Pabst Theater: then and now

1970 vs 2024 · Milwaukee, WI

NowThen

Then, 1970A black and white view from the street: dark brick, the old PABST sign and City Hall's tower behind.Photo: Douglas Green · Public domain · Source · resized

Today, 2024The same brick front and the PABST sign, with the City Hall tower rising beside it.Photo: SecretName101 · CC BY 4.0 · Source · resized

The story

The Pabst Theater opened on November 9, 1895. It replaced the Nixon Theater, which had burned in January of that year, and brewer Captain Frederick Pabst paid for the new one. Otto Strack designed it.

It was named a National Historic Landmark on December 4, 1991, and it still hosts concerts and shows in a hall of about 1,300 seats.

Did you know? It was rebuilt within the same year its predecessor burned.

Historians argue about this. Some sources call it one of the oldest continuously operating theaters in the country, but the exact ranking is disputed.

Fact or tall tale?

SolidThe Pabst Theater opened in 1895.
Wikipedia: opened November 9, 1895.
DisputedThe Pabst Theater is officially the fourth-oldest theater in the US.
This ranking is claimed, but sources disagree on how to count.

Sources

More: Look for historic photos at the Library of Congress

Stamp it in person

Go there, answer the question that only someone standing at Pabst Theater can answer, and add the stamp to your passport. Free, no sign-up.

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Next: Milwaukee City Hall. Written from the cited sources, not yet walked on site unless noted.