16 Startling Moments From the Day the Eiffel Tower Opened to the Public
When the Eiffel Tower first opened its doors to the public on May 15, 1889, Parisians and tourists alike flocked to experience the revolutionary monument. Standing at 1,063 feet, the iron lattice tower was initially met with criticism from artists and intellectuals who thought it would be an eyesore.
However, the grand opening day would prove to be not just historically significant but downright bizarre in many ways. Here is a list of 16 strange moments that happened when the Eiffel Tower first welcomed visitors.
Gustave Eiffel’s Private Party
The night before the public opening, designer Gustave Eiffel hosted an exclusive gathering at the tower’s top level. He invited only close friends and fellow engineers, making them climb all 1,710 steps since the elevators weren’t yet operational.
The exhausted guests reportedly arrived sweating profusely and gasping for breath, with several unable to enjoy the champagne reception due to altitude sickness.
Elevator Panic
The main elevators weren’t ready on opening day, causing tremendous confusion. Workers had installed temporary hand-cranked lifts that could only accommodate six people at a time.
The operators became so exhausted from the constant cranking that they began taking 30-minute breaks, leaving visitors stranded between floors for extended periods.
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Unexpected Rain of Hats
A sudden gust of wind at midday created what witnesses called a ‘rain of hats’ from the first and second levels. Nearly 200 men’s hats were blown off heads and descended upon the crowds below.
Newspaper accounts described the bizarre scene of people scrambling to catch flying headwear, with many visitors mistakenly going home with someone else’s hat.
The Pickpocket Ring
On opening day, a sophisticated group of pickpockets operated throughout the tower. Dressed as tower staff in hastily created fake uniforms, they offered to take ‘commemorative photographs’ of visitors.
While posing tourists against the views, accomplices rifled through bags and pockets, stealing an estimated 1,500 francs before being discovered.
The Sandwich Shortage
Food vendors severely underestimated demand, running out of all sandwiches by 11 AM. Desperate entrepreneurs from nearby neighborhoods began charging exorbitant prices for simple bread and cheese.
One savvy baker sold plain baguettes for ten times their normal price, calling them ‘Eiffel Sticks’ and becoming briefly famous for his opportunism.
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The Man Who Brought a Goat
An eccentric farmer from Normandy somehow managed to bring his prize goat all the way to the second level. When questioned by officials, he insisted that the goat deserved to see the view just as much as anyone else.
The authorities eventually allowed the goat to stay after it became a hit with children and appeared to enjoy the experience.
The Fake Ticket Scandal
Counterfeit tickets flooded the market on opening day. These forgeries were actually higher quality than the real tickets, causing legitimate ticket holders to be turned away while those with fakes were admitted.
The mistake wasn’t discovered until midafternoon, creating heated arguments at the entrance checkpoints.
The First Proposal
The first marriage proposal at the Eiffel Tower happened just three hours after opening. A young man from Lyon had planned to propose at the top, but became so nervous he accidentally dropped the ring, which bounced down several metal steps before being caught by a nearby child who returned it.
The woman said yes, and the tower staff provided champagne to celebrate.
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Forgotten Workmen
Three construction workers were accidentally left overnight on the top level the day before opening. Having fallen asleep in an equipment room after a late shift, they awoke to find themselves among the first official visitors.
Rather than admitting their mistake, they pretended to be guests and spent the entire day giving inaccurate ‘insider tours’ to actual visitors.
The Missing Mayor
The mayor of Paris, who was scheduled to give an opening speech, got lost trying to find the VIP entrance. He wandered around the base of the tower for nearly an hour before being recognized by a security guard.
By then, impatient officials had started the ceremony without him, leaving him to deliver his speech to a mostly empty platform.
Temperature Confusion
The unexpectedly warm May day combined with the tower’s metal structure created strange temperature pockets. Visitors reported shivering on one side of a level while sweating on the other.
Some claimed to experience all four seasons simply by walking around the first level, with mysterious drafts and heat spots throughout.
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Misplaced Orchestra
A small orchestra hired to play at the base of the tower was mistakenly set up on the first level instead. Their music couldn’t be heard from the ground, but created an eerie soundtrack for first-level visitors who hadn’t expected live music.
The confused musicians played for three hours before realizing their mistake.
The Rumor of Gold
A bizarre rumor spread through the crowds that Gustave Eiffel had hidden gold coins in one of the tower’s rivets. This led to visitors inappropriately touching and examining the structure, with some even bringing tools to try extracting rivets.
Guards had to be posted at various points to prevent damage to the new monument.
Newspaper Critic’s Awkward Lunch
A prominent newspaper critic who had viciously attacked the tower’s design was spotted having lunch at the first-level restaurant. When recognized by other diners, he claimed to be ‘researching the enemy.’
His embarrassing visit made headlines the next day, especially after he was overheard complimenting the tower’s engineering to his dining companion.
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The Forgotten Flag
Officials realized only minutes before the opening ceremony that they had forgotten to hoist the French flag at the summit. A young worker volunteered to make the dangerous climb with the flag tucked in his jacket.
Visitors cheered his ascent, mistakenly believing it was a planned spectacle rather than a last-minute correction of an embarrassing oversight.
The Stray Dogs
A pack of stray dogs somehow made their way into the tower structure and found comfortable spots on the second level. They became unofficial mascots for the day, with visitors feeding them scraps and taking photos.
Tower management eventually adopted two of them as ‘security guards,’ and they remained tower fixtures for several years.
A Monument for the Ages
The chaotic opening day of the Eiffel Tower reveals how even the most iconic landmarks have humble, sometimes absurd beginnings. From counterfeit tickets to stray dogs and forgotten workers, these strange moments show the human side of historical events.
The tower survived its bizarre debut to become not just a symbol of Paris but a testament to human ingenuity – quirky opening day and all.
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