Paris Opera visitor guide

Visit Paris Opera, Paris

The Palais Garnier is the home of the most important opera house in Paris. It is situated in the 9th arrondissement, about one kilometre north of the Louvre, at the northern end of the Avenue de l'Opéra.

Discover the Palais Garnier

France This Way review: the Palais Garnier is an extraordinary place to visit: the building looks imposing from the outside but there is nothing to prepare you for the interior with its excessive and opulent decoration. I am not usually an enthusiast of overly decorated spaces, but I make an exception for the Palais Garnier, which is quite remarkable and an unmissable highlight of your visit to Paris

It was Napoleon III who ordered the opera house, as part of the massive redevelopment of the centre of Paris in the 19th century and following an attempt on his life at the previous opera house, which had caused the building to be burned down.

facade of the Paris opera garnier

The design chosen was from an architect called Charles Garnier, hence the name Palais Garnier. Construction started in 1861 and was completed in 1875, after an interruption due to the Franco-Prussian war.

Exterior of the Palais Garnier

Before you enter, I suggest you walk around the outside of the Palais Garnier: it is an impressive neo-classical building from all sides.

The facade is the highlight, with ornate carved stone arches at street level, sets of double columns above the arches, and then an ornate frieze above the columns. Two large golden statues (of Harmony and Poetry) stand above the facade. The facade required 73 sculptors and 14 painters and numerous other tradesmen to complete it.

You can also see the dome, with statues of composers around the edges and a group of statues based around Apollo above it. It is not obvious from outside, but the dome also incorporates a substantial ventilation system, critical to controlling the atmosphere inside the opera house.

The decoration carries on around the sides of the building, with large staircases, numerous statues, and elegant light fittings among the highlights. There are 60 of these ornate light fittings, so you could easily spend an hour just looking at these!

Interior of the Palais Garnier

Inside the Palais Garnier, you quickly reach the vestibule with a large staircase, called the Grand Escalier, which is one of the highlights of a visit.

The room is surrounded by balconies and following a design based on the theatre in Bordeaux. The curved staircase that dominates the space has steps made from white marble from Italy, an onyx balustrade and the remainder in red marble and green marble.

Apart from the staircase, the room also features large marble columns, stone balconies, and carved arches. All levels are accessible during your visit, so take your time to enjoy the views from all angles of the room.

The other principal attraction for visitors is the grand hall (le grand foyer). This is another remarkable space, with almost every surface covered in gold statues, gold columns, mirrors and paintings. If that isn't enough opulence, there are also very big candelabras, also gilded, every few metres along the length of the hallway.

Several other rooms and spaces can be visited, each with its own decorative elements, including the avant Foyer, which has a very impressive ceiling, and the Grand Vestibule, with statues of several famous composers.

If you are able to visit the main auditorium (it is not always open to visitors, if rehearsals are taking place on the stage) you have a chance to see the ceiling decoration, painted by Marc Chagall in 1964. Of course this painting is very different to the 19th century opulence elsewhere in the Palais Garnier, and provides an interesting contrast.

ceiling painted by Marc Chagall

Palais Garnier visitor information

It is useful to be aware that many operas held in Paris take place in the opera house at Place de la Bastille. The acoustics are better in Opera Bastille but of course you are not seated in these amazing surroundings (bookings for both venues are made in the name of the National Opera of Paris). The Palais Garnier is more often used for ballets than operas.

The Palais Garnier is one of the most visited sites in Paris, with around two million visitors a year, so it can be very busy when you visit. Various options are available when you buy your ticket, including self-guided tours and a premium price evening ticket when there are less visitors.

Tickets will usually need to be reserved in advance.

The nearest metro station to Palais Garnier is called Opéra. The station is just in front of the opera house, and is on metro lines 3, 7 and 8.

Attractions nearby

There are many lovely streets in the Haussmann style around the opera house, which are always a pleasure to explore: the Rue du 4 Septembre and the Boulevard des Italiens are among the highlights.

Just behind the Palais Garnier you can visit Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps, two famous Paris department stores with remarkable art deco interiors.

The Place Vendome is a short distance along the Rue de la Paix from the opera house, and is an attractive square with upmarket shops. The Louvre is straight down the Avenue de l'Opéra from here.

You can find more travel ideas in the Paris region guide.

To make travel arrangements to visit Paris Opera see HERE