The Eiffel Tower was officially opened to the public in 1889. It was built as the entrance and centerpiece of the Exposition Universelle, the Paris world's fair celebrating the centenary of the French Revolution.
Gustave Eiffel's engineers completed the main iron structure in March 1889, and the tower was formally inaugurated on March 31. Public access followed on May 15, after remaining work on the lifts and visitor facilities had progressed. The elevators were not yet ready, so many early visitors climbed the stairs.
The tower was immediately controversial. Many prominent French artists and writers had protested its design, calling it an eyesore. Yet nearly 2 million people visited it during the 1889 exhibition, transforming it from a temporary attraction into a celebrated symbol of Paris. A common mix-up is confusing its March inauguration with its May opening to the public; both dates belong to 1889.