New
El Badi Palace
Marrakech, Morocco · Palaces & landmarks
An Apollonaut travel guide
Moments in a longer story.
Selected milestones in the history of the Palais Garnier.
On this page
Competition, opening and new stages
These dates describe the place you can learn about here. They are not a company timeline for Apollonaut.
-
1861
Garnier wins the competition
Charles Garnier’s design is chosen, and building begins.
-
1870–71
War and the Commune
The Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune interrupt the work.
-
1875
The opera house opens
The Palais Garnier is inaugurated on 5 January.
-
1910
The Phantom of the Opera
Gaston Leroux’s novel sets its story in the building.
-
1964
Chagall’s ceiling
Marc Chagall’s painted ceiling is unveiled in the auditorium.
-
1989
A second Paris opera house
The Opéra Bastille opens, and the Palais Garnier turns mainly to ballet.
-
2025
150 years
The Paris Opera marks the Palais Garnier’s 150th anniversary.
Follow the stories behind the dates
A timeline is a beginning. The longer history introduces the people and places; the sources below provide further context.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
- Opéra national de Paris: The Paris Opera in the 19th century
- Opéra national de Paris: The Paris Opera in the 20th century
- Opéra national de Paris: 150 years of the Palais Garnier
Links lead to the original publishers.
