Constructed in 1899 for France’s World’s Fair, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. Named for its creator, Gustave Eiffel, the tower has become a cultural icon that is still praised for its elegant design. The Eiffel Tower is currently the most-visited paid monument in the world, with millions of visitors ascending the structure every year.

Over 1,000 feet (304.8 meters) in height—the tallest man-made structure in the world at the time of its construction—the Eiffel Tower features three levels for visitors to explore. Each level provides outstanding views of the surrounding city of Paris, providing every visitor to the tower with treasured memories.

On August 30, 1993, the Eiffel Tower celebrated the ascent of its 150,000,000th visitor. This marked a milestone achievement for the tower just before the 100th anniversary of its construction. While the Eiffel Tower was lauded worldwide for its design shortly after its debut, visits to the tower remained well under 1,000,000 per year until the 1940s. Since then, the number of visitors has steadily increased, now topping 6,000,000 visitors per year.

Today, the Eiffel Tower has hosted well over 200,000,000 visitors—nearly doubling its 1993 milestone in less than half the time, and its popularity is still growing each year. With its sleek, timeless architectural design, the tower continues to attract more visitors than any other structure in the world. As a result, the Eiffel Tower will likely be providing its visitors with breathtaking views for many years to come.