The Winter Garden Theatre New York has a capacity of 1509 seats. Section capacities are 1002 Orchestra and 507 Mezzanine. Use our interactive seating chart to view 603 seat reviews and 575 photos of views from seat.
The Winter Garden Theatre is known for its wide auditorium, which has seating across two levels and Boxes. Views are generally good, with the best towards the front of the Orchestra. Clear, elevated views are present in the center Mezzanine, with obstructions becoming more notable towards the outsides of both levels.
The Winter Garden Theatre is the Shubert Organization’s longest-held venue, having been leased to them in 1911. Prior to becoming a theater, it was built in 1896 as the American Horse Exchange to capitalize on the busy horse and carriage trade in New York City. Since being renovated, it enjoyed brief stints as a movie theater under Warner Brothers (1928-1933) and United Artists (1945), but is best known for its musicals and revues.
William Albert Swasey was contracted to transform the old Horse Exchange into a theater, with the space allowing for an unusually wide auditorium layout across two levels. The venue was decorated with garden-themed motifs including ornate leaves across the Boxes. Having been updated by Herbert J. Krapp just over a decade later to lower the proscenium arch and remove the runway, the venue was restored to its 1920s elegance by Francesca Russo in 2001. Russo has been contracted by the Shubert Organization for other restoration projects on Broadway, including at the
Belasco Theatre. For a stint between 2002 through 2007, the venue was renamed the Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre before reverting to its original title.
Notable productions at the Winter Garden Theatre include
Follies (1971), Barbara Streisand’s star-making turn in
Funny Girl (1964) and the premier of
42nd Street (1980.) From 2001, hit musical
Mamma Mia! played at the theater for twelve years, following the venue’s longest-running show,
Cats (1982-2000).
Know Before You Go
• Step-free accessible seating in the Orchestra
• Restrooms are on the ground floor and can get busy during intermissions
• An audience services booth is available in the main lobby
• Children under four are not permitted
• The bar can be expensive; plan according to your budget