“Our Final Curtain:” The Garden Theater at Winter Garden is closing after nearly two decades

WINTER GARDEN, Florida — The Garden Theater in Winter Garden announced Wednesday that it will be closing shop after nearly two decades in business.

According to its website, the closure comes amid financial hardship for the theater, which has been unable to raise enough funds to maintain operations.

Garden Theater officials issued the following statement:

“Since 2008, the Garden Theater has been a haven for performers, artists and audiences alike. We pride ourselves on cultivating local talent, bringing stories to life and fostering connections through the power of live theater. It goes without saying that the performing arts make a huge contribution to a community's quality of life. Unfortunately, increasing costs and recent challenges, including significant state budget cuts, have severely impacted our ability to secure the funding necessary to sustain our mission.

The Garden Theater has been an important part of the West Orange community for 16 years. We are so grateful to everyone who has supported us over the years – our audiences, donors, volunteers and artists. Your commitment and passion have been the heartbeat of this theater and we are honored to have been part of this community for so long.

Even when the final curtain has fallen, the memories, friendships and artistic achievements we shared will live on.

Thank you for being part of our story and for letting Garden Theater be part of your story.”

The Garden Theater

The theater was originally built in 1935 and was modeled after a Spanish courtyard with “Romeo and Juliet” balconies, according to the city.

However, due to the newfound popularity of television, the Garden Theater underwent several teams of renovations before closing in 1963.

Eventually the building was purchased by the city in 2002 and restored by the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation before reopening in 2008.

This year, the theater began its 17th season with a performance of “Little Shop of Horrors,” but there is no information available as to whether the Garden Theater will complete the season.