Charles Garnier's opera house opened in 1875 as the most extravagant theater in the world — a deliberate riot of marble, gold leaf, and chandeliers built to let Second Empire society see and be seen as much as watch a performance. Gaston Leroux set his novel here partly because of a real underground lake beneath the building, built to stabilize the foundations.
- The Grand Staircase and the Grand Foyer are as much the show as any performance — mirrored, gilded, and lit by chandeliers
- Marc Chagall painted the current auditorium ceiling in 1964, a deliberate contrast to the 19th-century gilt below it
- You don't need an opera ticket to visit — the building is open as a museum most days when there's no matinee
- Hours
- 10:00–17:00 (later on performance days), check schedule before visiting
- Price
- €15 self-guided, more for guided tours
- Tip
- Book a guided tour if you can — it's the only way to see the famous Box 5, tied to the Phantom of the Opera legend.
Nearby
- G Galeries Lafayette · department store
- G Grands Boulevards · shopping
- P Place Vendôme · square