Guided tours of the Palais Garnier resume from 20th July under special conditions.
Find all the
health measures implemented in "Essential Information" lower left on this page.
>> Discover also our guided tour after opening hours
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Just like the audiences of the past, you’ll enter the Palais Garnier via the Members’ Rotunda, where you will discover the architect’s signature design and the arabesque decorations of the ceiling. Your guide will then explain the building’s history with all the twists and turns that have led to the construction of the palace in its current form for us to admire today.
You will then pass in front of the fascinating statue of Pythia before reaching the Grand Staircase, the pinnacle of high society, where the audience paraded themselves in their finery before taking their seat in the auditorium. You’ll be impressed by the volume and the height of the nave as you take the opportunity to contemplate Charles Garnier’s ornamentation. Your guide will draw your attention to the materials used in his grandiose décor: marble, onyx, copper, mosaic, gold leaf, stucco and metal frames as well as paintings and sculptures.
Your tour will then continue in the Grand Foyer. This majestic location is lined with mirrors and large bay windows, with the space overlooking the Avenue de l’Opéra and the district’s Haussmann-style 19th century architecture, which itself is inspired by châteaux of the French Renaissance. Finally, your tour guide will take you to the Glacier Rotunda, which was completed at a later date than the rest of the Palace, with a Belle Époque aesthetic with décor that recalls the social and artistic events of the room’s past.
With its many sculptures and paintings, the Palais Garnier operates both as a museum and as a theatre at once.