Bibliothèque-musée de l'Opéra, Library and museum in Palais Garnier, France
The Bibliothèque-musée de l'Opéra is a research library and museum space located inside the Palais Garnier, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. Its collections include original costumes, stage designs, musical scores, posters, and written records related to the history of the Paris Opera.
The library was founded in 1866 as an archive for the Paris Opera, and a public museum section opened in 1881. Since then, the collections have grown to cover more than three centuries of operatic and ballet production.
The name refers to the institution's role as keeper of operatic memory and French musical traditions. Visitors walk through rooms displaying costumes, posters, and stage designs that tell the story of productions spanning hundreds of years.
The library and museum occupy the Rotonde de l'Empereur section of the Palais Garnier, reached through the main entrance of the opera house. Visiting earlier in the day gives more time to look at the collections without rushing.
The rooms that now house part of the library were originally designed as a private imperial apartment for Napoleon III, but were never finished after he fell from power in 1870. Some of their original decorative details are still visible today.
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