Story in pictures of a visit to the Eiffel Tower

In parallel with the story of a visit to the Eiffel Tower, this site presents the same visit, but told through more than 150 photos taken at this time. So it's the same thing, more explicit, but less precise. You can go from one story to another by using the links put everywhere, over the water.

It's late afternoon that I planned to visit the Eiffel Tower. No by choice, by obligation. That day the weather is uncertain, and it will clearly deteriorate during the evening, but that I do not know yet ... I arrive by subway station Kleber. Subway exit on the wrong side, another 10 minutes lost to cross the square, then the trocadero. Finally, here it is, beautiful, in front of me. At its feet visitors swarm like ants. I will join them, time to go down.

General view of the Eiffel Tower

Arrived by the Kléber metro, the Eiffel Tower is beautiful, seen from the slab

View on the 1st floor of the Eiffel Tower

Close-up of the 1st floor of the Eiffel Tower, view of Trocadero. We can see pretty well on a clear day

The gardens of Trocadéro

The gardens of Trocadero with the Eiffel Tower in the background. On a clear day, the monument is magnificent. It's a little stroll, to go on the spot.

The carousel at the foot of the Eiffel Tower

The carousel at the foot of the Eiffel Tower is a joy for children

The Eiffel Tower seen up close

The Eiffel Tower close up, late afternoon.

The West Pillar

The West pillar is a shop, you can not buy tickets, which are on sale in a kiosk, next door.

The North pillar

The North Pillar does not allow the purchase of tickets, in fact the purchase is done in kiosks, just next door.

The South pillar

The south pillar allows you to go up on foot, or use the elevator reserved for the restaurant 'Le Jules Verne'.

Short walk on the forecourt of the tower, then between the pillars. There are people, but it's acceptable. One queue is much longer than another, I'm going to the shorter one, of course. But before, a small detour is required to each of the pillars.

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The East pillar

The East pillar is one of two to allow the climb by elevator.

The entrance to the restaurant 'Le Jules Verne'

The entrance to the restaurant 'Le Jules Verne', at the southern pillar.

Bust of Gustave Eiffel

Bust of Gustave Eiffel, placed on a beautiful pedestal at ground level

The office of SETE

The office of the SETE, the Exploitation Company of the Eiffel Tower.

The first floor seen from below

The first floor, seen from below. We distinguish the security barrier in glass.

The Ferrié pavilion, in front of the glass barriers

The Ferrié flag and the protective barriers, seen from the ground.

West lifts

West lifts on the rise

I'm in the queue, it will take me fifteen minutes only to buy my ticket. In the meantime I take some pictures of the monument, seen from here it is very impressive.

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Decorative bows

Seen from the ground, the decorative bows of the Eiffel Tower.

The stairs

Stairs rising to the first floor, in the West pillar.

Plate indicating the origin of the iron

Plaque indicating the origin of the iron of the Eiffel Tower. There are several of them at the base of the crossbowmen.

Traces of oxidation

Oxidation marks on the rafters, a sign of the wear of the tower.

That's it, I just bought my ticket for the 3rd floor, which will allow me to visit also the two others. This is my fourth visit to the monument, but the first time I climb an elevator. Security is gone, the tail is behind me. In front, I have the automatic doors of the East pillar. I advance, it opens, and I finally find myself inside the pillar. Here's what I discover ...

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The entrance of the East pillar

The entrance of the East Pillar, once past the safety barriers.

The elevator shaft

East pillar lift shaft, where counterweight tanks are seen.

Counterweight tanks

The counterweight tanks of the elevator East. They were reservoirs feeding hydraulic pumps, in 1899.

Access to machinery in the East pillar

The descent to the machines, in the East pillar.

A machine from 1899, on display.

A machine from 1899, on display in the East pillar.

Historical panel

This sign announces the presence, just below, of a historic machine dating from 1899

The interior of the East pillar

The interior of the East pillar, with the departure of the crossbowman

The entrance to the elevator

The entrance to the elevator.

Here I am on the 2nd floor. Beautiful view, but I have little time to enjoy, the guides ask me to put me in line for the third floor, like the others. Good, fortunately it runs along the upper balcony, it allows me to enjoy the view time to dive into the heart of the tower, in the direction of vertical lifts.

