Broadway Show Girls

The Broadway House Guide

Winter Garden Theatre

  • 1,600 seats
  • 2levels
  • Proscenium stage
  • Opened 1911

Imani's take

A former horse exchange turned musical barn — and I mean that lovingly. The orchestra is enormous (1,045 seats) and wide, so center matters more than closeness here. The 1 train drops you basically at the door.

— Imani Carter, spectacle editor

Where to Sit at the Winter Garden Theatre

Levels, bottom to top: Orchestra → Balcony. A large house. Boxes: boxes on two levels above the orchestra.

Seat count by section — 1,567 fixed seats as broken down in our source; the 1,600 above is the house's listed capacity, which can include standing room and production-specific seating.
  • Orchestra 1,045 (67%)
  • Balcony 486 (31%)
  • Boxes 36 (2%)

One balcony over the orchestra

Two levels only, so the balcony is the whole upper house — its front rows are some of the best seats in the building for anything with choreography or a big set. The last rows of the orchestra sit under the overhang — fine for a play, a little boxed-in for a big musical.

Where the seats actually are

The largest block is the orchestra, with 1,045 seats.

About those boxes

Box seats look glamorous and sit at a hard angle to the stage — expect to lose part of the far side of the set. Buy them to be seen, not to see.

Our rule of thumb

For a play, get close and center. For a spectacle, get high and center. Partial-view seats are discounted for a reason — check the seat map before you buy.

Still torn? Carmen's orchestra vs. mezzanine vs. balcony breakdown and our cheap-tickets playbook apply to every house.

Good to Know

  • Built inside the former American Horse Exchange
  • A 50th Street (1 train) subway entrance is just south of the Broadway entrance

Getting There

1634 Broadway, New York, NY.

  • 150 St (Broadway) · about a block away
  • NQRW49 St · about 0.1 mi away

Distances are straight-line from the station's mapped center; big complexes like Times Square have many entrances, some closer. Check the MTA for service changes.

Schematic map of Broadway theaters, 41st to 54th StreetEach dot is a Broadway house placed by its street address, almost all between Sixth and Eighth Avenues. North is up.54535251504948474645444342418th Ave7th Ave6th AveBroadwayTimes SqAl Hirschfeld Theatre — 1,404 seatsAmbassador Theatre — 1,125 seatsAugust Wilson Theatre — 1,225 seatsBelasco Theatre — 1,016 seatsBernard B. Jacobs Theatre — 1,100 seatsBooth Theatre — 800 seatsBroadhurst Theatre — 1,218 seatsBroadway Theatre — 1,763 seatsCircle in the Square Theatre — 776 seatsEthel Barrymore Theatre — 1,058 seatsEugene O'Neill Theatre — 1,108 seatsGerald Schoenfeld Theatre — 1,079 seatsGershwin Theatre — 1,933 seatsHayes Theater — 597 seatsHudson Theatre — 970 seatsImperial Theatre — 1,457 seatsJames Earl Jones Theatre — 1,092 seatsJohn Golden Theatre — 800 seatsLena Horne Theatre — 1,069 seatsLongacre Theatre — 1,077 seatsLunt-Fontanne Theatre — 1,505 seatsLyceum Theatre — 922 seatsLyric Theatre — 1,622 seatsMajestic Theatre — 1,681 seatsMarquis Theatre — 1,612 seatsMinskoff Theatre — 1,710 seatsMusic Box Theatre — 1,025 seatsNederlander Theatre — 1,235 seatsNeil Simon Theatre — 1,467 seatsNew Amsterdam Theatre — 1,702 seatsPalace Theatre — 1,648 seatsRichard Rodgers Theatre — 1,400 seatsSamuel J. Friedman Theatre — 650 seatsShubert Theatre — 1,502 seatsSt. James Theatre — 1,709 seatsStephen Sondheim Theatre — 1,055 seatsStudio 54 — 1,006 seatsTodd Haimes Theatre — 740 seatsWalter Kerr Theatre — 975 seatsWinter Garden Theatre — 1,600 seatsWinter Garden TheatreN ↑ · Vivian Beaumont: Lincoln Center, W 65th St (off map)

Accessibility

We have no sourced detail on this house’s accessible routes yet. Broadway houses must offer wheelchair and companion seating, and assistive-listening devices are widely available; book accessible seats directly with the official seller or through The Shubert Organization.

Winter Garden Theatre FAQ

How many seats does the Winter Garden Theatre have?
About 1,600 seats, across 2 levels (Orchestra and Balcony). Exact capacity can shift slightly from production to production.
Where is the Winter Garden Theatre?
1634 Broadway, in Manhattan's Theater District. It is operated by The Shubert Organization.
What subway stop is closest to the Winter Garden Theatre?
50 St (Broadway) (1 trains), about a block away; 49 St (N, Q, R, W trains), about 0.1 miles away.
Does the Winter Garden Theatre have a mezzanine?
The house has 2 levels: Orchestra and Balcony. Ticket sellers often label the first upper level the “mezzanine” even where the architecture calls it a balcony, so check the seller’s seat map for exact section names.
When did the Winter Garden Theatre open?
It opened in 1911. Architect: William Albert Swasey (1911); remodeled by Herbert J. Krapp (1922).

Nearby Houses

All 41 Broadway theaters →

Pack for the Upper Levels

Theater Binoculars 3×25 Opera Glasses with Handle, Vintage Metal
Theatre Gear#ad

Theater Binoculars 3×25 Opera Glasses with Handle, Vintage Metal

Honey, the mezzanine is not a punishment if you come prepared — these vintage-style metal opera glasses bring the stage right to your face and they look chic doing it. Every serious theatregoer needs a pair, no excuses.

Shop on Amazon ↗
Playbill Binder with Sleeves — Acid-Free Archival, Fits 5.5×8.5 Programs
Playbill & Collectibles#ad

Playbill Binder with Sleeves — Acid-Free Archival, Fits 5.5×8.5 Programs

My playbill collection goes back to 1987 and I will not apologize for a single one — this acid-free binder keeps them flat and pristine so they survive longer than most marriages. The real receipts of a Broadway life.

Shop on Amazon ↗

Every product here is a paid affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, Broadway Show Girls earns a commission from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. Read our full disclosure.

Sources

Facts checked 2026-10-09. Seat counts are approximate and can change with each production's configuration. The opinions are Broadway Show Girls'; spot an error?Tell us.