The Pabst Theater is Milwaukee's finest performance space and one of the best-preserved Victorian theatres in the United States. Built in 1895 with funding from the Pabst family and designed in a richly ornamented German Renaissance style, it seats around 1,400 and has near-perfect acoustics for mid-sized concerts and theatrical productions.
The theatre hosts a varied programme: comedy, touring rock and indie acts, classical concerts, Broadway shows and local theatre companies all appear here regularly. The interior — red velvet, gilded plasterwork, tiers of carved balconies — is the kind of room that makes any performance feel more significant.
Tours are available; check the Pabst Theater website for dates. For performances, book ahead. The Riverside Theater a few blocks away is run by the same organisation and handles larger touring acts.