• EIFFEL TOWER, PARIS

  Vital Statistics:
  Location: Paris, France
  Completion Date: 1889
  Cost: $1.5 million
  Height: 986 feet
  Materials: Wrought iron
  Engineer(s): Gustave Eiffel

  

   

  Fast Facts:

  • The Eiffel Tower is repainted every seven years -- with 50 tons of dark brown paint.
  • Since it was unveiled at the Paris World's Fair in 1889, more than 167 million people have visited the Eiffel Tower.
  • The names of 72 French scientists and other famous individuals are permanently affixed to the sides of the tower in 60-centimeter letters just beneath the first platform, with 18 names per side.
  • Counting from the ground, there are 347 steps to the first level, 674 steps to the second level, and 1,710 steps to the small platform on the top of the tower.
  • On a clear day, it is possible to see 42 miles in every direction from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

The Eiffel Tower is twice as tall as the Washington Monument and weighs 70,000 tons less!