Gustave Eiffel's office

At the very summit of the Eiffel Tower, nearly one thousand feet above the streets of Paris, sits a private apartment that Gustave Eiffel reserved for himself when he designed the structure. While the tower was a public marvel meant to showcase French engineering during the 1889 World's Fair, this small, one hundred square meter space was his personal sanctuary. It featured paisley wallpaper, heavy wooden furniture, and even a piano, offering a stark contrast to the industrial iron girders that surrounded it. Eiffel used the room to conduct scientific experiments and to host exclusive guests, shielding them from the bustle of the crowds below. Though many wealthy Parisians of the era famously tried to rent the space, Eiffel steadfastly refused, keeping it as a private retreat throughout his life. Today, visitors can peer through a window into the restored office, where wax figures of Eiffel, his daughter Claire, and inventor Thomas Edison remain frozen in time, recreating the day Edison visited to present his phonograph.