Why the Eiffel Tower has a Secret Apartment on Top
Enjoy 10% off 6” and 8.5” MOVA Globes with code ITSHISTORY. Shop now on
bit.ly/movaitshistory
When Gustave Eiffel’s company built Paris’ most recognizable monument for the 1889 World’s Fair, many regarded the massive iron structure with skepticism. Today, the Eiffel Tower, which continues to serve an important role in television and radio broadcasts, is considered an architectural wonder and attracts more visitors than any other paid tourist attraction worldwide. More than 7 million people visit this iconic tower every year. Since the tower's 1889 opening, 250 million people worldwide have enjoyed all the Eiffel Tower offers. And it has a lot to offer. The tower's three platforms are home to two restaurants, several buffets, a banquet hall, a champagne bar, and many unique gift shops. Educational tours of the tower are available for children and tourist groups. But one spot has fascinated many-the “secret” apartment.
Why is there an apartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower?
Is there a secret apartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower?
Who lives in the secret apartment in the Eiffel Tower?
Is there a secret on Eiffel Tower?
Why Photos of the Eiffel Tower at Night are Illegal
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @itshistory
IT’S HISTORY - Weekly tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.
» CONTACT
For brands, agencies and sponsorships, please contact us at itshistory@thoughtleaders.io
/ itshistoryx
/ ryansocash
» CREDIT
Scriptwriter - Brandon Evans
Editor - Piotr Kubiak,
Host - Ryan Socash
Sponsor - MOVA Globes
» SOURCES
/ itshistory
» NOTICE
Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only - always reflecting the accurate time frame and content. Events of factual error / mispronounced word/spelling mistakes - retractions will be published in this section.
You spent exactly 2 minutes of a 16 minute video talking about the topic.
Timecode for when he gets to the point?
8:54 to 11:04
He rly do be padding it out tho
@@JohnC19902 thanks fren :)
He used to make better videos. Now he's just milking it.
Actual coverage of the apartment begins at 9:01.
Thank you!
Thanks, Winston!
Thanks!
Thank youuuuuuu
You never heard of foreplay? Here's the Tour E'ifell... And here's the studio
The fact that there was a clip of the Vegas copy of the Eiffel Tower at the end… 😂😂
During WWII my father in law was a radio operator on top of the Eiffel tower for the United States. Unknown to who was making the noise behind him he told the intruders to shut up so he could hear the coded message and keep the device tuned in. Afterwards he was very surprised to find General Eisenhower and several other General's standing quietly.
Great bit of history, thanks for sharing.
Was he in the apartment as a radio Operator? Hopefully he took some photos of of it. I imagine today its probably used for the TV transmitter & other equipment.
brilliant story
@@guytech7310 There are no pictures, the whole operation at the Eiffel tower was top secret with Marine Corps gaurds. Part of the story as he always told it was nobody was supposed to be up there but the operator on duty. That unit received trans-atlantic messages. His discharge paperwork said he was unassigned, typical of secret work. After he told the General's to shut up and he was done with his work on that message, General Eisenhower told him "Your doing a good job Sergeant." The only reason he drew that assignment is that on the transport ship bound accross the North Atlantic the convoy encountered a severe storm and he had his back broken. He was part of the "greatest generation."
@@markskeldon1347 Thanks for sharing the story. I was hoping the operation wasn't classified. I believe all of the classified WW2 docs won't be released until 2045, but I'll likely be 6 feet under by then.
As a machinist/welder/fabricator, I appreciate the depth of footage concerning construction. Well done video that covers much more than the title suggests.
"Several buffettes" ?
Right! On a video about Paris no doubt
I’m surprised he didn’t pronouns Dijon and d’John
I think he does some of these odd pronunciations on purpose
Buffettes… buffoons!
I love his channel, but the mispronounced words in all his videos is astounding, if not irritating.
My spouse is a piano tuner/technician. I can only imagine how much fun it would have been to go up there to tune & service that grand piano! Wow!
Five BILLION lights? I'm definitely going to need a source on that one. I couldn't imagine maintaining five billion of anything physical. Not to mention the electricity.
