A 14-step spiral segment of the Eiffel Tower's original staircase sold for €450,160 at an auction in Paris on May 21, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. The piece dates back to 1889, the year the tower was completed [1, 2, 3].
The section stands about 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall, weighs 1.4 tons, and includes 14 steps [1, 2, 3]. More than 40 years ago, about 526 feet (160 meters) of the original staircase were cut into smaller sections and sold off when elevators replaced the stairs [1, 2, 3]. One prior section sold in 2008 to a private American buyer for a record €550,000 [1, 2, 3].
Other staircase pieces, ranging from 9 to 30 feet (2.7 to 9.1 meters), are displayed at prominent locations worldwide, including near New York’s Statue of Liberty and Japan’s Yoshi Foundation [1, 2, 3].
Sabrina Dolla, Art Deco design director at the Artcurial Paris auction house, said the 2024 Paris Olympics boosted interest in the Eiffel Tower. “When you buy a piece of the Eiffel Tower, you’re buying a piece of Paris, along with all the imagination and symbolism it represents,” Dolla said. “We’re definitely seeing a renewed interest in what it symbolizes and in its aesthetic appeal.” [1]
The auction continues a trend of selling original staircase elements decades after the replacement of stairs with elevators in the early 1980s [1, 3]. The newly sold section adds to the collection of historically significant pieces dispersed internationally.
The auction house has not announced any upcoming sales of Eiffel Tower fragments as of May 2026.
