Nail that next quiz night with these random Eiffel Tower fun facts.
Chances are you may have already experienced the Eiffel Tower. Chances are your Instagram account is also filled with the experience. But, we aren’t here to tell you about how great the Eiffel Tower is or recite famous Paris quotes to make you fall in love with Paris all over again.
We are here to bring you some hard-hitting Eiffel Tower fun facts about one of the world’s most iconic landmarks.
Read on and enjoy our 10 mind-blowing Effiel Tower fun facts and be sure to drop them into conversations when anyone mentions France, Paris or the Effiel Tower with a ‘Did you know?’
1. It was meant to be temporary
Kicking off our Eiffel Tower fun facts, believe it or not, the Eiffel Tower was constructed for the 1889 World’s Fair – celebrating the 100 anniversary of the French Revolution, however, the tower wasn’t meant to be permanent as it was only meant to stand for 20 years.
2. What an eyesore
Many locals in Paris launched a petition against the Eiffel Tower construction calling it “useless and monstrous” – guess they were wrong on that one.
3. How long did it take to construct the Eiffel Tower?
The Eiffel Tower definitely wasn’t built in a day taking 300 workers 2 years, 2 months and 5 days to construct.
4. How much materials were required to build the tower?
To build an Eiffel Tower you will need to make a lot of trips to Bunnings.
The Eiffel Tower required 18,000 metallic parts, 2.5 million rivets and 40 tons of paint – of which the Tower requires a fresh coat of paint every seven years.
5. How tall is the Eiffel Tower?
For 41 years the Eiffel Tower was the world’s tallest building – now standing at 330m, however, as a side note the Eiffel Tower isn’t as tall as Uluru.
6. The Eiffel Tower shrinks
The Paris winters can get quite cold and during these months the cold weather can shrink the tower by up to six inches.
7. Did someone marry the Eiffel Tower?
This is definitely one of the Eiffel Tower fun facts you might not have known about and you seriously can’t make these things up!
In 2007, Erika LaBrie changed her surname to Erika Eiffel after she held a commitment ceremony to the Eiffel Tower.
Watch: Married to the Eiffel Tower
8. The Eiffel Tower was sold
Yes, but no, in 1925 a conman named Victor Lustig convinced Andre Poisson that the City of Paris could no longer afford the upkeep on the famous Tower and was looking to dismantle the metal to be resold. Of course, Poisson paid up thinking he had struck gold only for Lustig to run off much like Lyle Lanley in one of the best The Simpsons episodes – Marge vs. the Monorail.
9. How many steps does the Eiffel Tower have?
There are 1,665 steps leading to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
10. How many people visit the Eiffel Tower each year?
Last on our list of Eiffel Tower fun facts is the number of people who visit the tourist landmark each year.
It is estimated that 7 million people visit the Eiffel Tower each year.
How much does it cost to visit the Eiffel Tower?
A lift ticket to the top will cost 26 Euro (approx $38). However, if you’d like some added exercise you can use the stairs instead for 20 Euro (approx $29).
If you don’t want to hang with the crowd, there are Eiffel Tower skip the line tickets available – check out Get Your Guide for a variety of ticket options.
What’s the best time of year to visit the Eiffel Tower?
The best time of the year to visit the Eiffel Tower is between October and March – though it is recommended to skip the Christmas period as Paris.
What’s the best time of day to visit the Eiffel tower?
The best days of the week to visit the Eiffel Tower are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The best time of the day is early morning between 09:00 AM to 11:00 AM and late night between 08:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
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