The Morecambe Baths and Winter Gardens Company was formed in 1876 by a consortium of businessmen from Bradford.

Developed on an unoccupied piece of land on the sea front, facilities included three plunge baths, 24 private, and two medicated baths swimming baths. Surrounded by the gardens, that gave the Winter Gardens its name.

Under the new ownership of William Morgan, changes were made to the building including the removal of the fountain, enlargements to the stage and a new backdrop. 12 hours of continuous entertainment ‘all for sixpence’ included dancing in the grand pavilion to M Jules Rivieries Orchestra.

The Winter Gardens is taken over by William Morgan, T Baxter, R. H. Abbott and Joshua Wade - owners of the newly opened West End Pier - and a major refurbishment occurs. The basement, originally used as a dance room was to be converted into a first class restaurant, the sea water baths were to be cleared away and a new theatre, the new Victoria Pavillion, is built.

The Victoria Pavillion, as it was then known, opened it’s doors to the public on 19 July 1897 designed to be both a grand variety theatre and a concert hall. Built at a cost of nearly £100,000, it was designed by Mangnall & Littlewood from Manchester. From classical music to extraordinary magical acts, the theatre was truly the "People’s Palace", with two shows daily in the summer season and pantomime in the festive season. During these heydays, the theatre hosted some of the biggest stars of stage from around the globe.  

By the mid-1970s the fortunes of both the Winter Gardens and the town of Morecambe, were in decline and by 1977, the decision was taken to close the whole complex. The final performance was from the RAF Military Band.

After standing empty for some years, in 1982 the decision was made to demolish the original Winter Gardens.  The Victoria Pavillion theatre was the only building remaining, with its own future in the balance.

A group of dedicated locals formed the Friends of the Winter Gardens and have worked together with one aim, to reopen the building that was once at the heart of Morecambe. With the formation of the Preservation Trust in 2006, ownership of the Winter Gardens was transferred to this charitable body. 

In early 2020, the Morecambe Winter Gardens Preservation Trust Limited was reformed, and the Friends of Morecambe Winter Gardens charity dissolved. With a dynamic new Board of Trustees, led by Chair Professor Vanessa Toulmin, from 2020 - 2023, the team secured 11 grants for immediate safety and repair projects. More than £1.4m was invested into the building, thanks to support from Historic England, Theatres Trust and the Architectural Heritage Fund.  

In 2023, the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sports awarded £2.78m in capital funding to the building, alongside £700,000 project funding, including £200,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This marked the largest single investment in the Winter Gardens for more than 100 years. 

Exciting times are ahead again...