Palais Garnier Overview

Also known as Paris Opera Garnier, the Palais Garnier is one of the most popular and prestigious opera houses in Paris. A haven for music and art lovers, this Opera house is known to be home to some of the most renowned theatrical performers in the world. The edifice is also considered to be Paris's greatest asset with the stunning architecture and design being an amazing tribute to Paris craftsmanship. Visitors are allowed to look at some of the public parts of the Opera house with Palais Garnier Tickets. Visitors may find some of the spots are not open to the public like the Phantom of the Opera's stall.

Visitors can get an 80-minute guided tour along with a professional expert to the public spots of the Palais Garnier. The expert will take you through the Member’s Rotunda and the statue of Prophetess Pythia by Grand Escalier and will help you learn about the Palais Garnier History while you stroll inside Paris's most glorious structures. Visitors can learn about the culture along with the history and also learn many stories that have taken place in this ageless monument.


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Palais Garnier Tickets

Palais Garnier: Entry Ticket
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Highlights
  • You will love the lavish interiors including a 7-tonne crystal chandelier, baroque statues, and rose-marble columns

  • Visit the famed Palais Garnier, one of the renowned Opera House, and know how it inspired The Phantom of the Opera

  • Book your Palais Garnier tickets and stroll across the marble Grand Staircase, temporary exhibitions, and admire the gorgeous ceilings

  • Learn the intriguing story behind the construction of Opéra Garnier, from the challenges posed by high groundwater levels to the innovative cistern system

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Must Know Before You Go
  • ID proof is mandatory for each individual guest at the time of arrival.
  • All foreign nationals must share their passport and visa details at the time of arrival.
  • Show your smartphone ticket at the entrance, after the security check.
  • You can use your tickets at any time during the opening hours.
  • Please take the entrance at the corner of Rue Scribe and Rue Auber.
  • Tickets include access to the self-guided tour and to all temporary exhibitions (if available).
  • Access to the auditorium and other areas may be restricted for technical or artistic reasons.
  • Access to theaters is forbidden to skateboards, electric monowheels, strollers and bulky luggage.
  • Please note that the time slots may be subject to slight variations, and we will allocate a time slot available within a 30-minute window before or after your initial selection.
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Explore Palais Garnier

Bassin De La Pithye & Grand Escalier
Bassin De La Pithye & Grand Escalier

The e Bassin de la Pythia is an amazing thirty-meter high vault that leads to the Grand Escalier. Built of marble, visitors can see the beautiful double staircase which leads to the foyers and other floors in the opera house. The marbles are made up of various colors and at the bottom, you can witness two female allegories holding torches to greet spectators.


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The Auditorium
The Auditorium

One of the most magnificent theaters in Paris, this French auditorium is horseshoe-shaped and the seats are arranged as per the category. The auditorium is designed in such a way that both the performers and the audience can be seen.

Hidden by Marble, velvet, and stucco the auditorium has a metallic structure that supports the weight of 8-ton bronze and a beautiful crystal chandelier with 340 lights. The stunning house curtain was created by painters Auguste Rubeand Philippe Chaperon and the instructions were given by Charles Garnier.


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Salon Du Glacier
Salon Du Glacier

The Palais Garnier Tickets also give visitors access to SALON DU GLACIER, FOYER which is at the end of the long gallery. The stunning ceiling is painted by Clarin and it features dancing bacchantes and fauna and also tapestries that illustrate different refreshments and also fishing and hunting.

The Avant Foyer vault has a beautiful gold background which is covered by mosaics of shimmering colors. The ceiling also has an amazing theme which shows the history of music painted by Paul Baudry. The main element here is the Lyre which reigns over the decorative vocabulary. It offers a symbolic and poetic transition to other sections of the opera.

Library-museum Of The Opera
Library-museum Of The Opera

If you are looking to learn about Palais Garnier History, one of the best places you can visit is the Library-museum Of The Opera which can be accessed by the Palais Garnier Tickets. The library has over three centuries of the theater's history with permanent exhibitions of drawings, photographs, and paintings.

Palais Garnier Design and Architecture

Palais Garnier Design and Architecture
  • Main façade

The main facade is located on the south of the building and overlooks the Place de l'Opéra. The Palais Garnier Architecture is a stunning creation that took 14 painters, mosaicists, and 73 sculptors to just create the main facade. The principal facade is crowned by two gilded figural groups, Charles Gumery's L'Harmonie and La Poésie.

