Paris’ Eiffel Tower, a muscular symbol of France’s Industrial Age, was built in 1889 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution…and to show off at a World’s Fair. And this muscular symbol of the Industrial Age has been showing off ever since.

This thousand-foot-tall tower was a marvel in its day—an engineering feat trumpeting progress and ingenuity. And today it’s a major tourist attraction.

Lines can be long. But we’ve booked online in advance and can go right up. In its day, this elevator must have been a marvel. We’re checking out all three levels:

The first level, at about 200 feet, has a restaurant, a few amusements, and nice views.

But my favorite view is from the second level—at about 400 feet, it’s plenty high.

From here, I can spot the big sights we’ll be visiting and take a moment to get the lay of the Parisian land.

And, for a price, you can go all the way to the top. Imagine the spectacle a century ago atop what was the world’s tallest structure, enjoying an airplane view before there were airplanes.

After summiting, I enjoy walking down from the second level without the elevator for a close-up look at Eiffel’s Erector-set construction…thousands of iron beams and countless rivets.

Talk about a confident age: They built this entire thing on schedule in about two years with pre-fabricated parts. And when the fair was over, they planned to tear it all down. Thank goodness they reconsidered.