First Eiffel Tower Bobbles Unveiled to Celebrate Paris Olympics

MILWAUKEE – This morning, to celebrate tonight’s opening ceremonies of the 2024 Summer Olympics being held in Paris, France, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled the first Eiffel Tower bobbles.  The bobbles feature the iconic Eiffel Tower in four color variations. The Eiffel Tower was painted gold for Paris 2024, which are the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad. The Olympic games started this week and conclude on Sunday, August 11th. The special edition bobbles were produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.

The bobbles feature a replica of the Eiffel Tower positioned on a base with the colors of France’s flag. There are four color versions available – the original Venice red, the signature “Eiffel Tower brown,” a tri-color version that features the colors of France’s flag, and the current yellow-brown composition that will give the tower a distinct gold hue. Just in time for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, the 20th paint job of the Eiffel Tower – the last one was about 55 years ago – will be complete. Changing the tower’s color from “Eiffel Tower brown” to “yellow brown” (or gold) started in 2019, but was delayed due to the pandemic, rust, and the presence of lead in the old paint.

Each bobble is individually numbered to 1,889 and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbles, which are in stock and ready to ship, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

Completed in March of 1889, and located in Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognizable monuments in the world. Named after engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the wrought-iron lattice tower, the Eiffel Tower receives nearly seven million tourists a year. Also known as the “Iron Lady” and standing 1,083 feet tall, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to become the tallest man-made structure in the world – a title it held for 41 years until the Chrysler Building in New York City was finished in 1930. Constructed as the centerpiece for the 1889 World’s Fair, it was initially criticized by some of France’s leading artists and intellectuals for its design.

The Eiffel Tower has a colorful history. The original structure was dark red (aka “Venice red”). In 1899, it was painted yellow. About 50 years ago, the tower was coated in bronze paint. Today, the Eiffel Tower is covered in almost 16,000 gallons of paint in a job that usually takes 15 months to complete. The tower is made of 18,038 metal pieces bolted together by over 2.5 million rivets. The tower consists of 7,300 tons of iron. The Eiffel Tower has 1,665 stairs and three viewing platforms. Visitors can walk up the first two levels and take an elevator to the third and final level. Each night, 20,000 light bulbs illuminate the landmark every night. Since it was built, over 250 million people have visited the tower.

For those who plan on visiting Paris for the Olympics this summer, and likely for many decades to come, they will get to see a gilded Eiffel Tower. It’s also the color the man who built the tower, Gustave Eiffel, originally chose, and it hasn’t been this shade since 1947. Also, in honor of the return of the Games to France, each Olympic and Paralympic medal will include a piece of the Eiffel Tower, creating a profound connection between the object, the goal of many athletes, and the iconic monument of Paris and France. The metal from the Eiffel Tower set in the medals is derived from parts of the monument’s structure removed during renovation works during the 20th century.

“The iconic Eiffel Tower is an international treasure and one of the most recognizable structures in the world,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “We are thrilled to produce the first bobbles of the ‘Iron Lady’ which is the most famous symbol not only in Paris but all of France!”

About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country. Visit us online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.