Garden Theatre
160 W. Plant Street,
Winter Garden,
FL
34787
160 W. Plant Street,
Winter Garden,
FL
34787
7 people
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From The West Orange Times, April 25, 2025 Winter Garden City Commission approves Garden Theatre business plan The city hopes to have the theater reopened by summer to offer camps and classes. By Liz Ramos | 12:48 p.m. April 25, 2025 Photo by Annabelle Sikes West Orange Times & Observer
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The Garden Theatre soon could be welcoming guests once again.
The Winter Garden City Commission unanimously approved Thursday, April 24, a business plan for the beloved theater.
Winter Garden Economic Development Director Marc Hutchinson said when the city reopened Garden Theatre to fulfill some commitments after it closed in October as well as provide holiday programming, people were questioning whether the theater would be opened permanently.
“We had to sort of make a declarative statement and assertion around that the city remains committed to the theater as an ongoing mainstay for the public benefit and enjoyment of our community,” he said.
History of the Garden Theatre 1935: Garden Theatre was the first in Orange County to open as a test market for “talkie” films.
1963: The theater closed its doors.
2002: Winter Garden purchased the theater and entrusted the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation to renovate and operate the facility.
2004: More than $2.4 million was raised and renovation on the theater began.
2008: Renovations were complete, and the Theatre Opening Gala Night was held Feb. 29, with a performance written especially for the opening.
2008-2024: The theater operated as a nonprofit.
October 2024: The theater closed its doors once again due to financial duress.
December 2024: The city reopened the theater with temporary holiday programming.
2025: The city engaged a performing arts consultant to develop a business plan and lay the framework for an operating directive
Appetite for performing arts With Garden Theatre still being under city control, city staff started doing research on the desire for a community theater, the benefits and a potential business model to permanently reopen the theater.
Hutchinson said the Garden Theatre can connect to the community through desirable programming, capture the historic downtown charm and appeal to art lovers who appreciate small town charm.
Nationally in 2022, the arts brought in $151.7 billion in economic activity, with $73.3 billion coming from organization spending and $78.4 billion coming from audience spending. The arts also created and supported 2.6 million jobs in 2022.
The performing arts also “build a sense of community” and can have economic impacts to a downtown area like Winter Garden as merchants will plan activities and promotions around theater activities and programming.
In Winter Garden, the median age is 39, and the median household income is $106,000. In Central Florida, 2.8 million people attended an in-person arts event, with an average spending of $45 per person per event. Nationally, 32% of people attend live performances.
“There’s an appetite for theater, an appetite for the arts, as well as there’s also a means,” Hutchinson said.
File photo The business plan The city will be searching for a third party company to make the business plan a reality.
There are three different business models the city could have considered in regards to Garden Theatre.
Hutchinson said the best model for the city is a presenting business model, which involves a moderate risk of medium financial investment, some artistic and content control, high community and audience engagement, and lower requirement for artistic time. The plan also would include limited rentals.
The plan consists of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department maintaining control and working with a third-party company to help with management of the facility and scheduling events.
Hutchinson said the Parks and Recreation Department has the infrastructure to be able to house and operate the theater while serving the community.
Having a third-party company involved also would mean the company would assume a portion of the risk and a split of revenue proportionate to the investment expenses. Initially, the city will likely have a one-year contract with the third-party company.
Hutchinson said to be successful, the theater will need to have a healthy balance of a variety of programs, including concerts, dances, movies, private and public rental events, and camps and classes.
The Parks and Recreation Department will prioritize city events at the Garden Theatre when scheduling events.
Because of the work that it takes to put on plays and the high production costs, Hutchinson said the city doesn’t plan to have community plays performed in Garden Theatre until the second year. The exception would be school plays.
City Manager Jon C. Williams said the city has received several requests from schools to perform in Garden Theatre, and the city would work with the schools to schedule performances.
“We’re building in sufficient amounts of time to get those details worked out,” he said. “This is a new business venture for us so there’s going to be learning for us along the way.”
City Commissioner Colin Sharman said the city always can adjust the offerings at the theater as staff learns what the community would like and what can be done most effectively.
The proposed business plan included potential rates for the theater’s auditorium, technicians, custodial and insurance. It also had rates for a la carte services, such as renting microphones, a projector and screen bundle, audio and/or lighting design and equipment, ticketing services, stage hands, and marquee.
