The Winter Garden Theatre and Elgin Theatre are stacked directly on top of one another. They are the only remaining and functioning theatres of their kind worldwide and are located on Yonge Street, right in the heart of Toronto.
And the public can check out the renowned theatre in a guided tour that will give the inside scoop on the history of the building.
The Winter Garden Theatre is designed to mimic a whimsical outdoor fantasy. Adorned with sprawling floral designs, elaborate hand-painted murals and delicately placed lanterns.
@nowtoronto The Winter Garden Theatre and Elgin Theatre are stacked directly on top of one another. They are the only remaining and functioning theatres of their kind worldwide and are located on Yonge Street, right in the heart of Toronto.
♬ original sound – Now Toronto
The building itself is steeped in history, particularly the Winter Garden Theatre. It was opened in 1913 to show Vaudeville plays, a style of a comedic variety show, and short silent pictures of the day, but was locked in 1928 once Hollywood took over and silent pictures tumbled into the past.
It remained shuttered for almost six decades, housing invaluable collections of theatre, backdrops and stage elements behind its ageing doors.
It ultimately switched hands in the early 80s and was closed as a cinema. For two years, in the mid 1980s, it was home to a successful production of Cats.
The building was closed again in 1987 and re-opened, having been fully restored in 1989. The elegant theatre was designed to bring the outside in with a whimsical fantasy-like decor. The walls are painted with murals of plants, lights are lanterns and columns are tree trunks.
In 2024, it continues to be a fully functional theatre that also runs 90-minute long tours recounting the illustrious history and restoration of the complex.
Whether you’re a fan of theatre, history or looking for an activity to enjoy in the city, the tours offer an invaluable experience to learn about one of Toronto’s most fascinating architecture.
“You get to see both auditoriums, the Winter Garden Theatre and the Elgin Theatre. You also get to see the original lobbies and the grand staircase as well as samples from the world’s largest Vaudeville scenery flat,” Ellen Flowers, marketing and communications manager, told Now Toronto in an interview.
The theatre has been offering tours since the restoration in the 1980s, which are currently available on Monday evenings at 5:00 p.m. Capacity is capped at 20 people, so make sure to book in advance, no walk-ups or in person purchasing is permitted.
“We do the tours because we want to show off the theatres and because people want to come and see them…we get a lot of tourists and we also get a lot of Torontonians that don’t know the history or about us,” Flowers said.
The theatre is offering special 90-minute, guided heritage tours throughout the week of Feb.19 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, in addition to its Monday night tours. Over the last weekend of May people can explore the building for free on their own.
Tickets for the public tours are available for $20 and can be purchased here.
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