More than a century after it was introduced to the world and nearly 30 years after it received its last round of renovations Paris’ Eiffel Tower is preparing to undergo another facelift.
The French landmark, which was originally designed by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 World’s Fair Fair, was meant to welcome only about 500,000 visitors, but these days the towering tourist attraction hosts about 7 million visitors a year.
Eiffel Tower managers say even with the addition of new elevators that were installed in the early 1980s, lines can last up to an hour or two during the high season. It’s just one of the reasons Eiffel Tower directors lobbied for another makeover of the historic attraction.
Today, officials announced the popular monument will undergo a $267 million upgrade to make it more visitor friendly. The renovations will reportedly take place over the next 10 years and include a new system, which will allow visitors to reserve half-hour time slots online.
Other improvements include building bigger shops and redesigning the first-floor restaurant to increase capacity and lower prices. In addition, officials say the landmark will host more exhibits and sponsor more events that will hopefully attract Parisians, who currently make up only 2% of the tower’s visitors.
Disabled visitors will also see marked improvements including added access to all parts of the monument. The tower will also get a hint of “green” as its energy consumption will be reduced by less sparkling at night. Directors say the tower currently sparkles 10 minutes per hour, but will cut down to five in the fall.
Also, the Eiffel Tower’s two original elevators — using hydraulic systems designed by Gustave Eiffel — will undergo much needed construction, one after the other with the first starting in the fall.
The last time the legendary landmark underwent similar renovations was roughly 25 years ago, when the focus was on increasing the number of visitors, then about 3 million. This time around officials are aiming to cut down on wait times and have visitors leave with “rich memories.” They say they want to eliminate 2-hour wait times all together and are also looking to cut down on the number of complaints visitors lodge regarding getting pushed around in line by frustrated folks waiting for their chance to take in the view from the top of the tower.
How long did you have to wait in line during your last visit to the Eiffel Tower?
Related Articles:
What To Know Before You Visit—FRANCE
International Hotels that Treat Your Kids Like Royalty