The Eiffel Tower received 1,968,287 visitors in its first year, 1889.
That total comes from the tower’s debut during the Exposition Universelle, the Paris world’s fair held from May to October 1889. Nearly two million people paid to ascend the new landmark, an extraordinary response to a structure that had attracted fierce criticism before it was built.
The crowds arrived even before the elevators were operating. During the first week, almost 30,000 visitors climbed the stairs, which contained 1,710 steps to the top. Once the lifts entered service, the tower became one of the exposition’s greatest attractions.
The figure refers to people who ascended the Eiffel Tower during the 1889 fair, not every person who entered the wider exposition grounds. That distinction explains why visitor totals can vary in summaries of the event. The tower’s popularity also helped persuade officials to preserve it after its original temporary purpose.