Palais Garnier

Paris, France

The Palais Garnier is a opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. The architect was Charles Garnier (1825–1898). It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier in recognition of its opulence and its architect, Charles Garnier. The theatre is also often referred to as the Opéra Garnier, and historically was known as the Opéra de Paris or simply the Opéra, as it was the primary home of the Paris Opera and its associated Paris Opera Ballet until 1989, when the Opéra Bastille opened at the Place de la Bastille. The Paris Opera now mainly uses the Palais Garnier for ballet.

The Palais Garnier is one of the most famous opera houses in the worlkd. This is at least partly due to its use as the setting for Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera and, especially, the novel's subsequent adaptations in films and Andrew Lloyd Webber's popular 1986 musical.

The Palais Garnier also houses the Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera Library-Museum). Although the Library-Museum is no longer managed by the Opera and is part of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the museum is included in unaccompanied tours of the Palais Garnier.

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Address

Rue Scribe 8, Paris, France
See all sites in Paris

Details

Founded: 1861-1875
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in France

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Narender Kumar (10 months ago)
This iconic opera house is a must-see when visiting Paris. Its ornamental architecture and grandeur are breathtaking, with a gleaming interior that will leave you in awe. Its monumental size and beauty are a testament to the city's cultural history. A must-see for any traveler! But language is a barrier here, very few staff members understand or speak English
Vincent (11 months ago)
Really loved the guided tour! It was very informative and entertaining. Lasting about 1.5 hours, it was never boring; we were also allowed inside. We had the English tour. Although it was really busy at the time at the building, thanks to the tour, we were able to see the entire building and learn a lot about its history. I recommend reserving tickets via the website! At the entrance waiting for the guided tour to start there is no toilet, that was the only downside.
Los Notes (11 months ago)
Definitely would put this place on the must visit list. It is so beautiful and grand. It's very busy and tons of people doing outfit changes and taking up space to take the perfect social media photo which could be annoying and funny at the same time. There's a bar in the beautiful hall where the balcony is and we had some champagne. Overall, amazing visit!
Pranay Devgan (12 months ago)
What a history and what an architecture. Highly recommend taking the audio guide and going through every detail, it will change your experience on the opera house. Very room, every detail is thought for and designed with according to that time. It gets packed so you will have to very patient when clicking pictures, add extra time for that. We spent 2.5 hours.
Alicia Adamson (12 months ago)
I had never been here. I was amazed at the workmanship that went into every detail of this beautiful opera house. Go early and get a front of line pass because there are very long lines. We spent an hour and a half but could have stayed longer. It's a must-see and very reasonably priced. It's across from the Lafayette mall, which is just stunning.
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