Napoleon III commissioned the building of a new opera house in Paris in 1862 to replace the old opera house. Designed by Charles Garnier, L'Opéra Garnier took 13 years to complete and opened in 1875. The opera house is located in Paris' 9th arrondissement in the famous Place de l'Opéra square and metro station. Gaston Leroux was inspired by an accident at the opera house to write the novel The Phantom of the Opera. L'Opéra Garnier is considered one of Paris' major tourist attractions with its Baroque architecture and ornate decorations depicting Greek mythology.