The Palais Garnier is home to the National Opera of France. The Palais Garnier seats nearly 2,000 in the opera house. Construction on the Palais began in 1861 and ended 14 years later in 1875 in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The Palais Garnier was named after its architect Charles Garnier. The architectural style of the building is classified as Second-Empire Beaux-Arts style and contains Neo-Baroque designs within the Palais.

It wasn’t until my second trip to Paris in June of 2013 that I visited the Palais Garnier. Its extravagance is evident from the exterior alone and only gets better as you enter the Palais. The main foyer contains paintings by Paul Baudry represent moments in the history of music along with chandeliers that line the hallway. Past the foyer is the very famous grand staircase. Beyond the stair case is the main auditorium. Its horseshoe shaped seating holds 1,979 audience members. The stage of the Palais Garnier is the largest in Europe and is capable of holding up to 450 artists. The ceiling of the Palais Garnier contains a painted originally by Jules Eugene Lenepveu and a 7-ton bronze chandelier.

The size and opulence of the entire Palais Garnier makes it a must see when visiting Paris.