The next step for the city is to seek out a third-party management company partner. Hutchinson said there currently is not a company in mind to fulfill the partnership.
The city also will need to assess programming and related operating requirements, and assess and cure any renovation needs before launching the reopening of Garden Theatre.
Williams said the city is hopeful Garden Theatre can be reopened by the summer so summer camps and classes can be offered for children.
Potential programming Garden Theatre would need to provide a healthy balance of programming to be successful. The business plan to reopen the theater includes a mixture of events and programs.
Note: Dark is the time the theater will be closed. Plays will be introduced in the theater’s second year.
We shall all stay tuned. How did this beloved theatre end up with “severe financial problems”? Who was the CFO?
Very unfortunately, the Garden Theatre closed abruptly in early October, 2024. The management and board cited severe financial problems The building is owned by the City of Winter Garden, and the city manager has stated that the theatre will return. Stay tuned.
Check out the new photo I just submitted showing a movie projected on the screen.
Here is my picture from June 2011.
Saw a picture of the Garden Theatre in a recent Retirement Magazine. It was included in an article full of accolades about Winter Garden as a premiere retirement city. It stated that the theater had been restored, which I first thought was a typo for remodeled. Since the exterior didn’t look too much like something from the
30's. But after seeing the various pictures posted, and the disaster it looked like in the late80’s, I’d say they did a fantastic job. The only detail I would have changed, was installing the two adjacent storefront doors at either end of their respective window treatments. Like the 1949 picture above seems to have them situated. Might have been overlooked, or not consistent with current codes.Picture of film being projected on the Garden Theatre’s screen, October 2, 2010 View link
Great photo!
A 1949 picture of this theatre, when it was known as the Winter Garden Theatre, is at this link:
View link
I received 2 CT notices tonight…one was the Garden Theatre in Winter Garden FL and the other was the former Winter Garden Theatre in Jamestown NY.
Thanks Irv.
The new website address for the Garden is www.gardentheatre.org
Hmmmm, MPol: I’m looking at the schedule and reading WEST SIDE STORY, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, MY FAIR LADY, ANYTHING GOES, GREASE, DREAMGIRLS, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, JAWS, ANIMAL HOUSE, MONTY PYTHON & THE HOLY GRAIL, BLAZING SADDLES, 2001, BRAVEHEART, NORTH BY NW, CASABLANCA, BEN HUR, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA DEVIL WEARS PRADA, MAMMA MIA, MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, CORPSE BRIDE, TOOTSIE, THE GRADUATE, WAG THE DOG, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF A SPOTLESS MIND, and THE GODFATHER 1, 2 & 3. Hardly a children’s schedule. There are selected children’s films that will be matinee attractions.
Isn’t it funny that most of this summer’s Classic Film Series are more for kids?
Chuck1231: The 1988 photo you posted is of the Gem Theatre, 31 S. Main Street in Winter Garden.
Oddly enough there is a theatre in western NY in Jamestown NY called the Winter Garden Theatre. It is still standing, but has been closed for a very long time and nobody knows what its future is though I would like to see it retored. Thought I had a buyer from Chicago, but it fell through. It’s listed on CT, too.
Looks like a neat thatre, both inside and out.
Lost and Irv: These are wonderful paintings and thanks for bringing them to everyone’s attention! I still hope to see this theatre,in person, someday as plans were changed to see the Garden this past March.
Irv: I enjoyed our theatre phone chat and look forward to seeing the beautifully restored Garden Theatre in March.
Irv: Lost is a HE and I’ll let you know when I find myself in central FL next winter!
I would have loved to met Lost Memory when he/she was here. Also, I will look forward to meeting Patsy.
Lost: Yes, a fine looking theatre! Congrats to Irv and to all of those who worked on this theatre in central Florida. I do hope to visit this theatre and meet Irv next winter.
Irv: Congratulations! I only wish I were going to be in WG then! I do have a friend who lives in the Winter Garden area in the winter months so I will certainly inform her of this upcoming and exciting Feb. 1 grand opening event! And if you have any photos you would still like to send to me the address is still
The Garden will open again on February 1, 2008, as a performing arts center. Classic movies will also be run twice a week. The gala grand opening is set for February 29. See www.wgtheatre.org or call 407-877-GRDN for information.
Irv: Sorry…I didn’t realize that you posted the first day of March for the grand opening. If there is any change in this date, please advise.