The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre was built in 1913 as a double-decker complex, with the Winter Garden Theatre constructed seven storeys above the Elgin Theatre. Now a National Historic Site and the world’s last operating double-decker theatre complex, the centre reopened in 1989 after an extensive 2-1/2 year renovation and restoration project. It is now a multi-purpose venue hosting a variety of musicals, dramas, operas, concerts and screenings. The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres have hosted the Toronto International Film Festival each September for over 20 years and Ross Petty Productions’ annual family musical celebrated its 24th year at the Centre in December of 2019.
Elgin Theatre
The Elgin is the larger of the two theatres, built as a formal theatre of gold leaf and rich fabrics, plaster cherubs and ornate opera boxes. It seats 1561 on three levels. Wheelchair seating is available on the orchestra level only.
The central orchestra level is fully wheelchair accessible.
There are three boxes on each side of the front orchestra that have 2 or 4 chairs in each. All boxes are marked as “Partially obstructed sightline – extreme side view. Not fixed chairs. Stair access only”.
The washrooms are located on the lower level. There is elevator service to that level.
SEATING NOTES
Some people may not find the neck strain caused from looking up from Rows AA and BB worth the trade-off of being so close to the action onstage.
Several readers found the air-conditioning uncomfortably cool. Consider taking a sweater.
READER REVIEWS
“I loved sitting in the front row centre section. It really felt as though we were part of the action. I would definitely sit here again.”
“I sat in the 2nd row centre. The Elgin stage is very high and many people in the first two rows were provided cushions to act as booster seats. The cushions are okay, but sitting a couple of inches higher means that the arm rests are a bit too low. I would recommend sitting a few rows back.”
“Row CC, Seat 13 and Row EE, Seat 11. A friend and I purchased these two last minute tickets to Come From Away at a great price. Both seats are at the end of the aisle in the orchestra right section. I tried the Row CC seat, but because I am short and the Elgin stage is high, I found the view of the stage too high to be comfortable for me. We swapped seats and, because my friend is slightly taller, she was fine in Row CC and I had a great view from Row EE. (I noticed that a woman in Row AA centre was provided a booster seat of some kind.) We were very close to the action onstage and the seats were definitely a good value for the price we paid.”
“Row DD, Seat 35. I loved this seat on the aisle. We were close enough to see the actors’ faces clearly.”
“Row M, Seat 11. The sight line was great from here and the seat was comfortable.”
“My mother uses a cane so she was pleased to find that our seats in the orchestra level were so accessible. There were no steps to climb and just a gentle incline to our seats. And she loved that it is such an beautiful, ornate theatre.”
“We sat around the middle of the orchestra. The seats were comfortable, with plenty of leg room, and the view was excellent. The acoustics were wonderful.”
LAYOUT
The mezzanine consists of eight rows of central seating and two boxes on each side of the front mezzanine with 2 or 4 chairs in each. All boxes are marked as “Partially obstructed sightline – extreme side view. Not fixed chairs. Stair access only”.
The mezzanine is not wheelchair accessible. There is an elevator that takes patrons to the entrance of the mezzanine level, but it is 7 steps up from there to the mezzanine lobby, and another 8 steps up to the entrance to seating, which is at the back of the mezzanine (Row H). Patrons need to walk down to their seating row from there. There are 22 steps from the back of the mezzanine to Row A.
SEATING NOTES
Shorter people may find that the safety railing obstructs their view from Row A.
Several readers found the air-conditioning uncomfortably cool. Consider taking a sweater.
READER REVIEWS
“I find that the safety railing is in my way if I sit in Row A, so I like to sit back a few rows. I get a good overview of the stage from Row C in the centre section.”
“Row D, Seat 301. I had a great view from here. What a beautiful theatre!”
LAYOUT
The balcony consists of 9 rows of central seating.
It is not wheelchair accessible. Patrons with mobility issues should be aware that accessing mezzanine and balcony seating requires climbing stairs.
SEATING NOTES
Shorter people may find that the safety railing obstructs their view from the first row (Row J).
The Winter Garden theatre was designed as a botanical fantasy, its walls hand-painted to resemble a garden, its ceiling a mass of real beech boughs and twinkling lanterns. It seats 992 on three levels. Wheelchair seating is available on the orchestra level only.
The central orchestra level is fully wheelchair accessible.
There are seven lower boxes on each side of the orchestra that run the length of the theatre with 4-6 chairs in each. There are three upper boxes on each side of the front orchestra with 4 movable chairs in each. All boxes are marked as “Partially obstructed sightline – extreme side view. Not fixed chairs. Stair access only”.
SEATING NOTES
As in the Elgin Theatre located below it, several readers found the air-conditioning too strong in the Winter Garden Theatre. Consider taking a sweater.
READER REVIEWS
“Row F, Seat 8. I sat here to see a film during TIFF. This seat was excellent. I had a clear view of the screen and I liked having extra leg room because my seat was on the aisle.”
“Row K, Seat 8. I had a good, unobstructed view from here, but I found the seat quite uncomfortable. By intermission, my friend and I definitely needed to stand up for a stretch before the 2nd act.”
“I was happy with my clear view of the stage from Row M.”
“The seats are pretty good but I found that the air-conditioning made this a cool venue. Wear long sleeves and/or bring a sweater if you’re inclined to feel chilled.”
“We sat in the last row of the orchestra. We thought the view of the stage was great, but my friend must have been sitting in front of a vent because she found it uncomfortably cold for the whole show.”
“The seating wasn’t very comfortable. The theatre is charming, my sight line was good, and the acoustics are fine, but after a few hours watching a movie, my back was starting to hurt.”
LAYOUT
The mezzanine level consists of four central rows of seating. It is not wheelchair accessible.
Elevator service is provided to the wheelchair-accessible orchestra level of the Winter Garden Theatre. Patrons with mobility issues should be aware that accessing mezzanine and balcony seating requires climbing stairs.
SEATING NOTES
Shorter people may find that the safety railing obstructs their view from Row A.
Several readers have found this theatre cool; consider taking a sweater.
READER REVIEWS
“I sat in the front row of the mezzanine and had an excellent view, but I could tell that the safety rail might obstruct the view of a shorter person.”
LAYOUT
The balcony level consists of seven central rows. It is not wheelchair accessible.
Elevator service is provided to the wheelchair-accessible orchestra level of the Winter Garden Theatre. Patrons with mobility issues should be aware that accessing mezzanine and balcony seating requires climbing stairs.
SEATING ADVICE
Shorter people may find that the safety railing obstructs their view from the first row of the balcony (Row E).
READER REVIEWS
“I sat in the balcony for the showing of a movie during TIFF. My view of the movie screen was perfect but I felt that I was quite far away from it. I prefer to sit lower down.”
Elevator service is available to the orchestra level.
Wheelchair seating is available on the orchestra level only. Patrons with mobility issues should be aware that accessing mezzanine and balcony seating requires climbing stairs.
Refreshments and bar service are available at various bars throughout the building.
The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre is equipped with an infrared hearing enhancement system. Note: The hearing assistance system in the Winter Garden Theatre is currently down until further notice.
Concession services are available in the lobby. Services include hearing enhancement units, binoculars and booster seats.
