Bibliothèque-musée de l'Opéra

You are approaching the Bibliothèque-musée de l'Opéra, a hidden treasure tucked away inside the Palais Garnier. While the grand opera house is famous for its gilded auditorium and sweeping staircases, this space occupies the former Pavillon de l'Empereur. This wing was originally constructed as a private, secure entrance for Napoleon III, complete with a specialized ramp for his horse-drawn carriage to reach the interior directly. He never actually used the pavilion, and after the fall of the Second Empire, the space was repurposed into a sanctuary for the history of performance.