  • Stage fly tower

The stage fly tower has sculptural groups which consist of Apollo, Poetry, and Music and is located at the apex of the south gable. Visitors can also look at two small Pegasus fugues at the end of the south gable.

  • Pavillon de l'Empereur

These groups are located on the west side and are also known as Rotonde de l'Empereur. Their rooms were actually designed to secure and allow direct access by the Emperor via a double ramp to the building.

  • Pavillon des Abonnés

The Pavillon des Abonnés is located at the east of the building and acts as a counterpart to Pavillon de l'Empereur. These rooms were designed to allow subscribers to directly enter from their carriages and enter the interior building. Visitors can also look at the obelisks marked at the entrance.

  • Palais Garnier History

Inspired by the famous novel, The Phantom of the Opera, the Palais Garnier History started out with a contest. Napoleon III held a contest where 170 architects submitted a design to construct the great concert hall and among these applications, Charles Garnier was selected to build this iconic opera hall. During the construction, Napoleon made a new avenue that connected the Palais Garnier with the Palais des Tuileries. To make this connection happen, Napoleon III evicted thousands of families and their houses were demolished. The construction started in 1860 and it took 14 painters, Mosaics, and 73 sculptors to finish this work by 1875.

An interesting fact is that the architect was not invited to the inauguration by Napoleon and just like other visitors he had to buy the Palais Garnier Tickets to enter the music hall. Visitors can look at the extravagance of the building even today and the most beautiful part is the Grand Foyer which is made from gold leafing and mosaics.

Know Before You Visit Palais Garnier

Essential Information
Access
Essential Information
  • Timings:
  • Every day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except on days with afternoon performances and exceptional closure. Last entry 45 minutes before closing.

    • Location:

    Place de l'Opéra, 75009 Paris, France

    • Performances Times:

    There are two performances:- Matinee from 2.30 PM- Evening performance at 7.30 PM- We recommend visitors to arrive 45 minutes before the performance starts and if the visitors are late, they will only be admitted during the intermission.

Traveler's Tips before Visiting Palais Garnier

  • Visitors are always advised to check for schedules on the official website before purchasing Palais Garnier Tickets as it is a working theater.

  • Visitors can get their cameras inside the Palais Garnier but they have to turn off flash options. Tripods and Camera sticks are also not allowed inside the Opera hall.

  • If visitors are coming from the Paris historical center, they are advised to directly walk towards the Palais Garnier as it is more convenient. If visitors are planning to visit by metro, they should board routes 3,7, or 8 to get to the Opera. Another more convenient way to reach the Palais Garnier is to directly take a cab.

  • Visitors are not allowed to touch the walls at the Palais Garnier as they are very delicately carved and touch might destroy creativity.

  • Make sure to carry an ID card during purchasing the Palais Garnier Tickets as visitors can get student or senior citizen discounts.

Interesting Facts about Palais Garnier

Interesting Facts about Palais Garnier
  • The Palais Garnier is also known as Opera Garnier or Opera de Paris.

  • One of the most interesting Palais Garnier Facts is that the Opera house once was the primary residential address for Paris Opera and ballet.

  • Palais Garnier is known to symbolize the Pristine second empire and the theater was commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III.

  • To build the Palais Garnier, Napoleon III held an international competition for the construction and among 171 participants. Charles Garnier was selected to construct this iconic Opera hall.

  • The Palais Garnier was inaugurated on the 5th Jan 1875 and there was a lavish gala performance on the night of the inauguration attended by the Lord Mayor of London.

  • The Opera hall has the capacity to accommodate 1979 people at once and is also known as one of the largest theaters in the world.

  • The Pavillon de l’Empereur has stored rich Palais Garnier Facts and history with over 600,000 documents from 1680 periodicals, the place also has an amazing library with 100,000 books, and 100,000 photographs, and paintings, and 10,000 programs.

  • One of the most magnificent features of the Palais Garnier is its Grand staircase which is built in the interiors of the mansion and the public can look at this beautiful creation with Palais Garnier Tickets.

  • The Auditorium at the Opera house is carved to represent the Horseshoe shape which is an Italian tradition and a huge central stage that has the capacity to accommodate 450 artists at once.

FAQ's About Palais Garnier

What is special about the Palais Garnier?

    The Palais Garnier has an amazing auditorium and one of the most striking features is the grand staircase inside the mansion which is absolutely magnificent.

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