Palais Garnier

Save

Let us know if these details are incorrect

Lonely Planet review

This renowned opera house was designed in 1860 by Charles Garnier to showcase the splendour of Napoleon III's France. Unfortunately, by the time it was completed 15 years later, the Second Empire was a distant memory and Napoleon III was six feet under. Still it is one of the most impressive monuments erected in Paris during the 19th century and today stages operas, ballets and classical-music concerts.

The Palais Garnier houses the Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra which contains a lot of documentation (it also functions as an important research library) and some memorabilia. More interestingly, admission to the museum includes a self-paced visit to the opera house itself as long as there's not a daytime rehearsal or performance scheduled.