Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres

The historic Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres, located right on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, are among the last operating double-decker theatres in the world. The complex — designed by Thomas Lamb — was originally built in 1913 as the Canadian flagship of Marcus Loew's theatre chain. The "double-decker" theatre complex contains the Winter Garden Theatre on top of the Elgin Theatre, which was originally known as Loew's Yonge Street Theatre.

What makes this complex unique are the two theatres' different personalities; the Elgin is a formal theatre with ornate opera boxes, gold embellishments, and rich fabrics, while the Winter Garden is a botanical fantasy with hand-painted walls that resemble gardens. 

In 1928, the Winter Garden closed, and it remained as such for more than half a century, while the Elgin continued as a movie house. The Ontario Heritage Trust purchased the building in 1981 and a $29 million restoration went underway. In December 1989, the complex, including both theatres, reopened and has since become one of Canada's finest theatrical stage complexes. 

The theatre's unique and whimsical atmosphere has attracted fans of theatre, live performance and music, comedy, and more. Some notable performances at the complex include Rufus Wainwright, Meat Loaf, Jim Gaffigan and TD Toronto Jazz Festival performances, as well as theatrical productions of Cats and The Wizard of Oz. 

Fans can book a 90-minute tour of the theatres.