568181818 amps That's what 5 billion 25 watt lightbulbs would pull from the 220v system that most countries use. Even if they used LEDs that consumed a mere single watt... 22727273 amps Your average home in the US has a minimum 200 amp service, larger ones 400. I'll let you do the math on that if you want lol
@@goosenotmaverick1156 And if we were to assume that each LED diode that makes up this 5,000,000,000 lights is just 1mm in size, the lights would span a distance of 5,000km. I'm not sure that could really fit too well on this tower.
It has 20,000 lights. The narrator is off by several degrees of magnitude. I’m surprised he didn’t catch that when reading it. Common sense.
5B/330m is 15M lights per meter of elevation. Laughable.
Electricity used to come from the atmosphere before the reset so this would have been self illuminated
My first trip to Paris, as we drove into the city from the airport, the first thing I saw was the Eiffel Tower. What a feeling! 😁
Beautiful symbol of the union between science, art, and culture, and of the French tradition of combining innovation with elegance.
I got the sense of the structure's amazing size seeing it behind all the buildings it dwarfed. May the Eiffel Tower continue to stand and be looked after for centuries!
Despite opposition, I am so glad it was built and what an achievement. I went up it while on a school trip in the sumnmer of 1965 so thanks to Mr Eiffel and all those involved.
I went to the top of the tower and the apartment was identified as part of the tour so it was never that 'secret'. Just go and get up the top if you are ever in Paris.
This tower brings joy to all who see it. I hope to someday see it myself. Thank you Gustaf.
I assume he will get to the apartment eventually.
A slight correction : if I recall correctly there was an early 2022 upgrade to the digital broadcast antennas at the top. It increased the height by roughly 6 meters, putting the overall length of the tower at 330 meters. Also, the tower structure has been "trimmed" of any excessive / overly redundant trusses putting the metallic structure at 7 300 metric tons (10 100 tons with the foundations).
I would love to visit Paris. My Great Grandparents were members of the French Opera Company as well as College Professors. Their son my Grandfather was given permission to follow his passion to become a French Chef. He started out working clean up in the kitchen of a very busy Parisian French Restaurant. Soon after showing so much interest in how the kitchen works and how the beautiful food and PASTERY Trays were made a Chef took my Grandfather under his wings and made him his sou chef! The beginning of a wonderful Chef. Then came the time when due to their places in the French Opera Company they new a Great War was going to happen and they got themselves and their son out of Europe and to America 🇺🇸. I would love to be able to find information on my ancestors. That’s my dream. One of them anyway.
is there any chance you can do ancesory research? with the tech e have nowadays this dream can be done in reality...
I saw and traveled up the Eiffel Tower a few decades ago. I've always remembered that experience. And I really love the addition of the powerful rotating search light at the top. I also loved the time Citroen was displayed running down the entire length of the tower during the 1920s-1930s I think. I could very well be wrong on that date though as I'm often wrong with such things.
I'm 40 plus years ago I visited the Eiffel tower and had lunch at the restaurant there but it wasn't as classy as the very expensive brasseries there now. I recall there is a lift up and we walked down from the level above, which I did not enjoy.
As I am from England, I have been able to visit Paris on several occasions, unfortunately, I have never been lucky enough to get to the third platform because of high winds, I will of course try again the next time I visit, Paris is my most favourite city in the whole world and I have been lucky enough to visit quite a few capitols. ❤❤❤❤
We did it and your face moves around all by itself
In 1984, that tower became the most awe inspiring (examined closely - what is possible from the imagination, hearts and minds of some humans), and unforgettable experience of my life . . . thus far!
I enjoyed this a lot, but why show the Paris casino in Las Vegas near the end there? I know it might be hard to acquire footage of a specific thing like "buses next to the Eiffel Tower" due to how structures are situated and street geography, but man did that take me out of this. Still a great video though, I swear!
Ha, ha, yes! I stayed at Paris Las Vegas earlier this year.
