A little reason to celebrate

Eiffel Tower Day

History · March 31

A day for the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the wrought iron lattice landmark known around the world, and the engineering behind it.

Eiffel Tower Day falls on Wednesday, March 31, 2027. That is 155 days away.

The Eiffel Tower is a wrought iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris. It is named after Gustave Eiffel, whose engineering company designed and built it, and it has become the shape most people picture when they think of France.

Up close it looks less like a monument and more like a giant drawing in metal. Thousands of iron pieces are held together by rivets, and the open lattice lets wind pass through instead of pushing against a solid wall. Visitors can climb stairs or ride elevators to viewing platforms, and from the top the city spreads out in every direction, with the Seine curving through it.

In the United States, people mark the day from a distance. Some look through old travel photos or plan a trip they may or may not take. Others watch a film set in Paris, bake something French, or try sketching the tower, which turns out to be harder than it looks because every crossbar wants to be exactly where it belongs.

The tower was built as the entrance arch for a world's fair held in Paris, and it was meant to be temporary. It stayed, partly because it proved useful as a platform for radio antennas.

At night it is lit up, and on the hour it sparkles with flashing lights for a few minutes, which is when crowds below tend to stop talking and look up.

Ways to celebrate

Try sketching the tower's lattice pattern on paper.
Watch a film set in Paris.
Bake a simple French treat like crepes.
Look up how wrought iron differs from steel.
Build a small tower model from toothpicks or straws.

Dates

Year	Date
2026	Tuesday, March 31
2027	Wednesday, March 31
2028	Friday, March 31
2029	Saturday, March 31
2030	Sunday, March 31

All national days on March 31

Also on March 31

Categories: History days