The grand staircase of the Opéra Garnier shines in regal Neo-Baroque architecture.
Finished in 1875, construction of the operahouse was plagued by numerous setbacks, including swampy ground that the operahouse was built upon. A subterranean lake flows beneath it.
In 1896, a piece of the chandelier fell, killing one. This inspired Gaston Leroux to write his classic Gothic novel, The Phantom of the Opera.
