There was a time when monuments were meant to be visited; now, it seems, they can be owned—at least in parts. A section of the original staircase from the Eiffel Tower will go up for auction in Paris on May 21, CNN reported, offering collectors the chance to take home a fragment of one of the world’s most recognizable tourist attractions. Aspiring bidders will need more than just deep pockets—the estimate is set at $140,000-$175,000—they’ll also need deep real estate. The piece stands nearly nine-feet-tall and spans more than five feet across. Related Articles The lot, handled by Artcurial, comprises 14 steps from the spiral staircase that once linked the tower’s second and third levels. Installed for the monument’s debut at the 1889 Exposition Universelle, the staircase carried visitors skyward for nearly a century before being dismantled in 1983, when elevators replaced the climb. Roughly 20 sections were removed at the time, many of which entered private hands. This example, according to the auction house, has remained in the same collection for more than four decades and was recently restored ahead …