- Opera Garnier – a glamourous Opera House
- Opera Garnier and Napoleon III
- First Opera House to Have Electricity
- The Falling Chandelier
- The Underground “Lake”
- The grand staircase at Opera Garnier
- The Phantom of the Opera
- Work of art
- Library-Museum of the Opera
- Grand Foyer
Tourist Information
| Type | Landmark, Opera house |
| Construction year | 1875 |
| Age | 147 years |
| Ordered by | Napoleon III |
| Architect | Charles Garnier |
| Visiting hours / Ticket Prices | Visitors can either visit the Opera with a tour guide or by themselves 10 am to 3:30 pm (10 am – 5:15 pm during the summer period) Closed: 25 December, 1st January, and 1st May Adults: 14 Euro Important: Due to the Covid-19 situation, the Palais Garnier might be closed. Check the official site for further information before planning your visit. |
| Official Site | https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/visits/opera-paris |
| Getting there | Metro Station: Opera (lines 3, 7, and 8) RER Station: Auber (line A) Bus: lines 20, 21, 22, 27, 29, 42, 52, 53, 66, 68, 81, 95 Car park: Q-Park Edouard VII – Rue Bruno Coquatrix |
| Other attraction nearby | Place Vendome (533 m) La Madeleine (575 m) Chapelle expiatoire (677 m) Musee Grevin (750 m) Musee des Arts Decoratifs (970 m) |
| Location | Rue Scribe with rue Auber, Paris, France, Europe |
Map
Opera Garnier, a glamourous Opera House
The Palais Garnier or Opéra Garnier is a glamorous opera house at the Place de l’Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France.
Opera Garnier and Napoleon III
Napoleon III never got to attend a performance at his new opera house because he was ousted during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.
First Opera House to Have Electricity
The power plant that generates electricity for the building was installed in 1883, the Palais Garnier. The bulbs were provided by Thomas Edison.
The Falling Chandelier
On May 20, 1896, during a “Faust” performance one of the chandeliers fall and killed a spectator.
The Underground “Lake”
During the excavations, the architect discovered that the land was very wet. Garnier incorporated a cistern into his design to relieve the water pressure on the basement walls. It still exists today as a reservoir for firefighters in Paris. A more beautiful version of this lake was described by Gaston Leroux in his novel The Phantom of the Opera, published in 1911.
The grand staircase at Opera Garnier
The luxurious staircase used 30 different kinds of marble, from 8 different countries. The marble has white, red, and green colors.
The Phantom of the Opera
Legend has it ballerina’s bones were discovered in the Grand Palais before the opera house was constructed. This inspired Gaston Leroux to write the novel The Phantom of the Opera.
Work of art
Everything inside Opera Garnier can be considered a work of art made with extraordinary talent and full of opulence. The architect turned out to be an incredible artist.
There are two famous works in the Opera House, the Dance Art by Carpeaux and the fresco on the auditorium ceiling that was done by Chagall.
Library-Museum of the Opera
The collections of the Library-Museum of the Opera (National Library of France) conserve three centuries of the theatre’s history.
Grand Foyer
The 18 m high and 154 m long hall once served as the meeting place for the rich people of Parisian society.
