Winter Garden Theatre (downtown)

The first Winter Garden Theatre in New York City, established in 1850, had a significant yet short-lived history as a leading venue for diverse theatrical performances, including Shakespearean productions. One of the largest musical halls in the world," boasting one of the largest stages in New York City. Originally called Tripler's Hall or Metropolitan Hall, for minstrel shows and large gatherinhgs

Rebuilt as The New York Theatre, eventually bearing various names it become known as one of the most important theatres in New York history. On May 15, 1855, John Lafarge, owner of the famed Lafarge House which adjoined the theatre, assumed management and renamed it as Metropolitan Hall. On December 27, 1855, the actress and manager Laura Keene reopened the theatre as Laura Keene's Varieties with Old Heads and Young Hearts. The Panic of 1857 bankrupted the theatre, and it was forced to close once again. It reopened Sept. 8, 1856 as Burton's New Theatre, and renamed its final name The Winter Garden on October 19, 1859.