When your job is to build an incredible world landmark, you get to enjoy a few
that no one else in the world can even dream about. That's what Gustave Eiffel, builder of the Eiffel Tower, discovered when the tower was completed in 1889. As part of the tower's
, he included a
apartment near the top of the structure where he could look out over the city of Paris.
Some of the
inside included a table, a couch, and desks. The apartment also had a small kitchen, a bathroom, and even a piano! It was designed as a comfortable space where Eiffel could relax and welcome special guests. He also used it for scientific work and for performing
, making it both a living space and a place of study. The apartment was so
that many of Paris's
residents wanted to visit it. Some even asked to use the space, but Eiffel chose to keep it private. Instead of renting it out, he
it for his own use and for invited guests.
One famous visitor who was welcomed there was a well-known
. Did you guess who it was? That's right--it was Thomas Edison. When Edison visited Paris, Gustave Eiffel invited him up to the top of the tower. As a gift, Edison gave Eiffel a phonograph, a
that could record and play sound and was one of his most exciting inventions. Imagine receiving a gift like that directly from its inventor! Today, the apartment is a small museum, where visitors can catch a
of wax
of Eiffel, Edison, and Eiffel's daughter, Claire.
