Eiffel Tower facts: history, height, and visitors

A tower built to define a fair

The Eiffel Tower was born as a bold centerpiece for the 1889 World's Fair, and its very name comes from engineer Gustave Eiffel. His company designed and built it from 1887 to 1889, finishing a structure meant to crown the centennial anniversary of the French Revolution. From the start, it was not just another exhibition piece: it was built to stand above Paris and announce itself.

That ambition showed in the record-breaking height. During construction, the tower surpassed the Washington Monument to become by far the tallest human-made structure in the world. It was also the first structure in the world to pass both the 200-metre and 300-metre marks. Today, the tower stands 330 metres tall, making it the tallest structure in Paris.

Why did people argue about the Eiffel Tower?

Some of France's leading artists and intellectuals criticized the Eiffel Tower when it was first proposed and built. Its design divided opinion, even while the project moved forward as the centerpiece of the fair. That early criticism is part of the tower’s story just as much as its later fame.

The original concession gave Eiffel the right to receive all income from the commercial exploitation of the tower during the exhibition and for the next 20 years. That arrangement made the tower more than a symbol; it was also a project with a clear commercial side built into its early life.

How many visitors climb it?

The Eiffel Tower has drawn huge numbers of visitors across the years. It received 5,889,000 visitors in 2022. In 2015, 6.91 million people ascended it, and that made it the most visited monument with an entrance fee in the world.

The visitor experience is spread across three levels. Restaurants operate on the first and second levels, while the top third level holds a private apartment built for Gustave Eiffel. The upper platform on the top level sits 276 metres above the ground, making it the highest public observation deck in the European Union.

How hard is the climb inside the tower?

The Eiffel Tower’s stairs are part of its identity. The climb from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, and the climb from the first level to the second is over 300 steps as well. Taken together, the full ascent is a 600-step climb.

That vertical journey ends with a view from one of the tower’s highest public spaces, but the structure has also mattered far beyond sightseeing. It was saved from scheduled demolition because it proved useful in early twentieth-century scientific and technological advancements, specifically radio telegraphy.

When did the Eiffel Tower become a protected monument?

The Eiffel Tower became a monument historique in 1964. Later, in 1991, it became part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Those milestones placed the tower inside both French heritage protection and an international heritage context.

The tower’s long life has carried it from a controversial fairground centerpiece to a protected landmark with a very specific place in Paris. It remains tied to Gustave Eiffel’s name, to the 1889 World's Fair, and to the engineering milestones that made it stand apart from everything built before it.

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