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Part of Eiffel Tower staircase to be auctioned for record price

2026-05-22 11:49:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

A piece of the original spiral staircase from the Eiffel Tower has been sold at auction by Artcurial in Paris for around 450,000 euros ($523,000).

A French collector has bought a nearly three-meter-high section of the Eiffel Tower's staircase dating back to 1889. The piece sold consists of 14 steps and weighs 1.4 tons. It was previously estimated at between 120,000 and 150,000 euros.

The stairs were part of a spiral staircase that connected the second and third floors of the Parisian monument. In 1983, when an elevator was installed, the stairs were dismantled into 24 pieces of different sizes.

These sections became coveted objects for collectors and are now located all over the world. Some are in the Statue of Liberty in New York, while others are in the gardens of the Yoishii Foundation in Japan. Others remain in private collections.

In 2016, Artcurial auctioned off another 14-step staircase to an Asian buyer for around €524,000. Previously, in 2008, an American collector paid a record price of €553,000 for a piece of the staircase.

"When you buy a piece of the Eiffel Tower, you buy a piece of Paris, along with all the imagination and symbolism it represents," said Sabrina Dolla, director of Art Deco design at Artcurial Paris.

Dolla said the 2024 Paris Olympics increased the Eiffel Tower's appeal among collectors. During the Olympics, the tower and other monuments, including the Place de la Concorde and the Grand Palais, took center stage.

"We are definitely seeing a renewed interest in what it symbolizes and in its aesthetic appearance ," she added.

Engineer Gustave Eiffel designed the Eiffel Tower for the Paris World's Fair in 1889. It is now one of the world's top tourist attractions. The 324-meter-tall structure is the most visited attraction in France. /CNA