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Does the Eiffel Tower conduct electricity?

Gustave Eiffel had planned it! He installed 4 lightning rods at the top, like copper brooms directed to the sky. Like in our buildings, these lightning conductors are connected to insulated cables that go down to the ground to ensure the dispersion of electricity.



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According to Meteo France, the average house is struck by lightning once in every 800 years, whereas the Eiffel Tower is struck by lightning 10 times per year. As the tower is such a pronounced object it effectively acts as a giant lightning rod and is often struck by lightning.

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When does the Iron Lady sparkle? You can admire the golden Eiffel Tower light show during which it twinkles for 5 minutes every hour. The show takes place every evening.

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Except during summer, when the Tower closes at 00:45 : the Tower lights and beacon are switched off at 1.00am, except for the sparkling lights remaining during a few minutes. A truly magical moment not to be missed!

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What Are the 11 Most Interesting Facts About the Eiffel Tower?
  • It Was Designed by Gustave Eiffel. ...
  • It Took 22 Months to Complete. ...
  • The Eiffel Tower Is Made of Iron. ...
  • The Eiffel Tower Has Three Floors. ...
  • It's as heavy as an Entire Freight Train. ...
  • The Eiffel Tower Has to be Repainted Every 7 Years.


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In fact, the Tower has been repainted for over 130 years, about once every 7 years. So if it is repainted, the Eiffel Tower can last... forever.

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The monument certainly keeps the meter whirring; each year it costs £963,600, or approximately $1.12 million. Each day, that's a bill of £2,640, or $3,074. All told, the tower has a total of 20,000 light bulbs lining the frame, and it takes about 22 megawatts of electricity per day to run.

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There is a road that goes under the Eiffel Tower. I drove under it a few years ago and it was a nice experience. However, I was told recently that it is now blocked as a result of the orders of the present Socialist mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo.

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There are free toilets on all floors of the Tower (1st, 2nd and the top) as well as on the parvis. There are baby changing facilities on all floors (parvis, 1st, 2nd) apart from the top of the Tower.

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The Eiffel Tower can only be painted by hand The Eiffel Tower is stripped of its color and repainted every seven years by 50 painters. To date, the tower has been repainted 19 times. On average, at least 60 tons of paint are applied to the whole structure to prevent the iron exteriors from rusting.

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At 986 feet, the Eiffel Tower was nearly double the height of the world's previous tallest structure—the 555-foot Washington Monument—when it opened in 1889. It would not be surpassed until the completion of the 1,046-foot Chrysler Building in New York in 1930.

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Here is the answer to all your questions. The Tower lights and beacon are lit up every evening from dusk until 11.45pm. As soon as it gets dark, the Eiffel Tower's golden lighting switches on automatically within less than 10 minutes, thanks to light-sensitive twilight sensors.

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It is advisable to plan a visiting time of at least 1 1/2 hours for visit to the 1st and 2nd floors and 2 1/2 hours for a visit to the top. Your visiting time will also depend of your choice of way to ascent from the ground to the second floor : by lift or stairs.

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You needn't ascend the Tower twice, but you'll definitely want to see it at 10 p.m. when the lights sparkle. A good time to ascend the Tower is shortly before twilight, so you can experience it at sunset and also after dark.

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The Eiffel Tower moves in the wind and from heat expansion. The highest point on the Tower sways at an average of 2.5 inches in high winds. Not only that, it also moves from the heat of the sun expanding the metal! No need for concern, however, the amount of movement is minuscule for a tower of this size.

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For safety reasons, especially concerns arising from inclement weather or heavy visitor traffic, admission and hours of operation at the Eiffel Tower may be temporarily restricted. Wind, heavy storms or particularly heavy traffic may prompt the staff to limit access to the second level.

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According to our model, the tower could withstand peak ground accelerations >100% larger than the values prescribed by current seismic hazard estimates.

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