On May 21, 2026, a segment of the original metal stairs of the Eiffel Tower was sold for €450,160 at an Artcurial auction in France. The lot comprised 14 steps that once connected the second and third levels of the tower. This section was dismantled in the 1980s following the installation of elevators. It had been part of a private collection for a long time. Initially, the staircase system featured 1,665 steps.
According to Artcurial, fragments of this kind are rarely preserved in France and are usually owned by their first collectors. A pre-auction estimate valued this lot at €120,000–€150,000.
Despite the high final amount, this fragment does not set a record for the price of sold Eiffel Tower stair parts. In 2016, a similar section was sold through Sotheby’s for €523,800.
Owners of such sections are part of a narrow circle of collectors, with parts of the “Iron Lady’s” stairs installed in locations such as the Yamanashi Foundation gardens, near the Statue of Liberty, and Disneyland’s theme park.