A Phantom Tour of Paris

Written by Kathryn Yelinek

I took my Phantom tour in June 2000, when I visited Paris as part of a French immersion program. The tour lasted one day, but as you will see, it was far from exhaustive. Below I give a summary of my tour as well as suggestions for other places to visit. Each Phantom phan is unique, of course, and therefore each tour will be unique. So, grab a camera and your favorite copy of Leroux. We're going to Paris.

1) The Paris Opera House: "The Ghost in the Paris Opera existed."
The epicenter of all things Phantom, the Académie Nationale de Musique needs no introduction. Make sure to approach the Opera House by the Avenue de l'Opéra to gain the full effect of the façade and the best view of the statue of Apollo. In June 2000 the façade had just emerged from a massive cleaning effort, which allowed the gilding and colored marble to show their full effect. Take lots of pictures.

There is a charge for admittance. When I visited they offered a student discount. They also offered, for an additional fee, a guided tour in English. I have heard that this tour has been discontinued. Be sure to ask, however, as this tour may gain you access to the auditorium (think: chandelier, Box Five), even if it is closed for a rehearsal. In fact, you may want to schedule a back-up date for touring the Opéra in the auditorium is closed the day you had planned to tour.

Paris Opera House

Once inside, take your time. You have lots to see. Here you will find the staircase, rotunda, salon, and foyer where Christine and Raoul encountered the Red Death. (By my guess, they met in the Salon du Soleil.) You will also find the door to First Tier Box Five. When I peeked inside, I saw a mirror and coat hooks. Beneath the staircase, you can see the Subscriber's Rotunda, the entrance Raoul would have used each time he came to see Christine perform, and the statue of Pythia, my favorite spot in the building.

The Opéra provides countless opportunities for sight-seeing. Try to pick out Charles Garnier's signature on the ceiling of the Subscriber's Rotunda, or his bust in the Grand Foyer. Take a moment to notice that no two steps on the Grand Staircase are shaped exactly alike. In fact, it would be beneficial to study a bit before you go. Make notes of the rooms you most want to see and the sights to see in them. Memorize the French names of the different rooms. I recommend the book The Paris Opera by Martine Kahane. The pictures alone are worth the effort of finding the book.

Before you leave, look inside the gift shop. I found my copy of Christopher Mead's book Charles Garnier's Paris Opera there. You may also find a treasure, or at least a postcard. Once outside, walk completely around the Opéra. You will pass the Subscriber's Rotunda, where Raoul's carriage waited to take Christine away the night of their attempted elopement. On the other side of the Opéra, you will walk the Rue Scribe. Keep an eye out for a gate, as well as the bronze plaque commemorating Charles Garnier.

Paris Opera Library

2) La Madeleine: "She told us in a few hurried words that Erik had gone completely mad with love and had decided to kill everyone and himself if she did not consent to become his wife in the eyes of the civil authorities and before the priest of the Madeleine church."
The Eglise Sainte-Madeleine is located a short walk west of the Opéra, down the Boulevard des Capucines to the Boulevard de la Madeleine. I can only assume that the church was chosen due to its proximity to the Opera House. I found it rather unattractive and unromantic. Perhaps you will have a more gracious reaction.

3) Rue le Peletier: "A few engravings on the walls [of La Sorelli's dressing room], souvenirs of her mother, who had known the glorious days of the old Opera House on the Rue le Peletier."
Erik's Opera House was not the first built in Paris by any means. Prior to its construction, an opera house stood on the Rue le Peletier, which can be found by walking north-west on the Boulevard des Italiens from the Opéra. The street is rather narrow, and one can understand why the wide Avenue de l'Opéra was built for the new Opera House. For a discussion of the opera house on the Rue le Peletier and the reasons for building a new Opéra, I suggest the book by Christopher Mead. Of course, Erik's Opéra was completed in 1875 only because the opera house on the Rue le Peletier burned down. Perhaps Erik was willing to destroy his Opéra because he had had practice...

4) Boulevard Notre-Dame-des-Victoires: "[Raoul] trembled as he rang the doorbell of the little apartment on the Rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires."
The street where Christine lived may be found by following the Boulevard des Italiens farther west to the Boulevard Montmartre. The street itself is narrow, with slim sidewalks and buildings fronting the pavement, a reminder of the medieval past of the city.

5) Ecole des Beaux-Arts: Charles Garnier studied to become an architect in this school, located across the Seine from the Louvre. I could not gain entry to the school itself, which was locked behind solid iron gates. However, I was able to get a good look at the school through the gates. It looked a pleasant enough place for studies.

The above tour took me about six hours. Everything, expect the Opéra, was free. Also, since it was a gorgeous day, I did not take the Metro. However, the tour did require a lot of walking. If walking your feet off while on vacation does not appeal to you, look into taking the Metro. It is clean, safe, and relatively easy to use.

If you have more time, I suggest these additional sites:

Ceiling at Opera House

1) Bois de Bologne: "With such a fresh despair, Raoul would probably have declined the invitation if the count had not changed his mind by telling him that the lady of his dreams had been seen with a man the night before, on an avenue in the Bois de Bologne."
The Bois de Bologne is a park on the far west of Paris. You will probably need to take the Metro. I have never been to this park, so I can make no comments. However, I've been told that you do not want to visit after dark. If you go, make sure to go early in the day.

2) Gare de Montparnasse: "When he had read this note from Christine Daae, Raoul consulted a railroad timetable, quickly got dressed, wrote a few lines for his valet to take to his brother, and jumped into a cab, which brought him to the Montparnasse station too late for the morning train he hoped to catch."
This station is located on the left bank of the Seine, far to the south. Again, you would probably need to take the Metro. Also, I have never visited the station, so I can make no comments.

3) Montparnasse cemetery: Final resting place of Charles Garnier, the cemetery lies just east of the Gare de Montparnasse. I do not know if you can find the grave of Garnier (although Sherlock Holmes did in Nicholas Meyer's The Canary Trainer). If someone visits the grave, I would love to read the story.

4) Rue de Rivoli and the Tuileries: "When I went to see him, he [the Persian] was still living in his little apartment on the Rue de Rivoli, opposite the Tuileries."
I did visit the Tuileries but not as part of my Phantom tour. The gardens need no explanation. Enjoy a good stroll out of the hustle and bustle of the city.

5) Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré: "At about this time, Carlotta, who lived in a small house on the Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, rang for her maid and had her mail brought to her in bed."
This street runs south of the Opéra and La Madeleine, almost to the Arc de Triomphe. I did not visit it, but I certainly wish I had. After all, who could resist walking in the footsteps of La Carlotta?

Ceiling at Opera House

6) Boulevard Saint-Germain: Leroux never says exactly where Raoul lived, only mentioning the Faubourg-Saint-Germain several times. A "faubourg" is a neighborhood. The Boulevard Saint-Germain parallels the left bank of the Seine for quite some distance. Pay particular attention to 90, Boulevard Saint-Germain. Charles Garnier lived here for the last part of his life.

Many more places exist in Paris relating to Phantom, of course. Christopher Mead gives several more residences for Charles Garnier, I have not examined the life of Gaston Leroux, and the various phan fictions and retellings draw on many more locales in and around the city. So, grab a pen and draw up your own itinerary. Happy travels!

Both books are currently out of print. The Mead book is still in stock at Amazon.com, however, and is also available used through their independent sellers. For the Kahane book, try used bookstores or interlibrary loan through your friendly neighborhood library.

All quotes from The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, translated by Lowell Bair, Bantam Books, 1990.

Pictures on this page copyright 1997 carlotta@lacarlotta.com.