Visitors follow in footsteps of King Charles III as they enjoy weekend behind-the-scenes tours of Morecambe Winter Gardens

Visitors from as far afield as Cyprus and London have packed into the historic gem since the Easter Weekend to enjoy tours of the venue, following in the footsteps of the then Prince of Wales, who enjoyed a tour of the historic landmark in 2022 and praised the ongoing work of the volunteers helping bring new life to the building.

The royal visit was one of hundreds of notable events at the seaside venue over the years, which also lists Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy among past visitors to the famous theatre.

It will host The Laurel & Hardy Society as they take a tour in the coming weeks, has already played host to the Matcham Society and will also be visited by the Tile and Ceramic Society.

Prof Vanessa Toulmin, chair of Morecambe Winter Gardens Preservation Trust and professor at the University of Sheffield, said: “The Morecambe Winter Gardens Preservation Trust, run entirely by volunteers who clocked up an outstanding 17,000 volunteer hours last year, are delighted that we have had such a resounding response to the latest season of behind-the-scenes tours, with all tours for the past few weekends selling out.

"The tours provide an excellent way to discover hidden parts of the historic venue, learn more about plans for the future and funds raised also play a crucial role in helping support the ongoing work towards returning the Morecambe Winter Gardens to its former glory.”

Emma Parsons from Carnforth, a visitor who enjoyed a recent tour, said: “I had a such a great tour of Morecambe Winter Gardens and really enjoyed the great storytelling by the volunteer guide. It is important to support the restoration of this big, beautiful palace of fun and I'd encourage everyone to take the tour."

Each tour has a maximum capacity of 10 people, lasts approximately 1 hour and costs £10 per person.

The venue is also encouraging group bookings - with a minimum of 20 people - for a Friday afternoon of afternoon tea, tour and Peter Jetson on the organ - contact [email protected].

Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult and infants must be carried.

Dogs (unless assistance dogs) are not allowed on tours. Due to limited disabled access, those with mobility difficulties may only be able to have access to the ground floor.

As restoration work has been taking place in the theatre, please be aware there is dust in the air if you suffer with any respiratory conditions.

More information and bookings at https://morecambewintergardens.com/tours/