Editing Eiffel Tower (section)

===Inauguration and the 1889 exposition===
[[File:Exposition Universelle de Paris 1889 - Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Darmstadt.jpg|thumb|View of the 1889 World's Fair]]

The main structural work was completed at the end of March 1889 and, on 31 March, Eiffel celebrated by leading a group of government officials, accompanied by representatives of the press, to the top of the tower.<ref name=times1_4_89 /> Because the lifts were not yet in operation, the ascent was made by foot, and took over an hour, with Eiffel stopping frequently to explain various features. Most of the party chose to stop at the lower levels, but a few, including the structural engineer, Émile Nouguier, the head of construction, Jean Compagnon, the President of the City Council, and reporters from ''[[Le Figaro]]'' and ''[[Le Monde Illustré]]'', completed the ascent. At 2:35&nbsp;pm, Eiffel hoisted a large [[Flag of France|Tricolour]] to the accompaniment of a 25-gun salute fired at the first level.<ref>Harvie, 2006 pp. 122–23.</ref>

There was still work to be done, particularly on the lifts and facilities, and the tower was not opened to the public until nine days after the opening of the exposition on 6 May; even then, the lifts had not been completed. The tower was an instant success with the public, and nearly 30,000 visitors made the 1,710-step climb to the top before the lifts entered service on 26 May.<ref name=Exposition>{{cite web|url=http://www.toureiffel.paris/en/everything-about-the-tower/themed-files/70.html |title=The Eiffel Tower during the 1889 Exposition Universelle |author=SETE |website=Official Eiffel Tower website |access-date=16 April 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425081036/http://www.toureiffel.paris/en/everything-about-the-tower/themed-files/70.html |archive-date=25 April 2016 }}</ref> Tickets cost 2 francs for the first level, 3 for the second, and 5 for the top, with half-price admission on Sundays,<ref>Harvie, 2006 pp. 144–45.</ref> and by the end of the exhibition there had been 1,896,987 visitors.<ref name=Key_figures/>

After dark, the tower was lit by hundreds of gas lamps, and a beacon sent out three beams of red, white and blue light. Two searchlights mounted on a circular rail were used to illuminate various buildings of the exposition. The daily opening and closing of the exposition were announced by a cannon at the top.<ref>Harriss, 1975 p. 114</ref>

[[File:Georges Garen embrasement tour Eiffel.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Illumination of the tower at night during the exposition; painted by {{ill|Georges Garen|fr}}, 1889]]

On the second level, the French newspaper ''Le Figaro'' had an office and a printing press, where a special souvenir edition, ''Le Figaro de la Tour'', was made.<ref>Harriss 1975, p. 115</ref>

At the top, there was a post office where visitors could send letters and postcards as a memento of their visit. [[Graffiti]]sts were also catered for: sheets of paper were mounted on the walls each day for visitors to record their impressions of the tower. Gustave Eiffel described the collection of responses as "truly curious".<ref>{{cite book|url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k106381w/f335.image|page=335|title=La Tour de Trois Cents Mètres|author=Eiffel, Gustave|publisher=Lemercier|location=Paris|year=1900|language=fr|quote=On avait disposé sur certains points des parois des feuilles de papier qui étaient enlevées chaque jour, après avoir été complètement recouvertes d’inscriptions de toute nature. La collection en était vraiment curieuse.|trans-quote=Paper sheets had been set up on the walls on various points. Those sheets were removed each day, after having been covored by inscriptions of all nature. It made for a very curious collection.}}</ref>

Famous visitors to the tower included the [[Edward VII|Prince of Wales]], [[Sarah Bernhardt]], [[William Cody|"Buffalo Bill" Cody]] (his Wild West show was an attraction at the exposition) and [[Thomas Edison]].<ref name=Exposition/> Eiffel invited Edison to his private apartment at the top of the tower, where Edison presented him with one of his [[phonograph]]s, a new invention and one of the many highlights of the exposition.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wondersandmarvels.com/2009/05/thomas-edison-at-eiffel-tower.html|author=Jill Jonnes|publisher=Wonders and Marvels|title=Thomas Edison at the Eiffel Tower|access-date=2 January 2014|date=23 May 2009}}</ref> Edison signed the [[guestbook]] with this message on September 10, 1889: {{blockquote|style=text-align:justify|To M Eiffel the Engineer the brave builder of so gigantic and original specimen of modern Engineering from one who has the greatest respect and admiration for all Engineers including the Great Engineer the Bon Dieu, Thomas Edison.}}

Eiffel made use of his apartment at the top of the tower to carry out [[meteorology|meteorological observations]], and also used the tower to perform experiments on the action of air resistance on falling bodies.<ref>Watson, 1992 p. 829.</ref>