A statue of Blaise Pascal is located at the base of the tower, commemorating the experiments on atmospheric pressure, though it is debated whether they were performed here or at the church of Saint-Jacques-du-Haut-Pas. A meteorological laboratory is also installed at the top of the tower.
The tower inspired Alexandre Dumas to write the play La tour Saint-Jacques-de-la-boucherie in 1856.
Nicolas Flamel, a patron of the church, was buried under its floor.