This is what i call a "classy clickbait". We wait 10 minutes to see the apartment and then he shows us ONE picture of one of the rooms and then some random old pictures of a kitchen, a bathroom and a piano room that are CLEARLY not from the tower, but just random pics from the internet. He even has the BALLS to show a picture of a dining plate and call it a dining room. DUDE!
Some people are unfairly critical. The Eiffel Tower is an Icon. Overall good informative video.
This is what i call a "classy clickbait". We wait 10 minutes to see the apartment and then he shows us ONE picture of one of the rooms and then some random old pictures of a kitchen, a bathroom and a piano room that are CLEARLY not from the tower, but just random pics from the internet. He even has the BALLS to show a picture of a dining plate and call it a dining room. DUDE!
So my buddy asked me to help him move a couch into his apartment. Little did I know...
Pivot! Pivot!
LOL, LOL.
Just be glad he didn’t ask you to help deliver his five billion lightbulbs.
Noted that a few photos of the Las Vegas copy of the Eiffel Tower make their way into this well done video.
As a visitor to Lisbon, they are very proud of one bridge, claimed to be constructed of a pupil from Gustav Eifels school of construction.
Finn Carl Bomholt Sorensen : Gustave Eiffel non Gustav Eifels Français non Suédois. Ni, Roy de Suède
I think you are mistaken, I have found nothing that remotely relates Eiffel with Lisbon bridge. Maybe you meant Santa Justa Lift. As stated in the video, Eiffel was in charge of Porto's first railway bridge, D. Maria Pia. He was also related to Porto's Luis I bridge because his former colleague was in charge of that one. You might be interested in Porto's bridges, all have something unique in them and at least 4 of them were world record by the time of their construction.
25 de Abril bridge has nothing to do with Gustave Eiffel
@@Lilbroda I can't say which one, but we became told that one was?
Enjoyed your video about the Eiffel Tower, but were we supposed to notice that one of the busses mentioned was actually going down Las Vegas Blvd. in Las Vegas, Nevada by the replica of the Eiffel Tower? I've been to the replica and hopefully will have an opportunity to see the real Eiffel Tower. Thanks for sharing the story about the Eiffel Tower and the apartment at the top.
Thank you for the information, Ryan. Did not know about the apartment or the fact that it was meant to be torn down after a few years. He was very smart to come up with other uses for it beyond the World's Fair.
The apartment is NOT a "secret." Everybody knows it's there, they advertise that it's there.
Eiffel tower is a kind of lighthouse. this is the incredible idea of a great engineer to build this tower .This is the best video about this tower. good job,
I remember as a kid reading about the secret Eiffel tower apartment in the Magic Treehouse book and apparently its actually real
You showed footage from the tiny replica in Las Vegas without saying so. Credibility lost.
Not knowing how to pronounce “buffet” lost more cred.
Thank you for this incredible video. Excellent work.
Can't imagine Paris without the tower,
It is ever thus. People fight to prevent the new then fight to preserve it.
We have an urban legend here at Hunedoara, Romania that some of the iron ore mined at the nearby mines of Ghelari, was smelted in to pig iron at Govăjdia not far from Hunedoara, and turned in some of the iron or steel parts that this tower was built from.
Mr Eiffel was brilliant in many ways , his best was preserving the tower❤
How cozy it would be staying in that little apartment SO high in the sky during a rain storm. :) MAN so cool.
The Eiffel Tower was built as a proof of concept, that instead of building heavy stone buildings, its possible to build a very light, open building and make it tall without having it collapse. Specifically, it meant that a "light" building can be sturdier and taller, because it needs to carry less weight before collapsing of its own weight. Every tall building after that was built based on the same principles, especially the "skyscrapers". We have come a long way in technique though. If the metal used in construction were recycled and reused, it would be possible to build three and half similar towers, as tall as the original, but all even stronger.
I'd like to see this even lighter Eiffel Tower. It must be a fractal of trusses made of trusses made of trusses!
My great Uncle came ashore June 7th @ Omaha beach, he was a radio expert for the U.S. Army and he ended up living up at the top of the Eiffel tower for over a year keeping the armed forces radio equipment in good order, i believe he lived in that space during that time...he had a nice Luger that he collected on the way to Paris which he showed me, pistol, holster and nazi belt buckle.
