Built in 1913, the Elgin and Winter Garden theatre complex located at Yonge and Queen Streets in Toronto originally opened as Loew's Yonge Street Theatre (part of a chain of vaudeville houses). The upstairs part, the Winter Garden, was closed and sealed off in the late 1920s. The lower theatre, The Elgin remained in operation as a movie theater. This building is the last remaining Edwardian double-decker theatre in the world.
The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres were purchased by the Ontario Heritage Association in 1981 and declared a national historic site the following year. The restoration, which was finished in 1989, revealed beautiful architecture and memorabilia but it stirred up a lot of ghostly activity.
The Ghost of “Sam” at the Winter Garden
In the once sealed Winter Garden, theatre employees have seen the ghost of a musician named “Sam”. He worked there in the vaudeville era and died when he fell into the orchestra pit. He is seen wandering around and sometimes the sound of his saxophone (or trombone according to some reports) can be heard. They have also seen seats unfold and fold up again when there has been nobody else in the theatre.
The Ghost of “Stan” at the Elgin
The spirit of a more recently departed soul nicknamed “Stan” has been sighted and he is considered unfriendly. It is believed that this man was a worker on the restoration project in the late 1980s and died when he fell off the mezzanine level of the Elgin. One employee heard footsteps behind her on the stairs. As she sped up her pace, the noise of footsteps behind her started to speed up.
The Elevators at the Winter Garden and Elgin
The elevators are the old fashioned kind where an operator is required. Staff have seen the elevators moving to different floors when there has been no operator or passengers present.
The Lavender Lady at the Winter Garden
One of the most famous ghosts is known as the Lavender Lady who resides upstairs in the Winter Garden. It is said a young lady was stabbed in the washroom and managed to stagger into the lobby and press the elevator button. When the elevator operator got to the top floor and opened the door, the lady was dead. Now the air sometimes fills with the scent of lavender.
On occasion, the people in the box office have seen the apparition of a young lady in her 20s with her blonde hair tied up in a bun. It is obvious that she had been in a struggle due to her disheveled appearance. It is believed that she is the Lavender Lady. Another female ghost is seen in the lobby dressed in Edwardian clothing.
The Winter Garden Dressing Room
The ghost of a young woman, who was most likely an actress, has been spotted departing from the coat check room on the 2nd floor. This room was once used as a dressing room. The apparition of a man has been seen in the vicinity of the ladies washroom on the 2nd floor. He may have been a technician in the theatre.
The Elgin Theatre Staircase
In the Elgin Theatre on the lower level, there is the ghost of a little boy who had fallen from one of the boxes. He has been seen running up and down the main staircase, going from the mezzanine to the balcony.
If you have the opportunity to catch a show at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre, you may be fortunate to see a side show of the mysterious kind!
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