Fun facts about the Eiffel Tower
by Ruksana
Updated Mar 27, 2024
Fun facts about the Eiffel Tower
1. Tallest Tower in Paris:
The Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in Paris. It's really tall and It's even taller than other buildings and stands at 803 meters, which is like an 81-story building. Back in 1889, when it first showed up at the Paris World's Fair, it was the tallest building in the whole world!
2. Almost Destroyed:
Believe it or not, some people wanted to flatten the Eiffel Tower! After 20 years, they thought it was time to say goodbye. But they put a radio antenna on top, and suddenly it was too important to break down. That's how it became a radio tower instead of getting destroyed
3. It Gets Taller and Shorter:
Sometimes the Eiffel Tower changes its height. That's because it's made of iron, and iron likes to move. When it's hot outside, the iron expands, and the tower gets about seven inches taller. But when it's cold, the iron shrinks, and the tower gets a little shorter, about six inches.
4. Painted by Hand:
People have to paint the Eiffel Tower by hand. It takes 50 painters and lots of paint. They do this every seven years. Last time, they used golden paint for the 2024 Olympics.
5. Names on the Base:
There are names carved into the base of the Eiffel Tower. These names are of important people who helped build it. They are like a thank you for their help.
6. Once Yellow, Now Brown:
Long ago, the tower was painted yellow to keep it safe. But since 1968, it's been painted brown. If you look closely, you'll notice the top is a bit darker than the bottom, making it look really different and cool.
7. Lots of Steps:
If you want to climb the Eiffel Tower, get ready for lots of steps! There are 1,665 steps in total. But don't worry, there are also elevators to take you up.
8. Very Heavy:
The Eiffel Tower is super heavy! It weighs as much as 10,100 tons. That's like having 10 big cargo ships all together!
9. Took a Long Time to Build:
Building the Eiffel Tower took a long time. It took two years, two months, and five days to finish it. That's a lot of work!
10. No Publishing Pictures:
You can take pictures of the Eiffel Tower, but you can't publish them for commercial reasons. That means you can't use them to make money without permission.
11. Secret Apartment:
The Eiffel Tower has a secret apartment inside it. It's on the top floor, and Gustave Eiffel, the person who built the tower, used to live there.
12. So Many Visitors:
Lots of people visit the Eiffel Tower every year. Almost seven million people come to see it! Since it was built, almost 300 million people have visited.
13. Artists Didn't Like It:
When the Eiffel Tower was being built, many artists didn't like it. They thought it was ugly and didn't want it in Paris.
14. Had a Lab:
There used to be a laboratory in the Eiffel Tower. People studied things like stars, weather, and airplanes there.
15. Moves in the Wind:
Sometimes, when it's windy, the Eiffel Tower moves a little bit. It's built to be strong, but it can still sway in the wind.
16. Designed by Engineers:
Even though Gustave Eiffel gets credit for building it, two engineers actually designed the Eiffel Tower. They made sure it was strong and looked nice.
17. Helped in WWI:
During World War I, the Eiffel Tower helped the French by stopping German radio signals. It was an important part of the war effort.
18. Hitler Wanted to Destroy It:
Hitler wanted to destroy the Eiffel Tower during World War II, but thankfully, it never happened.
19. People Loved It:
Even though some people didn't like the Eiffel Tower at first, lots of others loved it! They visited it and thought it was amazing.
20. Can Hold Many Visitors:
The Eiffel Tower can hold a lot of people. Up to 5,000 visitors can be there at the same time!
21. Great View from the Top:
If you go to the very top of the Eiffel Tower, you can see really far. You can see Paris, the airport, and even the countryside far away. It's a beautiful view!
Fun facts about the Eiffel Tower for Kids
The Eiffel Tower has its nickname as “Iron Lady”.
Everynight 20,000 light bulbs are used to brighten the Eiffel Tower.
Free Entrance for children up to the age of 4.
There were 18,000 metallic parts used to make the Eiffel Tower.
There's a LEGO set that lets you make your own Eiffel Tower.
General Eiffel Tower facts
The elevators go a total of 103,000 kilometers every year.
People thought the tower was huge and not useful when it was built.
The paint on the tower weighs as much as 10 elephants by itself, and it needs to be painted again every 7 years.
A person named Victor Lustig tricked someone into buying the tower once.
Over 250 million people have gone to see the Eiffel Tower.
