Where There’s a Tower, There’s an Elevator

Inside the Eiffel Tower, an historical landmark built by engineer Gustave Eiffel and inaugurated at the 1889 Paris Exposition, live historical elevators. The famous French icon holds more secrets than the public might think, and its elevators are at the center of its mysteries. While some history buffs know about the tower’s record-setting elevators, many don’t know that the intermediate platform, which used to serve as a pit-stop to the top, can still be seen today. Now serving as storage space and an emergency stop, the platform used to be where guests would transfer into a specialized elevator that could reach the top of the 984-ft tower. 

Another well-kept mystery lies on the second floor of the tall tower: a restaurant named after French novelist and poet Jules Verne that used to draw in foodies from all over the world. Yet, guests would never know that the highly esteemed restaurant was operating at a disadvantage due to its prime real estate. Jules Verne staff members were prohibited from using the chef-preferred gas stove due to safety regulations and could only obtain supplies from the morning service elevator, putting unusual pressures on the chefs, who still managed to earn Michelin stars in the limited environment. The Eiffel Tower’s elevators hold as much history and importance as the beautiful feat of engineering itself.