Qualla: The Paris, Texas Eiffel Tower

The Paris, Texas Eiffel Tower: Introduction

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0. Paris, Texas, has an Eiffel Tower. This surprises no one who knows that there are multiple cities named Paris in the United States, and that Americans love building replicas. What makes the Paris, Texas, version memorable is the giant red cowboy hat perched on top, added in 1998 to distinguish the Texas tower from the one in Paris, Tennessee (which is taller but hatless). The 65-foot steel structure stands in a small park near downtown, a sincere tribute to the French original that also manages to be a perfect expression of Texas identity. The hat was controversial at first; some wanted a dignified replica. But Texas being Texas, the hat won. Now the Eiffel Tower in a cowboy hat is Paris, Texas's most photographed landmark.

Image: Michael Barera | CC BY-SA 4.0

The Paris, Texas Eiffel Tower: The Name

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Nzeemin, CC BY-SA 3.0. Paris, Texas, was founded in 1845 and named by settlers nostalgic for their previous home in Paris, Kentucky (itself named for France's support during the American Revolution). By the time Texans named their Paris, there were already multiple American cities with the name. The Te...

Image: Nzeemin | CC BY-SA 3.0

The Paris, Texas Eiffel Tower: The Tower

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Renelibrary, CC BY-SA 4.0. Paris's original Eiffel Tower replica was built in 1993 by Boilermakers Local 902. It stood about 50 feet tall, a reasonable scaled-down version of the French original. In 1998, the city learned that Paris, Tennessee, was building a larger tower - 60 feet. Texas pride demanded a ...

Image: Renelibrary | CC BY-SA 4.0

The Paris, Texas Eiffel Tower: The Hat

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Jonathunder, Public domain. The cowboy hat was controversial. Some residents wanted a dignified replica; the hat seemed tacky, undignified, too aggressively Texan. Others argued that the hat was the point - why pretend to be something you're not? Paris, Texas, isn't Paris, France, and the hat acknowledged t...

Image: Jonathunder | Public domain

The Paris, Texas Eiffel Tower: The Town

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0. Paris, Texas, is more than its tower. The town of about 25,000 sits in the Red River valley of northeast Texas, closer to Oklahoma and Arkansas than to any Texas metropolis. It's the birthplace of John Chisum, the cattle baron; the hometown of William Jennings Bryan's running mat...

Image: Michael Barera | CC BY-SA 4.0

The Paris, Texas Eiffel Tower: Visiting Paris, Texas

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0. The Eiffel Tower replica is located in Love Civic Center Park at South Collegiate Drive, near downtown Paris, Texas. The tower is always visible and free to photograph. The park includes the civic center and tennis courts. Downtown Paris has antique shops and the plaza County Cou...

Image: Michael Barera | CC BY-SA 4.0