Why Is There an Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas? (Vegas Attractions)

Las Vegas is known for its extravagant and over-the-top attractions, and one of the most recognizable is the Eiffel Tower replica located on the Las Vegas Strip. While Paris may be thousands of miles away, visitors to Las Vegas can experience a taste of the City of Light by visiting this iconic landmark. But why is there an Eiffel Tower in the middle of the Nevada desert?

The Eiffel Tower replica in Las Vegas was built as part of the Paris Las Vegas resort and casino, designed to recreate Paris’s iconic landmarks and architecture. The tower was intended to provide visitors with a taste of the City of Light without ever having to leave the United States.

The replica tower has become a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike, offering stunning views of the Las Vegas Strip and providing visitors with a unique and unforgettable experience. While it may not be the original tower located in Paris, the Eiffel Tower replica in Las Vegas has become an iconic symbol of the city and a testament to its commitment to creating one-of-a-kind experiences for visitors.

Read on to learn more about Vegas’ Eiffel Tower. Below, I’ll answer some of your most frequently asked questions, starting with whether the replica is life-sized. Then, I’ll explore the Las Vegas tower’s story and some of its more interesting facts, so stay tuned until the end.

Don’t miss out on the Eiffel Tower Las Vegas viewing deck experience – grab your tickets in advance!

Is the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas the Same Size As the One in Paris?

One of the first questions every visitor asks themselves upon seeing the Eiffel Tower in Vegas is: “Is this a life-sized replica?”. The short answer to that is, unfortunately, no. However, this doesn’t make the landmark any less impressive.

The Eiffel Tower in Vegas is 540 feet (165 meters) tall and is roughly half the size of the real thing, which stands at 1063 feet (324 meters) tall. Still, the replica is a pretty tall tower you’ll likely be able to spot quite easily as you move along the Las Vegas Strip. The time and effort put into creating this replica is nothing short of remarkable.

Initially, the builders wanted to create a life-sized imitation to make it seem more authentic. However, they couldn’t proceed with this plan because of airspace restrictions from the nearby Las Vegas airport. Instead, they made it as big as possible under those restrictions, making it approximately half the height of the original.

Now that that’s clear, let’s dive into the story behind this structure and why it has become such an important part of Vegas’ tourism scene.

The Story Behind the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas

Vegas’s Eiffel Tower is part of the Paris Las Vegas resort, which includes a hotel and casino. As the name suggests, the attraction draws heavy inspiration from the city of Paris, which explains why you’ll also find the gorgeous Eiffel replica here.

The resort, operated by Caesars Entertainment, is moderately sized and is home to a 95,263 square feet (8850 square meters) casino. Hence, it’s only natural to assume that there has been a lot of effort and money going into this project and, more specifically, ensuring the replica is as life-like as possible.

If you’re fascinated by Parisian architecture, you’ll be pleased to learn that you’ll also find replicas of La Fontaine des Mers and Arc de Triomphe in the resort, not to mention the wide array of other French architectural references scattered throughout the property.

RECOMMENDED: Check out my handy guide on the cheapest times to visit Las Vegas.

Paris Las Vegas, and subsequently, the Eiffel Tower replica, were built in 1999, quickly becoming a hot tourist attraction, especially since the observation deck on top of the tower offered (and still does) a 360-degree view of the Las Vegas Strip and the surrounding landscape. The replica is believed to have cost roughly $760 million; however, the exact cost is not publicly known.

It was French actress Catherine Deneuve herself who, at opening night, flipped a switch to turn on the tower’s lights, which continue to leave tourists stunned to this day.

Keep in mind that 1999 is the year in which Paris Las Vegas finally opened its doors to the public. However, the construction of its components, the Eiffel Tower included, had started two years prior, in 1997, as part of the city’s ongoing efforts to attract more tourists. 

Initially, Caesars wanted to create a life-size replica of the iconic landmark. After all, they were set on going all in. Unfortunately, this ambitious plan wasn’t given the green light due to flight path concerns from the nearby Vegas airport. Still, the replica that would get built is just as impressive as if it were full-sized, especially considering that halving its height made it much more difficult for builders to maintain the right ratios.

Unlike its Parisian counterpart, the Las Vegas Eiffel Tower hosts events, parties, and weddings, allowing romantics everywhere to say: “I got married at the Eiffel Tower!”

So, whether you’re trying to go all out on an event or simply want to take a cool pic while looking over the city, I highly recommend visiting the entire Paris Resort, Eiffel Tower included. 

It’s also important to note that though the replica resembles the original, the two versions have no similarities regarding the landscape they are a part of. For example, part of the Vegas tower’s legs come through the ceiling and onto the casino floor (see image above).

That’s because there were so many components to include in a limited space that many ended up overlapping.

Interesting Facts About the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas

Now that you know a bit more about how the famous Eiffel Tower replica came to be, it’s time to explore some fun facts you might’ve not known about it:

1. The Tower Features an On-Site Restaurant

If you’ve ever wanted to dine in the Eiffel Tower, you can finally do so in Vegas. The iconic replica features the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, which offers breathtaking views of the Bellagio Fountains located just across Las Vegas Boulevard. As expected, the dishes are traditional French and surprisingly delicious.

I say “surprisingly” because, generally speaking, restaurants that offer these kinds of views don’t focus too much on their dishes since they have a steady stream of customers coming in either way. However, that’s not the case here, and you’ll be able to enjoy some delightful French cuisine while taking in the surreal experience of eating inside the Eiffel Tower.

RELATED: See a list of Las Vegas restaurants with views of the Bellagio Fountains.