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The arrival on the 2nd floor

The arrival on the 2nd floor is close to the shop

Sparkling light bulbs

Sparkling light bulbs dot the sides of the tower

Detail of glittering bulbs

The glittering bulbs are quite big, seen closely

Paris seen from the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower

Paris seen from the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower, late afternoon

Paris seen from the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower

The Champs-de-Mars seen from the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower, late afternoon

The tail for the 3rd floor

The queue before reaching the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower

The elevator for the 3rd floor

The elevator to access the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower

The arrival on the 3rd floor

The arrival on the 3rd floor, in the hall

3rd floor corridors

The passageways of the 3rd floor offer a beautiful view of Paris and the surrounding area

The arrival of the lifts

The arrival of the lifts is a beautifully decorated wall

The frieze showing the directions of the big cities

This frieze, above the windows, shows the direction of the big cities and great monuments of the World

A corridor on the 3rd floor

The passageways, on the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower, go around the monument

A sign showing the past of the tower

One of the many signs showing the people who visited the tower

A sign showing the experiences made on the tower

A sign showing the experiences made on the tower

A sign showing the engineers who designed the Eiffel Tower

A sign showing the engineers who designed and built the Eiffel Tower

Panel explaining the inauguration

Panel explaining the history of the inauguration of the Eiffel Tower

Well, now I'm going out on the balconies, upstairs above. Visitors can not do higher. Afterwards, they are the technical machines, the antennas, the technical rooms, etc. The view is impressive, but not as much as I thought. On the other hand, look down, yes, it's impressive! I decided to go around the balconies, there are small things rather interesting: A model of the summit as it was originally, explanatory panels, a reproduction of the office of Gustave Eiffel, and the inevitable champagne bar.

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3rd floor view

Paris seen from the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower

A balcony on the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower

A balcony on the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower

A balcony on the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower

A balcony on the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower. We see the model of the summit, at the time of its construction

The model of the summit

The model of the summit, in showcase precisely at the top

The exterior of the 3rd floor

The exterior of the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower

The exterior of the 3rd floor

The exterior of the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower

Model of the manometer installation

Model of the installation of the free air pressure gauge

Model of Claire Eiffel

Model of Claire Eiffel, in the reconstituted office of Eiffel, on the 3rd floor of the tower

Mannequins in the Eiffel office

Model of Gustave Eiffel and Thomas Edison, in the reconstituted office, on the 3rd floor of the tower

Information panels

Information panels on the history of the Eiffel Tower, 3rd floor

Commemorative plaque

Plaque commemorating the raising of the tricolor flag in August 1945

Champagne bar

Champagne bar on the 3rd floor of the tower

Typical telescopes of the Eiffel Tower

Typical views of the Eiffel Tower, there are all around, on all floors

One of the lightning rods of the tower

One of the secondary lightning rods of the Eiffel Tower, there are all around

Technical installation of the top

Technical installation of the top of the tower

Technical installation of the top

Technical installation of the top of the tower

It is not very cold up there, but the wind is unpleasant. After a while I enjoy returning to the main room. I go around to travel a little: The frieze tells me the directions of major cities in the world, as well as other major monuments. There are interesting explanatory panels too. But after a while I can not wait to see what's below. I take the elevator in the opposite direction and arrive at the 2nd floor.

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Back to the corridors

Back to the 3rd floor walkways, just to get warm

Arrival of the elevator on the 2nd floor

Back to the 2nd floor, obligatorily by the elevator

2nd floor platform

The 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower

The west elevator on the 2nd floor

The arrival of the elevator West, 2nd floor

LThe platform of the 2nd floor

The platform of the 2nd floor, when one is at the 2nd level

The technical staircase

The technical staircase, when one is at the 2nd level

Summit of the tower

The top of the tower, in the dim light, when the lighting starts

Summit of the tower

The top of the tower a little later, while it is dark

Lift up to 3rd floor

View of the elevator going up to the 3rd floor

2nd floor balcony

2nd floor balcony, by night

2nd floor balcony

2nd floor balcony, by night

Stairs between two levels

This staircase communicates between the two levels of the 1st floor

The balcony on the 1st level

The balcony of the 1st level, on the 1st floor. At night, during the week, it's pretty calm...

The balcony on the 1st level

The balcony of the 1st level, on the 1st floor. At night, during the week, it's pretty calm...

A telescope, on the first floor

A telescope, on the first floor. The night was a little useless ...

Ground marking of directions

Marking directions on the ground, 1st floor.

The 2nd level is quite fast, apart from the elevators for the 3rd there is only the shop and balconies. So I go down below, the balconies are wider, more beautiful too. They allow you to enter the big room, the one that contains several shops (called "Official"!), A catering point, the bar with macaroons, and some other less useful places. I go there quietly, taking advantage of the lack of attendance in the early evening.

