CONSTRUCTION OF THE EIFFEL TOWER in Paris took two years, two months and five days and a whole lot of engineers and factory and construction workers.
Construction of the Eiffel Tower in Faribault, built by one man, took 30 minutes.
Clearly there’s a difference in what, exactly, was constructed. My supposed-to-be-retired automotive machinist husband assembled a 3D wooden puzzle of the Eiffel Tower by B.C. Bones in a half hour. Information on the puzzle box estimates construction time at 1 to 2 hours. I am not one bit surprised that Randy fit the 32 pieces into a tower in much less time. His mind works that way. He sees a bunch of parts and he immediately envisions how they all work together.
Me? I would still be struggling to build the Eiffel Tower, especially given the missing architectural blueprint in the puzzle box. That and a missing fact file were likely the reasons this 2003 puzzle was in the freebie pile at a Northfield garage sale.
That Randy managed to construct the tower in such a short time and without a cheat sheet blueprint impresses me. But then I am not one who likes puzzles or has the ability to figure out how stuff connects. We each have our talents. Puzzling puzzles is not one of mine.
Now this two foot high tower sits on a vintage chest of drawers in our living room, displayed not as a completed puzzle project, but rather as a work of art. Just like the real tower in Paris, a tourist draw for 7 million annual visitors who appreciate its architectural and artistic beauty.
Engineer Gustave Eiffel designed the tower, built in 1889 to celebrate the Exposition Universelle. The structure reaches 1,083 feet heavenward and weighs 10,100 tons. But the fact I found most interesting on the official Eiffel Tower website was the 2.5 million rivets used in construction. That’s a whole lot of rivets holding the metal pieces in place.
Only slots hold the tight-fitting wooden puzzle together. But it’s amazingly strong and can be carried without falling apart. That gives me some insight into just how strong the real Eiffel Tower was engineered to be.
This garage sale freebie proved an interesting and engaging find. I learned something about architecture and engineering and facts about the Eiffel Tower unknown to me, mostly because I’ve never researched this architectural icon. And for Randy, this puzzle proved easy. For a garage sale freebie, I’d say we got our money’s worth.
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TELL ME: How would you do assembling this 3D puzzle without a blueprint? Do you do puzzles? Have you visited the Eiffel Tower in Paris?
© Copyright 2023 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
amazing! I am a huge fan of jigsaw puzzles and love the challenging ones, but I have absolutely no strength in the spatial skills, 3-d arena and figuring out how things should be built. no way I could have made this and especially without instructions. the tower clearly found its way to the right home. wonderful
It did end up in the right home. I’m totally like you. I’m also directionally-challenged.
I think I told you that I found out that my sister and I (who both suffer from this) found out that we have dyscalculia, each person some of the symptoms, but major ones for other of us were: spatial skills, cardinal directions, and following steps to make things. so interesting and we felt redeemed! the other parts of it, haven’t really impacted us personally, but one plus it that your literacy side of your brain makes up for it )
I do remember you sharing this previously. I’ll take the literacy side, thank you.
Beautiful and love the story behind Randy building it. I would be right there with you still struggling to figure it out. My GF’s husband and she and her kid are into it as well build all types of things with Legos. So not my speed. Happy Day – Enjoy 🙂
LEGOS are such a great toy, but, yeah, definitely not my thing either. The son was into LEGOS big time growing up. Today he works in computer science.
What a great rummage sale find! I do like puzzles but have never done a 3D one. That might be quite a challenge. At least there were no actual puzzle pieces missing and Randy did not need the blueprint. Nice addition to your living room decor.
We wondered if any pieces were missing, too. But then I saw on the box that there were 32 pieces. But there were extras of the top pieces, maybe because they would be more likely to break?
I recently did the 3-D puzzle of the US Capitol. Also a gift from someone who couldn’t do it. Pieces were missing..no instructions..just terrible pictures on the box. Finished it in 2 days..the dome never fit correctly. Ended up in the garbage. Now wished I had saved it for Randy!
That sounds like a challenge, especially with pieces missing. Nice thought, though, on saving it for Randy. He’s currently reading one of your Redwood County history books. I’ve read bits.
We do puzzles. My son, his girlfriend, and myself. They’re very good. I’m excellent at sorting pieces. I’m persistent but not innately gifted at it the way my son is. He also is mathematically inclined.
That you can sort pieces and are persistent are both good enough for me. I can sort pieces. The persistent part, no.
I sometimes wonder if I’d be less persistent if we had a table just for puzzles and didn’t need to get it done before the next meal 😉
Now this made me laugh. An incentive to complete those puzzles.
I am not a puzzler but that was a huge draw at our recent AAUW Book Sale. So many puzzles found new homes and when I work in the Connestee Library we are continually weeding out puzzles with pieces missing because we don’t have room for them.
I have seen the Eiffel Tower and it is pretty amazing. When we went to Paris in 2018 after Micah and Wendy’s wedding in Croatia, the hotel we stayed at had an amazing view of it and I loved seeing it all lit up at night from our window. It’s a pretty amazing thing and yes– a lot of rivets.
I thought you probably saw the Eiffel Tower. What a beautiful sight it must have been with all those lights. I love that you also have puzzles at your AAUW sale.
Love it!
Randy had fun with the puzzle anyway. I just sorted the pieces, not a big task.
Impressive time! And no blueprint? I couldn’t do it. I marvel how people do puzzles and build LEGO structures. Nice work, Randy.
I share your admiration for these skills.
We visited the Eiffel Tower in Paris on our 20th wedding anniversary! I loved climbing the tower and standing above Paris in giddy joy! I loved reading the names of the 72 engineers and scientists around the tower, and was disappointed there were no women’s names. I don’t enjoy sitting down to do puzzles too much. I’m not sure I’d be able to do as your husband did, create a 3D puzzle without a blueprint. That Eiffel Tower puzzle certainly is a lovely piece of art.
What a wonderful anniversary trip. Given the time in which the tower was built, I wouldn’t expect any women’s names on that list. But it’s a nice thought, to wish there were.
Great puzzle…good for Randy.
We like jigsaw puzzles. Not so much 3D.
A lot of people like puzzles. Good winter past-time. I bet a lot of puzzles are sold in Minnesota.