About Eiffel Tower with Cowboy Hat
Paris, Texas has an Eiffel Tower. That part is predictable. The giant red cowboy hat perched on top is where the local version becomes considerably harder to confuse with France.
The steel replica was built in 1993 and stands about 65 feet tall. Several American towns named Paris have constructed their own Eiffel-inspired landmarks, creating an unofficial competition over who can build the most memorable imitation. Texas eventually gained an advantage that had little to do with height. In 1999, a red cowboy hat approximately three and a half feet tall was added to the top.
The hat changes the entire object. Without it, the tower would be another scaled-down reproduction of a famous landmark. With it, the structure becomes a visual joke that can be understood immediately from a moving car. The delicate latticework rises normally until the eye reaches the top and finds an oversized piece of Western headwear where architectural dignity used to be.
The tower stands near the Love Civic Center and can be viewed at any time. It is exactly the kind of roadside landmark that works because the concept can be explained in five words: Eiffel Tower with cowboy hat.