What helped save the Eiffel Tower from being taken down in the early 1900s?

Its use for radio transmissions

How often does the Eiffel Tower sparkle with flashing lights at night?

For a few minutes every hour after dark

In hot weather, how does the Eiffel Tower change?

It grows several centimeters taller

Eiffel Tower Quiz: Secrets of the Iron Lady of Paris

This Eiffel Tower quiz explores the iron landmark of Paris, from Gustave Eiffel's company and the 1889 World's Fair on the Champ de Mars to puddled iron, the artists who protested, Guy de Maupassant's famous lunch, the radio antenna that saved it and the nightly sparkling lights.

Start Eiffel Tower Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

History
The Eiffel Tower was built for which event?
Engineer
Whose engineering company designed and built the tower?
Height
When it opened, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest man-made structure in the world. Which building later passed it, in 1930?
Material
What is the Eiffel Tower mainly made of?
Paint
About how often is the Eiffel Tower repainted to protect it from rust?
Critics
Which French writer said he ate lunch in the tower because it was the only place in Paris where he could not see it?
Survival
What helped save the Eiffel Tower from being taken down in the early 1900s?
Lights
How often does the Eiffel Tower sparkle with flashing lights at night?
Location
On which park does the Eiffel Tower stand?
Seasons
In hot weather, how does the Eiffel Tower change?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: The Eiffel Tower was built for which event?
Answer: The 1889 World's Fair
The fair marked 100 years since the French Revolution. The tower was meant to stand for only 20 years.
Q2: Whose engineering company designed and built the tower?
Answer: Gustave Eiffel
Engineers Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier made the first sketches. Eiffel's company also built the internal frame of the Statue of Liberty.
Q3: When it opened, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest man-made structure in the world. Which building later passed it, in 1930?
Answer: The Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building in New York took the title in 1930, and the Empire State Building passed both a year later.
Q4: What is the Eiffel Tower mainly made of?
Answer: Puddled iron
The tower contains about 18,000 metal parts held together by around 2.5 million rivets, all assembled in just over two years.
Q5: About how often is the Eiffel Tower repainted to protect it from rust?
Answer: Every 7 years
Each repainting uses around 60 tonnes of paint, applied by hand. The color has changed several times over its history.
Q6: Which French writer said he ate lunch in the tower because it was the only place in Paris where he could not see it?
Answer: Guy de Maupassant
Many artists signed a protest against the tower before it was built, calling it useless and monstrous.
Q7: What helped save the Eiffel Tower from being taken down in the early 1900s?
Answer: Its use for radio transmissions
Eiffel promoted scientific experiments, and the tower became an important radio antenna, especially for the military.
Q8: How often does the Eiffel Tower sparkle with flashing lights at night?
Answer: For a few minutes every hour after dark
The sparkling lights, added in 2000, use about 20,000 bulbs. Taking professional photos of the lit tower can involve copyright rules.
Q9: On which park does the Eiffel Tower stand?
Answer: The Champ de Mars
The Champ de Mars was once a military training ground. Across the Seine are the Trocadéro gardens, a favorite viewpoint.
Q10: In hot weather, how does the Eiffel Tower change?
Answer: It grows several centimeters taller
Heat makes the iron expand, so the top can move and the tower can grow by around 15 centimeters on the hottest days.

Eiffel Tower Quiz – The Symbol of Paris

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognizable structures in the world and the great symbol of Paris and France. Rising about 330 meters above the Champ de Mars beside the Seine, the iron lattice tower welcomes millions of visitors every year. Yet when it was built, many Parisians thought it was ugly and expected it to be torn down.

The tower was built by Gustave Eiffel's engineering company for the 1889 World's Fair, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It took just over two years to assemble from about 18,000 iron parts and 2.5 million rivets. For more than 40 years, it was the tallest man-made structure on Earth.

Not everyone was impressed. Leading artists and writers signed a protest, and the writer Guy de Maupassant famously claimed to eat lunch in the tower so he would not have to look at it. The tower was supposed to stand for only 20 years, but its use as a radio antenna and for scientific experiments helped save it.

Today, the Eiffel Tower is repainted about every seven years and lit up every night, with sparkling lights for a few minutes each hour. Visitors can climb the stairs to the second floor or take elevators to the top. It has appeared in countless films, photographs and Bing homepage images, and it played a central role in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

This quiz covers the history, construction and secrets of the Eiffel Tower.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is perfect for travelers, history fans and anyone planning a trip to Paris.

Why the Eiffel Tower was built
Who designed it and what it is made of
How it held the height record
Why some artists hated it
How it was saved from demolition
Surprising facts about its paint, lights and size

Quick Facts About the Eiffel Tower

The tower has 1,665 steps to the top, though visitors can climb only to the second floor.
Gustave Eiffel had a small private apartment near the top.
The names of 72 French scientists and engineers are engraved on the tower.
The Paris 2024 Olympic medals contained small pieces of iron from the tower.
The tower weighs around 10,000 tonnes in total.
It is one of the most visited paid monuments in the world.