The Eiffel Tower opened to the public in 1889.
Gustave Eiffel’s company built the iron lattice tower for the Exposition Universelle, a world’s fair held in Paris to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution. Construction began in 1887 and finished in just over two years.
The tower opened on 31 March 1889, while visitors began using it during the fair on 6 May. At 300 metres, it became the tallest human-made structure in the world, surpassing the Washington Monument.
The Eiffel Tower was intended to be temporary and faced strong criticism from some artists and writers. Its popularity and usefulness as a communications structure helped preserve it. The tower later received a taller antenna, bringing its current height to about 330 metres.