Why go

The Palais Garnier is the most extravagant building in Paris, and that is saying something. Designed by the young architect Charles Garnier and opened in 1875, it was the showpiece of Napoleon III’s rebuilt city: a palace of marble, gold leaf, mosaics and sculpture where the audience came to be seen as much as to hear the music. It still hosts the Paris Opera Ballet and opera performances, and on most days it is open for visits.

It is also the setting of Gaston Leroux’s novel The Phantom of the Opera. The legend of the masked figure haunting box 5 and the water tank beneath the stage, which the novel turned into an underground lake, adds a touch of mystery to the gilded halls. Even if you have no interest in opera, the building is worth seeing as a time capsule of 19th-century Paris at its most confident and theatrical, and the self-guided route is easy to follow at your own pace.

What to see

  • The Grand Staircase. A double marble staircase of different coloured stones, built for making an entrance.
  • The Grand Foyer. A gilded gallery of mirrors, chandeliers and painted ceilings that rivals Versailles.
  • The auditorium. Red velvet and gold around Marc Chagall’s colourful 1964 ceiling and a giant crystal chandelier, when rehearsals allow.
  • The library and museum. Models of stage sets, costumes and paintings tell the history of the Paris Opera.
  • The exhibition. Les Révolutions du Ring fills the public areas until 20 February 2027.

Plan your visit

Self-guided visits run every day from 10am to 5pm, with last admission an hour before closing, and until 6pm from mid-July to early September. On days with matinées, rehearsals or special events, hours can change or parts of the building can close, so check the visit calendar on the Opéra de Paris website before you go.

Booking online is mandatory and no tickets are sold on site. Prices depend on residence: €15 for residents and citizens of the European Economic Area and €25 for other visitors. Young people aged 13 to 25 pay €10 or €20, and children aged 12 and under go free. Guided tours are also available, and some include parts of the building that are closed to self-guided visitors.

The auditorium is the highlight for many visitors, but rehearsals close it frequently and without much notice, and the Opéra is clear that no ticket guarantees access. Early slots tend to be the safest bet. The visitor entrance is at the corner of Rue Scribe and Rue Auber, on the west side of the building, rather than under the main façade facing Avenue de l’Opéra.

If you can, see a performance. Ballet and opera tickets sell fast, but restricted-view seats are sometimes surprisingly cheap, and nothing beats watching the chandelier dim as the curtain rises. Performance tickets are sold on the Opéra de Paris website, and the season programme is published well in advance.

Nearby

The great department stores of Boulevard Haussmann, the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, are behind the opera house; both have rooftop terraces with views of its green copper dome and the Eiffel Tower. Their Christmas windows are a famous sight from mid-November. Place Vendôme and the Tuileries are a short walk south.