VERY good doc on the Eiffel Tower! I learned so much!
I like the way that he used every excuse to save the tower from demolition. Thank goodness it worked otherwise we would have lost it . I found it quiet unusual that the penthouse apartment didn’t have a bedroom. How wonderful it would be to live in that apartment. A bedroom and a guest room would definitely be installed if it was mine. 😊
Without a bedroom, he had a valid excuse that it is just a scientific center, not a recreational facility.
It would have been destroyed for no other reason than aesthetics. Obviously an engineering marvel designed to stand for centuries. It would have been a terrible shame to tear down such greatness. Some people build. Others tear things down. I like the people that build better.
Good to know Gustave used the tower for Aero dynamic experiments… so did I.. in 2004 I let fly a paper aeroplane from the top. It flew for over 10 minutes, eventually disappearing underneath a bridge crossing on the Seine.
15:14 That is Vegas!
Would like to see a walk through of that apartment today.
As a parisian, it's a kind of our city's lighthouse. Been up there countless times. Seen it almost everyday. And there are many epic stories around her. Interestingly, in the video you can see the former Palais du Trocadero, just in front of the tower on the other side of the Seine. Which has been demolished and replaced.
You might be better placed to remake this video using some footage of your own. Perhaps you could even access the apartment and supply what this video lacks.
@Girard I’m glad I went on it in 1982 and 1999. When things were more normal.
take a shower, FFS
First Parisian I hear about who actually went up the tower! Most Parisians I know (I am the son of one) never put a foot in the Eiffel tower.
@Girard You don't know what you are talking about: from the beginning it was used to make all sorts of scientific researches and experiments, and then for reception and communication, up to this day!!
Imagine doing a video about Eiffel tower and pronouncing the T at the end of Buffet.
Thank you for sharing this video. Back in the1980s my father was working jointly for the French, British and American governments on classified projects. During that time they spent a bit of time on the Eiffel tower. At the time there was work being done on the tower and sections were closed to the public. He and a colleague got permission to remove a small piece of metal from a piece that had already been removed to keep as a momento of the time they were working there. When he was packing up his suitcase he discovered that the piece of metal from the Eiffel tower made his suitcase over the weight limit. So he let his friend he had stayed with have it and he kept the thin melted drips created by the blowtorch when they had cut the metal. Which he would later attach to a cobble stone he had picked up somewhere during his time in France and the UK. It has been on his mantle ever since.
Absolutely superb documentary. Interesting and educational. Thank You
I never ever knew that there was an apartment!!! That’s pretty cool 😎
I’ve been up to the top 3 times over the years. I also had lunch in the restaurant on level 1. I’ve seen the apartment at the top also. If you are in Paris, you will want to book your tickets early in your trip.
Yes, but did you drink champagne and propose as well..? Since 1982, I have done all that! To think the local council of Barcelona refused it when offered the Iron Lady ( something this narrator failed to mention…).
A magnificent structure, truly an eye full...
What a iconic design he really was ahead of his time. Could you imagine having the apartment at the top? You could probably feel it swaying. This man was a genius to surround it's mystic around science to keep it alive.
What is missing from this otherwise very interesting presentation is the fact that Eiffel had a small room right on top of the tower that was his personal study. I had a chance to see it when I was there. The reason why he built the "secret" apartment and this little room was to prove the French people and the world how much he trusted the soundness of the construction. As mentioned in the video, he also contributed to the building of the Statue of Liberty. The statue was a present offered to America by the French Freemasons to celebrate the 110 anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Eiffel was a Freemason.
1/10th mm tolerances on the iron structural parts--amazing! I wonder how they even went about measuring large pieces so accurately? 5 billion lights, though? I'd like more information on that.
Yea, I find that really hard to believe.
