Palais Garnier

The Paris Opera House was the inspiration for the Phantom of the Opera.  The opera house's official website is here:  Palais Garnier

The Opera House is open from 10 am to 5 pm daily, but quite often the auditorium is closed because they are rehearsing on stage.  It was closed when we visited in May of 2025, but we were able to go out on an upstairs balcony and still view the auditorium.  Tickets are 15 euro each.  When we visited in March we didn't have to purchase our tickets ahead of time or book a reservation, we were able to just show up and buy tickets after waiting in a short line.

The Palais Garnier was commissioned by Napoleon and was completed in 1875.  It is named Palais Garnier because Charles Garnier was the architect that designed it.  In 1910, Gaston Leroux wrote the novel "The Phantom of the Opera" and that catapulted the Palais Garnier to one of the most popular places to visit in Paris.  Although Phantom of the Opera is set at the Palais Garnier, it wasn't always filmed in the opera house.  A 1990 television mini-series of Phantom of the Opera was filmed inside Palais Garnier, though.  The Phantom of the Opera musical itself has never been performed inside Palais Garnier.  

Palais Garnier is located at the corner of rue Scribe and rue Auber, 75009 Paris.  Take the metro to the Opera stop.  If you are viewing the opera house from across the street, pay attention to the huge grated vents in the sidewalk.  I was admiring the opera house as we walked along the sidewalk across the street and didn't pay attention as I walked onto the grates.  I was wearing a dress and the air flowing up the vents blew my dress straight up in the air!  It was a Marilyn Monroe moment, although certainly not as attractive!  Watch out for those vents!

Location of Palais Garnier

My daughter at the Palais Garnier

Inside the Palais Garnier

We were able to view the Auditorium from one of the balconies