Eiffel Tower Staircase Fetches €450,000 at Auction

A 14-step section of the Eiffel Tower’s original 1889 staircase has sold at a Paris auction for €450,160, fetching roughly three times its estimated value. The 1.4-ton iron segment, designed by Gustave Eiffel, originally connected the iconic monument’s second and third floors before being removed decades ago to make way for elevators. The Artcurial auction house did not disclose the winning bidder’s identity, but this rare architectural artifact joins a prestigious legacy of scattered tower fragments. Today, similar dismantled sections of the historic 160-meter staircase can be found in renowned global locations, ranging from the Statue of Liberty in New York to the Yoishii Foundation gardens in Japan.