Loew's Yonge Street and Winter Garden Theatres

Walking into this dual theatre on the east side of Yonge Street just north of Queen Street, one will find attached to the wall in the main lobby an Ontario Heritage Foundation plaque which says:

Designed by architect Thomas Lamb for entrepreneur Marcus Loew as the Canadian flagship of his American theatre chain, these double-decker theatres opened in 1913-14. The 2,149-seat lower theatre was decorated with classical details and red damask, while flowers, leaves, lanterns and garden murals embellished the 1,410-seat rooftop Winter Garden Theatre. Both theatres presented vaudeville acts and silent moving pictures until 1928 when the Winter Garden was closed and Lowe's Yonge Street was converted to show sound movies. After the lower theatre (renamed the Elgin in 1978) closed in 1981, the theatres were acquired by the Ontario Heritage Foundation, which restored and upgraded the building. The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre reopened in 1989 and is the last of its kind in operation.

Location Co-ordinates: 43.652853 -79.379289

Photo by Alan L Brown - July 2004

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Posted July 9, 2008
I was born in Toronto after the Winter Garden was closed. I left Toronto before the restoration. Thank you for this information, You have opened and closed a chapter for me. John Howe

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