The Floral Hall, Blackpool

Part of the Winter Gardens Complex

Blackpool Theatres Index - Blackpool Theatres Article by Donald Auty

Above - The Floral Hall at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, here captioned the 'Floral Hall' in a painting by Fortunino Matania - From a 1938 programme for the Winter Gardens Complex - Caption reads: -'The Main Hall and Promenade of the Winter Gardens, with its thousands of nightly visitors seeking pleasure in the manifold and wonderful attractions, provides an ever-changing kaleidoscope of colour and life.'

The Floral Hall is part of the Winter Gardens Complex in Blackpool and forms the central passage through the complex with entrances and exits at either end, on Church Street and Coronation Street, and provides access to the Opera House and Empress Ballroom, and has several cafes and bars.

The Floral Hall, on first appearance, is not unlike a shopping centre, but without the shops, however it is far more opulent.

Right - Part of the Floral Hall, Winter Gardens, Blackpool today - Photo M.L. August 2012.

The Grade II Listed Winter Gardens was refurbished in 2011 at a cost of some £1.2 million, and at this time some of the Floral Hall's original plasterwork by the famous film set designer, Andrew Mazzei, was discovered, still intact, under the paneling which had been hiding it since the Floral Hall had been used as an amusement arcade in the 1960s. This has now been restored and reinstated along with the Hall's original mirrors. The Floral Hall reopened to the public on February the 12th 2011.

Above - The Church Street end of the Floral Hall with access to the Opera House on the left - Photo M.L. August 2012.

Above - The Dome inside the Church Street entrance to the Floral Hall and Winter Gardens, Blackpool - Photo M.L. August 2012.

You may like to visit the Winter Gardens' own Website here.

If you have any more information or images for this Theatre that you are willing to share please Contact me.