2. The Vegas Eiffel Tower Features Thousands of Lights (Tower Light Show)

The sight of a world landmark on the Las Vegas Strip isn’t the only thing that’ll make you take note of the tower right away. After dark, you’ll see the stunning lights covering the entire Eiffel Tower structure, making it hard to look away from the iconic landmark.

The illuminated tower has quickly become one of the main images that come to tourists’ minds when they think of Vegas, and if you’re on the Strip at night, you’re likely to even catch an Eiffel Tower light show.

The Eiffel Tower light show runs every half an hour from just after sunset to 12 am. These shows are a lot of fun to watch and happen every single night of the year.

3. The Tower Featured in the Movie “The Hangover III” (2013)

If you thought you’d seen the replica somewhere but couldn’t figure out where, this is probably it. The 2013 box office success “The Hangover III” centered around a group of friends and their misadventures in Las Vegas.

The movie features a few shots and references to the Vegas Eiffel tower. If you want to rewatch the movie, keep an eye out for glimpses of the Eiffel tower replica!

In addition to The Hangover, the Vegas Eiffel Tower has appeared in many movies and television shows.

4. The Eiffel Tower Hosts Hundreds of Special Events a Year

I’ve already (briefly) mentioned that the replica has become the go-to destination for romance in the city, and many people want to celebrate at the iconic Vegas Eiffel Tower.

Marriage proposals, weddings, anniversaries, you name it — tons of special occasions have been celebrated at this replica, making it even more special to visitors all around the globe. Though officially organizing such an affair is not cheap, it’s certainly cheaper than pulling something like this off at the original Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

So, if you’ve ever wanted to celebrate on top of the Eiffel Tower, this is your chance.

5. It Takes Roughly 30 Seconds To Get to the Top of the Tower

To reach the top of the tower, visitors can take the elevator. The elevator ride takes approximately 30 seconds and has glass walls, allowing visitors to see the view as they ascend.

Once visitors reach the top, they can step out onto the observation deck and take in the breathtaking views of the Las Vegas Strip and the surrounding desert landscape (during the day). By night, the focus is definitely on the lights of the Strip.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the tower’s base for approximately $27.

6. Steelman Partners Built The Eiffel Tower Replica

Since a lot of capital was invested in this project, it was only natural for it to be trusted to the best. That’s why Steelman Partners were tasked with bringing this ambitious concept to life.

In case you’re not acquainted with the company’s portfolio, Steelman Partners is a globally renowned architectural firm that has been entrusted with the responsibility of constructing numerous iconic landmarks, including:

• Marina Bay Sands – Singapore
• The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Las Vegas, USA
• Solaire Resort and Casino – Manila, Philippines
• Resorts World Sentosa – Singapore
• Galaxy Macau – Macau, China
• The Venetian Macao – Macau, China
• The Plaza Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas, USA
• Revel Atlantic City – Atlantic City, USA
• The Mirage – Las Vegas, USA
• Bellagio – Las Vegas, USA
• Aria Resort and Casino – Las Vegas, USA.
• City of Dreams – Macau, China
• Crown Towers – Melbourne, Australia
• Wynn Palace – Macau, China
• Grand Lisboa Palace – Macau, China
• Park MGM – Las Vegas, USA
• The Drew Las Vegas – Las Vegas, USA
• Baha Mar – Nassau, Bahamas
• Fontainebleau Miami Beach – Miami, USA
• Lucky Dragon Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas, USA

Visiting the Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck in Las Vegas

By now, you should have a better idea of whether a visit to this famous replica interests you and if it does, make sure to read through this whole section.

ALSO SEE: 14 Las Vegas Replicas! World Landmarks in Vegas (Photos!)

Let’s start with logistics. The viewing deck of the Eiffel Tower replica is located at 3655 S Las Vegas Boulevard (google maps), right in the heart of Las Vegas, and is open every day from:

• 2 PM to 10 PM (Monday thru Thursday)
• 12 PM to Midnight (Friday thru Sunday)

I also want to note that the deck is accessible to everyone and is wheelchair-friendly, so aside from a ticket, you won’t need anything else to experience one of Vegas’ most breathtaking views. Keep in mind, though, that the lights only turn on after sunset, so I recommend timing your visit accordingly.

Best of all, thanks to its center Strip location, you won’t have to go too far out of your way when exploring Vegas to get to the Eiffel Tower, so your itinerary shouldn’t suffer too much even if you add the “Paris” stop last minute.

Since the Eiffel Tower is right on the Strip, you’ll have no issues walking there from many nearby hotels, and this area is extremely walkable. To learn more, check out my article about how much walking you can expect to do while in Vegas.

My Best Advice For Visiting the Eiffel Tower Observation Deck

While visiting the Eiffel Tower viewing deck at Paris Las Vegas is plenty exciting on its own, I recommend trying to time your adventure so that a Bellagio Fountain show happens when you’re at the top of the tower.

The Bellagio Fountain shows start every half an hour after 3 PM (noon on weekends), so make sure when planning a trip up the tower you head up after the fountain shows have started for the day. An even better idea is to plan to head up to the viewing deck after 8 PM when the fountain shows start running every 15 minutes.

RELATED: Bellagio Fountain Show Times & Song List (Schedule)

This is a great way to combine two of Las Vegas’s most famous attractions and provide you with a unique view of the fountain show just across the street from the Eiffel Tower.

Ensure a spectacular Eiffel Tower Las Vegas viewing deck experience by securing your tickets in advance! (Vegas.com)

FAQs: Eiffel Tower Las Vegas

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas symbolizes the city’s commitment to creating a unique and memorable experience for visitors. While it may not be the original tower located in Paris, it still captures the essence of the iconic landmark and offers a stunning view of the Las Vegas Strip.

The tower has become a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike and continues to be a testament to the city’s ability to create unforgettable experiences.