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The back of the shop

The back of the shop, accessible from the inside

The entrance to one of the official shops

The entrance to one of the official shops

The entrance to one of the official shops

The entrance to one of the official shops

The entrance to one of the official shops

The entrance to one of the official shops

The entrance to one of the official shops

The entrance of one of the official shops. This one is central

A cafeteria on the second floor

A cafeteria on the second floor of the tower.

2nd floor decor

The hall of the 2nd floor, opening on the shops, the cafeteria, etc.

2nd floor decor

The central shop is very nicely decorated

2nd floor decor

The central shop is very nicely decorated

Arrival of the 1st floor elevator

Arrival of the 1st floor elevator, inside

The macaroon kiosk, 2nd floor

The macaroon kiosk, 2nd floor

The Eiffel tower in macaroons

The Eiffel tower in macaroons, in the window of the kiosk with macaroons

It's time for me to go downstairs. I do not want to take the elevator, I have a staircase that is offered to me. It seems more interesting, and I did well because I cross the elevator, which allows me to see the manikin that simulates the role of the machinist, before its replacement by electronic systems controlled from the inside. Come on, a little courage, and I have to get more exercise, so now is the time or never. Anyway, downhill, it's easy.

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The stairs down to the 1st floor

The stairs down to the 1st floor

Mannequin machinist of lifts

Mannequin Machinist Elevators, put here to recall the function of this staff, until recently

Number of steps

The steps of the Eiffel Tower are numbered; as it is shown in this picture.

West Elevator Cage

The elevator shaft West, during the descent between the 2nd and 1st floor.

Interlocking beams between 1st and 2nd floor

Interlocking beams between 1st and 2nd floor

Interlocking beams between 1st and 2nd floor

Interlocking beams between 1st and 2nd floor

Start of the stairs between the 1st and 2nd floor

Departure of the stairs between the 1st and 2nd floor. It is on the 1st floor.

Here I am on the first floor. We'll believe ourselves a little in another world, and again, the arrival of the rain minimizes everything: It's not at all the same scenery as up there. At the top, it is the Eiffel Tower as we knew it before: Technical, metallic, loaded. Here, everything is refined, broad, round. The three pavilions point their noses above the windows of protection, they are successful, it must be said, and agree perfectly with the general architecture of the tower. There are a lot of things to see on this floor, starting with the esplanade that is offered to me, wide, airy, and unfortunately not sheltered from the drizzle that falls on me ...

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Main Esplanade

Main Esplanade of the 1st floor. There used to be 4 restaurants and covered galleries

Main Esplanade

Main Esplanade of the 1st floor. It serves as a temporary exhibition venue

Esplanade principale

The main esplanade of the 1st floor is lined with arcades recalling the style of the past.

Gustave Eiffel Hall

Gustave Eiffel Hall, behind the glass barriers

Gustave Eiffel Hall

The lobby Gustave Eiffel can be privatized, it is commendable

Gustave Eiffel Hall

The lobby Gustave Eiffel can be privatized, it is commendable

Gustave Eiffel Hall

The architecture of the new halls are beautiful, both modern, large but not bulky

Glass floor

One of the 8 glass floors of the Eiffel Tower. They are not very big, but many.

2nd floor structure

2nd floor architecture from below and 1st floor.

Kiosk presenting the construction of the tower

Kiosk presenting the construction of the tower

Staircase rising to the 2nd level

The stairs going up to the 2nd level of the 1st floor

Presentation of the pump Edoux

In his plastic bubble, the pump Edoux mounted the elevator on the 3rd floor of the tower, in 1 only to overcome

The Edoux pump

Presentation to the public of the Edoux pump, which was used until 1983

The elevator shaft descending into the East pillar

The elevator shaft descending into the East pillar

Passage between the esplanade and the outer galleries

Passage between the esplanade and the outer galleries

1st floor exterior galleries

One of the four outer galleries of the 1st floor

Presentation of the Eiffel Tower

Explanatory panels on the outer galleries

Presentation of the Eiffel Tower

Explanatory panels on the outer galleries

Presentation of the Eiffel Tower

Explanatory panels on the outer galleries

Presentation of the Eiffel Tower

Explanatory panels on the outer galleries

North Elevator Station

The lift station North, a very nice modern building

West Elevator Station

West elevator station, same style as the halls

West Elevator Station

West elevator station, same style as the halls

Internal structure of the Eiffel Tower

The entanglement of the beams is impressive, in the pillars

Sodium lamps

The lighting of the Eiffel Tower is provided by large sodium lamps

The internal structure of a pillar

The internal structure of a pillar, in this case the West pillar

Departure from the elevator East

East elevator, towards 2nd floor

Back to the esplanade I detail what there is and that I had not really seen when I arrived, just guessed: The kiosk recalling the World Fair of 1889, for which the tower was built, a piece of the original staircase, with the original color precisely, and various little things of the same type. There is even the Edoux pump that was used to supply water to the hydraulic lift that "pushed" visitors to the third floor, via a landing.

