Quiz on The Eiffel Tower

On the bank of which river does the Eiffel Tower stand?

• The Thames
• The Rhône
• The Seine ✓ (Correct answer)
• The Loire

Source: It rises from the Champ de Mars right beside the Seine, in the heart of Paris.

For which kind of event was the Eiffel Tower originally built?

• The Olympic Games
• A World's Fair ✓ (Correct answer)
• A royal wedding
• A film festival

Source: It was the star attraction of the 1889 Exposition Universelle, marking 100 years since the French Revolution.

How do visitors usually reach the very top of the tower?

• By climbing stairs
• By escalator
• By cable car
• By lift ✓ (Correct answer)

Source: Only the lifts reach the summit; the staircase stops at the second floor.

What metal was used to build the Eiffel Tower's framework?

• Wrought iron ✓ (Correct answer)
• Stainless steel
• Reinforced concrete
• Solid bronze

Source: It's puddled wrought iron, not steel — which is exactly why it needs constant repainting against rust.

Every night, what makes the tower sparkle on the hour?

• Coloured lasers
• Bursts of fireworks
• Thousands of flashing bulbs ✓ (Correct answer)
• Glowing neon tubes

Source: Around 20,000 golden bulbs twinkle for five minutes at the top of every hour after dark.

What is the Eiffel Tower's well-known nickname?

• The Iron Lady ✓ (Correct answer)
• The Steel Queen
• The Grey Giant
• The Paris Needle

Source: The French call it 'La Dame de Fer' — the Iron Lady — long before any politician earned the title.

Including its antennas, about how tall is the Eiffel Tower?

• About 130 metres
• About 230 metres
• About 330 metres ✓ (Correct answer)
• About 430 metres

Source: At around 330 m it was the world's tallest man-made structure for over 40 years.

What was supposed to happen to the tower 20 years after it opened?

• It would be torn down ✓ (Correct answer)
• It would be painted gold
• It would be raised higher
• It would be relocated

Source: Its permit ran only 20 years — it was meant for scrap, yet it's still standing over a century later.

What colour is the Eiffel Tower actually painted today?

• Jet black
• Silver grey
• Bright red
• A shade of brown ✓ (Correct answer)

Source: It wears a custom 'Eiffel Tower Brown', shaded darker at the base so it looks uniform against the sky.

How many visitor levels does the Eiffel Tower have?

• Two
• Three ✓ (Correct answer)
• Five
• Seven

Source: Three: two lower platforms and the summit, each with its own sweeping view of Paris.

About how long did it take to build the Eiffel Tower?

• About 10 years
• About 5 years
• About 4 years
• About 2 years ✓ (Correct answer)

Source: Just over two years — astonishingly fast for the 1880s and the world's tallest structure.

Why does the Eiffel Tower grow slightly taller in summer?

• Heavy crowds stretch it
• The metal expands in heat ✓ (Correct answer)
• Wind lifts the top
• Added seasonal antennas

Source: Heat makes the iron expand, so the tower can grow about 15 cm on a scorching day.

A famous swindler twice 'sold' the Eiffel Tower as what?

• A luxury hotel
• A film set
• An art gallery
• Scrap metal ✓ (Correct answer)

Source: Con man Victor Lustig sold it to scrap dealers — twice — by posing as a government official.

About how many steps climb from the ground to the second floor?

• About 300
• About 700 ✓ (Correct answer)
• About 1,400
• About 2,500

Source: Around 674 steps reach the second floor — but you'll still need the lift for the rest.

Which writer supposedly lunched in the tower to avoid seeing it?

• Guy de Maupassant ✓ (Correct answer)
• Victor Hugo
• Jules Verne
• Émile Zola

Source: Maupassant hated it and joked the restaurant was the only spot in Paris where the tower was out of sight.

Roughly how many iron parts were assembled to build the tower?

• Around 1,800
• Around 8,000
• Around 18,000 ✓ (Correct answer)
• Around 80,000

Source: About 18,000 separate pieces, held together by some 2.5 million rivets.

What practical use helped save the tower from demolition?

• A wireless radio antenna ✓ (Correct answer)
• A giant lighthouse
• A weather station
• A water tower

Source: Its great height made it perfect for radio transmission, which made it far too useful to tear down.

What did Gustave Eiffel secretly build at the very top?

• A wine cellar
• A private apartment ✓ (Correct answer)
• A small chapel
• A telegraph office

Source: He built himself a cosy apartment at the summit, which visitors can still peek into today.

How often is the entire Eiffel Tower repainted?

• Every 2 years
• Every 5 years
• Every 7 years ✓ (Correct answer)
• Every 12 years

Source: Roughly every seven years, around 60 tonnes of paint are applied — almost entirely by hand.

How many French scientists' names are engraved around the tower?

• 24
• 48
• 60
• 72 ✓ (Correct answer)

Source: Gustave Eiffel had 72 names of French scientists and engineers carved beneath the first balcony.