Named after the Opéra Garnier, the opera house designed by Charles Garnier.
Napoleon III decided to build it, and Garnier's design won a competition among 171 entrants; the house opened on 5 January 1875. Long called the opéra de Paris, it has gone by its architect's name since the Opéra Bastille opened in 1989. The square in front was first called place Napoléon and became place de l'Opéra in 1873.