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Original staircase

Portion of original staircase, the one that went up to the 3rd floor. It is presented to the public as well, in its original color

Original staircase and kiosk

Kiosque rising the World Fair of 1889, for which the tower was built

Pavilion of the Universal Exhibition

Kiosque rising the Universal Exhibition of 1889, for which the tower was built

Kiosk animations

Kiosque rising the Universal Exhibition of 1889, for which the tower was built

South foot of the Eiffel Tower

South foot of the Eiffel Tower, seen from the 1st floor

Foot of the Eiffel Tower

Foot of the Eiffel Tower, seen from the 1st floor

Stairs on the 2nd floor

Staircase rising on the 2nd floor, at night. He too is enlightened.

After going around the floor, I will take care of the 3 halls, the three main buildings. The lobby "Eiffel" is for rent, and today it has been rented. Entry forbidden so, but anyway I could not have entered it anyway. The other hall is the restaurant 58 °, so it is not especially visitable, unless you go there to eat, which is not my case. The last, the Ferrié hall, is open (and advised) to the public, so I go to him. It contains a shop, a restaurant, a cinema, a relaxation area, toilets. I also advise to go wash hands: We have a bird's eye view on 60m deep!

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The Hall Ferrié

The Ferrié hall is identical to the 2 other halls on the 1st floor

The Hall Ferrié

The Ferrié hall contains shops, a restaurant, a rest room, a cinema and amenities

The Hall Ferrié

The interior of the Ferrié hall, with a very decorated wall

La tour de 300m

Searchable electronic version of the book 'The 300m tower'

Informations about the tour

These few information about the tower are inside the Ferrié hall

Informations about the tour

The interior wall of the Ferrié hall is lined with images in realism with the tower

The view from the mezzanine of the Ferrié hall

The view from the mezzanine of the Ferrié hall

Relaxation area

The relaxation area on the 2nd level of the Ferrié hall

Cinema

The cinema space, retracing the history of construction, illuminations, and various other things

Cinema

The cinema space, retracing the history of construction, illuminations, and various other things

Cinema

The cinema space, retracing the history of construction, illuminations, and various other things

Cinema

The cinema space, retracing the history of construction, illuminations, and various other things

Well, it's getting late, it's going to be time to leave. I make a last lap of the floor, before deciding definitively. This time I will go down the elevator to see the inside of the West pillar, sometimes there are special things to see.

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Protection

Large windows to see the bottom of the tower, from the inside

Glass floor

One of the many glass floors of the tower, on the 1st floor. This is the West floor

Place to Kiss

This graffiti is one of those designed by the operator, it's a bit like a typical place for a selfie, for example

Pavillon 58

The pavilion of 58 is the restaurant of the 1st floor, it is better to reserve

The entrance to Pavilion 58

The entrance to Pavilion 58, which is of the same style as the other pavilions on the first floor

The entrance to Pavilion 58

The entrance to Pavilion 58, which is of the same style as the other pavilions on the first floor

Well, I did not really walk on the outside galleries, it is true that there are interesting explanatory panels on the Eiffel Tower, how it was decided, built, in which films it appears, its comparison with the other world tours, etc.

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One of the galleries of the 1st floor

One of the first floor galleries, quite quiet at night, on weekdays

Name of galleries

Each gallery on the first floor has its own name, here is the Street of Arts and Sciences

One of the galleries of the 1st floor

One of the first floor galleries, quite quiet at night, on weekdays

Spacers at the 1st floor

Spacers at the 1st floor

Back in the pillar

Exit the tower is the last pillar. View of the crossbowman, perfectly maintained.

Explanatory panel

Explanatory panel on the 1899 machine exposed in the West pillar, the pillar that served as my exit

Counterweight tanks

Counterbalance tanks, which used to serve as hydraulic pumps

Counterweight tanks

Counterbalance tanks, which used to serve as hydraulic pumps

Inscription indicating the blast furnaces

Inscription indicating the blast furnaces having forged the parts of the tower

Well, this time for sure, I came back to the floor of the cows. It remains for me to leave by the same path, but this time I will take the night photos, and preferably glitter. Luck ! It's precisely 21h battery, the flicker will be triggered!

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Inscription indicating the origin of the iron of the tower

Inscription indicating the origin of the iron of the tower

And now, I leave the subway full of images. The Eiffel Tower is really spectacular, it probably took a lot of strength to conceive it, build it, and manage to keep it. If you enjoyed this story in photos, read the text story, it is much more complete.

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