It’s around 20 thousand lights…not sure how he got that unrealistic figure lol 😆
5 billion photons
Yeah, 20k lights…
i Googled it and found a thread where someone did the calculation: "To install 5 billion lightbulbs would take more than 4700 man-years (30 seconds per bulb non-stop) so there would be no feasible way to get them all changed as they burned out. 5 billion is an insanely large number."
Many Buses, but you took that one who stops in Las Vegas.
Was up on the summit in 2019. Have to get tickets early for that level. Stunning to be on.
One other thing is the Eiffel tower is really great for shooting fireworks because or thanks to its structure, they can be placed at different angles etc and allow a lot of creativity, I highly recommend everyone to look for videos of fireworks at the Eiffel tower, usually on Bastille day and/or during NYE, really spectacular display, always very creative, so far I haven't seen another monument or structure that offers such diverse opportunities and yes I am biased, having lived there 14 years but still, every year the Eiffel tower wonders again in what it can do! Very good content, merci/thank you!
There is an other tower designed and built before this by the firm Henry-Lepaute where you can see the resemblance in the steelwork with this slightly more famous tower and that is the Valsörarna lighthouse in Finland built in 1885. You have to look that up as no links are allowed here.
How on earth did they ever get a piano up there? Certainly not by the spiral staircase!
Wow 🤩 Grateful for such a monumental visionary; Gustave Eiffel.
Thanks for the video. Anyway you can make one about it in modern day? I appreciated the older one. I will never get to see it in person.
And from 1925 for 9 years the world's largest illuminated sign with letters 30 metres high - CITROEN - with 600 kms of electric cable and 250,000 light bulbs.... used by Charles Lindbergh when coming into land after his solo flight across the Atlantic... Citroen another French design icon... Traction, 2CV, DS, CX, GS, SM.
Buff-ets?
Gotta do something to get people commenting.
I often notice multiple similar mispronunciations in each video which aren't even considered regional differences. He's an intelligent guy but maybe reading so many scripts possibly get ahead of some individuals.
I have been inside the multi floor apartment and it did indeed have a bedroom. If only people really knew what this device truly does/did they would tear it down in an act of revenge.
There can never can be too much information. Thank you!
That was fascinating.
Clickbait. Your videos turned into clickbait - video supposedly about the apartment on top, but only a quarter of the video talks about it.
Bravo for your impressive research on the subject.
THIS WAS GREAT TKS LOVED IT
The Eiffel Tower was designed to attract ectoplasmic entities and molecularly bond them to the structure. The Ghostbusters traveled to Paris in October of 1987 to cleanse the tower after a maintenance crew in the upper floors damaged the control box keeping the spirits bonded to the tower. Loss of containment meant that millions of spirits collected over the course of a century threatened to explosively release into the city. The Ghostbusters prevented this by connecting their proton packs to the control box and transmitted the psychokinetic energy to a satellite in orbit, sending the energy across the planet where it was received by their containment unit in New York. The whole process took five hours, which caused the Cable companies to sue the Ghostbusters after their costumers were forced to listen to millions of cursing French ghosts until the procedure was complete.
Hey what u smokin,,cause I want some ... 😂
🤣🤣
Quit 🚬 smoking that meth!
The "experiments" in the apartment were conducted by Evo Shandor before moving to NY.
I love the idea they had in the movie Tomorrowland. Have the tower be a platform for a rocket ship was great . They also showed the apartment you talk about in this video .
Been there on top of that tower during my visit on Paris 2018 and it was best experience in Paris when i think of it after. Those decks are taller than i thought. Cost about 100euros and i spend hours just watching Paris from there.
It's a fantastic structure for 1886.. unbelievable Ryan. You do a fantastic job with these videos.your dignified demeanor separates you from the wannabes. Excellent video.thanks again bill feilhauer
For more than 25 years after the world expo, Parisians wanted to tear it down but didn't because they'd have to pay a tax to cover the demolition/disassembly cost.
@ 15:14++ That's LAS VEGAS....
That bus has a long drive to the real Eiffel Tower! The "Mob Museum" on the bus caught my eye...
