The Eiffel Tower is the monument that stands for the 1889 world's fair in Paris. France's register of historic monuments lists it as a historic monument inside a World Heritage protection zone. This page sets out what the official heritage records say about it, then turns to the tours that include a visit.
In the French Ministry of Culture's timeline of architecture, the Paris Exposition universelle of 1889 is represented by the Eiffel Tower, just as London's 1851 exhibition is by the Crystal Palace. Its builder, Gustave Eiffel, already had another major work of engineering to his name: the Garabit viaduct, built between 1880 and 1884.
An anonymous photographer followed the work step by step, in a series of pictures taken between 8 October 1887 and 12 March 1889.
The national heritage register names Gustave Eiffel as master builder and dates the construction campaigns to 1888 and 1889. It also records the tower's listing as a historic monument by order of 24 June 1964 and gives the commune, the City of Paris, as the owner.
Several tours build the visit into a longer outing. A guided visit of the tower with a crêpe tasting or a private city highlights tour with a tower visit keep it at the centre, and the two classic-car options, a vintage car tour with tower access and a vintage car tour up to the summit, add a drive through Paris.
On the river, a private morning or afternoon with lunch on a Seine boat, a half day pairing the tower with a river cruise or a tower tour with a cruise and waffles pair the two classics, and a full day with hop-on bus, cruise and tower covers more ground. After dark there is a tower illumination tour with a private dinner cruise or a Paris by night private tour with the Champs-Élysées, and for a neighbourhood as well, a half day with Montmartre or a half day with Saint-Germain.
Every trip that starts or stops here is also listed on the destination page.
Because it became the defining image of the Exposition universelle held in Paris that year.
Gustave Eiffel, recorded in the heritage register as its master builder.
Yes. It has been listed since June 1964 and lies within a World Heritage protection zone.
The City of Paris.
Yes: an unknown photographer documented the work from October 1887 to March 1889.
