eiffel Tower Has So Many Copycats”
• Mental Floss: “15 Monumental Facts About the Eiffel Tower”
• LiveScience: “Eiffel Tower: Information & Facts”
• Atlas Obscura: “Gustave Eiffel’s Secret Apartment”
• Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat: “Eiffel Tower”