Behind the scenes of the Eiffel Tower: guided tour of the machinery of the historic elevator
From the opening of the Eiffel Tower for the 1889 World’s Fair, visitors can access the monument’s floors via elevators. If today these devices are similar to a usual equipment, at the time, they constitute an industrial feat!
No lifts in the traditional sense, no funicular system, no cable car... The elevators of the Tower do not belong to any category and do not correspond to any reference in force. Since their first modernization in 1899, their mechanics have remained unparalleled in the world.
Carefully preserved and maintained daily by the monument’s teams, this exceptional heritage still bears witness to the visionary genius of Gustave Eiffel. On all the elevators of the Tower, only one remains benefiting from the system closest to the original one: the elevator of the EST pillar.
On the occasion of the European Heritage Days on 17 and 18 September 2022, the Eiffel Tower exceptionally opens the doors of the machinery of this elevator.
During a visit commented by a Tour technician, you will discover this ingenious operation that allows nearly 9,000 visitors every day to enjoy the Parisian panorama at 115m height.