In the past, the engineer Gustave Eiffel's office was located on the top floor of the Eiffel Tower.
When French engineer Gustave Eiffel designed the Eiffel Tower, an iconic landmark of Paris, France, he included a private office with a kitchen and bathroom on the top floor. It has been reported that a portion of the Eiffel Tower will be put up for auction in May 2026.
A Dizzying Spiral Staircase With a Single Guardrail Once Led to the Top of the Eiffel Tower. Now, You Can Buy 14 of the Original Steps
Gustave Eiffel's Office Inside the Eiffel Tower Summit - Eiffel Guided Tours
https://www.eiffelguidedtours.com/blog/gustave-eiffels-office-inside-the-eiffel-tower-summit/
When Eiffel designed the Eiffel Tower, he included an office of approximately 100 square meters on the top floor. It had three small studies furnished with tables, sofas, and even a piano, as well as a bathroom with a sink and toilet, but no bedroom. There are rumors that Eiffel lived there, but it is said that it was primarily used for work and receiving clients.
Eiffel offered to cover three-quarters of the construction costs with his own money in exchange for the right to own the top-floor office for 20 years. It is said that Eiffel wanted the office because he wanted to bring his great-grandchildren to the hilltop overlooking Paris, he wanted to entertain prominent guests, and he wanted to conduct scientific experiments.
In fact, Prince Albert Victor of Wales, King Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar of Iran, painter Paul Gauguin, and composer Charles Gounod have all visited this space.
With approximately 2 million visitors in its first year of operation, Eiffel quickly recouped his investment. However, his right to private ownership was later renewed, and the tower was eventually handed over to the City of Paris. The office was not used for much of Eiffel's life after his death. More than 20 years after his death in 1923, the tower became filled with electrical equipment due to the development of television and the installation of a communications antenna at the top of the tower, eventually leaving only the small space that visitors can still see today.
At the time of writing, it is open to tourists and features wax figures of Eiffel and Thomas Edison, who once gifted Eiffel a phonograph.
On May 21, 2026, a section of the spiral staircase that was once used to climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower will be restored and put up for auction.
An original staircase from the Eiffel Tower up for auction
Part of the spiral staircase in the Eiffel Tower was dismantled in 1983 to make way for a new elevator, and was divided into 24 sections. One of these sections is on display on the first floor of the tower, while several others can be seen in French museums such as the Musée d'Orsay. Sections of the staircase have been put up for auction several times in the past, fetching tens of millions of yen. This time, it is expected to fetch between 120,000 euros (approximately 22 million yen) and 150,000 euros (approximately 28 million yen) at the auction.
According to the Eiffel Tower's official website , approximately 7 million tourists visit the tower annually, making it the most visited paid monument in the world. Since its opening in 1889, nearly 300 million people from all over the world have visited it.
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