Built on the six-acre Bank Hey Estate and officially opened on 11th July 1878, the Winter Gardens complex is steeped in history.

The Empress Ballroom
The Empress Ballroom was completed during the summer of 1896. Designed by Mangnall & Littlewood, with plasterwork by J.M. Boekbinder, the Ballroom?s dimensions of 189ft by 110ft, with a floor area of 12,500 sq.ft, made it one of the largest ballrooms in the world.

The Opera House
The Winter Gardens? present theatre is actually the third Opera House to have been built on the site. The first, designed by famous theatre architect Frank Matcham, was named ?Her Majesty?s Opera House? and opened with Gibert & Sullivan?s new opera ?Yeomen of the Guard? on June 10th 1889. The 2,500 seat theatre cost a grand total of £9,098 to build.

The Arena
Adjacent to the magnificent Empress Ballroom, the Arena was originally named the Indian Lounge, due to its beautiful Raj-inspired interior design created by J.M. Boekbinder in 1896. The room survived in this state for 68 years until, in 1964, the faded interior was ripped out and replaced by the Planet Room - a large lounge bar with a cabaret stage. In the late 1980's the Planet Room was revamped in a Roman style to become the present Arena.

The Pavilion Theatre
Often overshadowed by the Opera House Theatre, the Pavilion is a stunning theatre in its own right. In 1885 it received a new proscenium and private boxes, but was extensively altered in 1897 when the floor was lowered and tilted towards the stage. After entertaining audiences as a cinema with ?Talkies? from the early 1930's, it fell into disuse for long periods and only resumed occasional use as a theatre, including old-time music hall shows in the late 1990's when Leisure Parcs Ltd took control of the Winter Gardens.

Olympia
Construction of the Olympia began in 1929 and took less than eight months to build. When it opened in June 1930, its interior comprised stalls and attractions themed by Andrew Mazzei in the form of a Moorish village. The Olympia?s distinctive exterior was finished in white faience and included a dome which was removed after the war. During the conflict, Morse-code was taught in the Olympia and troops marching by had to break step to avoid disrupting the lessons.

Spanish Hall
In the 1930's a floor was constructed in the Winter Gardens? Victoria Street entrance to allow the creation of the Andalucian-style Spanish Hall. Andrew Mezzei, a famous film set designer, was appointed to create the elaborate plastering giving the Hall its authentic Spanish flavour which remains in place to this present day.