The Tower is an amazing sight to behold. I visited it in 2009 during my tour of Paris and some European cities. I only managed to stop at the middle floor, I was too scared to proceed to the last floor. I will certainly make efforts and muster the courage to make it to the last floor, when next i have the opportunity to visit Paris.
Thank you for sharing. Its funny to see that clip in Las Vegas with the bus. Not sure of the reasoning behind this clip. The Eiffel Tower is amazing to see though and especially the history. Thank you for sharing.
This story is just fantastic Brilliant, I have been fascinated with this structure & many others around the world, so one comes to mind that you should cover which I don't think you have; The Flat Iron Building In Manhattan New York. This is another Building that is so fascinating I have visited Manhattan but sadly I was not aloud to visit inside, it still has the water tanks in the basement that operated the lifts. With what I have read recently there is a great story here perhaps you could consider looking at this. Very best wishes on a great channel.
I have one of these mova globes, it stopt rotating 🙁 It really looked nice when it worked But now it's not that nice anymore
Interesting story !! Great!! Thanks man!! ♥️👍👌✌️☯️👁️☮️✴️🇱🇷🗯️❗
Thanks for this very well done video of a world icon.
Hey Ryan Socash, hope everything goes well and really liked the episode. Let me ask you this, would you like consider doing a documentary series covering the first industrial revolution similar to how Real Time History's documentaries like Glory and Defeat & Napoleon's Downfall? I'm curious to know what you think.
3:14 Franz Reichelt failed parachute attempt 1912
2:20 wow that actually works remarkably well on a small enough screen!
Love the addition of period correct big band swing music.
I've never been there... but I now have respect for it!💌 Thanks
Just imagine the poor SOB's that had to lug the furniture up there!!!!
I read a story in readers' digest years ago about a con man that had sold the tower to a scrap dealer . His name was Victor Lustig. Twice he sold it. Lol
I may have missed it, but did you explain the apartment’s use today? Is it accessible to the public on a tour or anything like that?
The apartment has been restored. They placed a glass divider and you can see inside from the observation deck. There are wax figures of Eiffel, Edison and Eiffel's daughter in the apartment.
The real mystery is what were those constructions that looked like small houses above the base of the tower?They can be seen in the video.Why aren't there anymore?
You are very close...there are 20,000 lights on the Eiffel Tower!
20,000... 5,000,000,000. Bah. It's pure conjecture, I say.
One of the best experiences of my life was climbing the steps of the Eiffel tower back in 2011. I just wish I could have gone to the top.
Wonderfully informative. Thanks.
The Eiffel tower is a radio tower also.
Let's redefine the term secret as something that people all know about, yeah that's a great idea.
I was lucky enough to travel to Paris at 16! Our tour leader told us how when it was being built the Bourgeois HATED the landmark and loathed eating at the restaurant but did so "because it is only place to eat where u don't have to look at it!" Regardless- its Amazing
Wow what a great video bro a lot of wisdom hidden within it 👁 🎥 I appreciate your work💯
You might want to consider: when giving measurements; not only using METRIC but also INCHES & FEET!? So that USA & others can tell how high long ETC. It is !?
Others? Not much left now are there 😄
Multiply by 3,28
I'm Canadian and I understand better in imperial measurements.
Very disappointing video. I spent 16 minutes waiting to see at least the outside of this secret apartment and possibly the inside. No mention is made of whether the apartment even exists today, even if just showing the location of this (maybe) long gone apartment would be something at least. A quite misleading video title.
it's not an apartment, it's gustave eiffel's office and it still exists, you can see it (but not visit it) from the 3rd floor of the tower
@@genzalarboa3110 Thank you for the information. Maybe the title of the video then should be ''Secret Office'' not apartment. And of course if it can still be seen why not include the sight of the office in the video?
The inside looks like and smells like a dead skunk on a hot road in Cridersville Ohio on Thursday July 16th at 430 in the afternoon while eating a bagel on the back of a horse.
I'm going to pop in a Jimmy "Buffay" CD and see what's available at the "buffette" table.
Who pronounces the "T" in buffet???😂 Perhaps he got confussed with Jimmy Buffet LOL