Built in the late 1800s by brewing mogul Captain Frederick Pabst, The Pabst Theater is a time-tested gem stone in Milwaukee entertainment. Built and designed by architect Otto Strack to eminate the grandeur style of European opera houses, the interior features an Austrian crystal chandelier and an Italian Carrara white marble staircase. The theater was built on the Pabst's property where the Das Neue Deutsche Stadt-Theater stood until it burned down in 1895. The new theater was built in just 11 months but kept some similar charms of the old theater, featuring German notables in the cornice of the auditorium but pioneered in new technologies, being the first all-electric lighting system used in a theater in the United States.

In the late 1920s, the venue went under an extensive facelift and then a complete restoration to its original style in the late 1970s to be one of the finest theaters in the country. The theater was updated to house a full proscenium stage featuring a hydraulic orchestra pit, allowing for the theater to be used for all types of performances from music, to opera to dance.

In the late 1980s, the theater was connected to the new Milwaukee Center which entails of the Milwaukee Center office tower, the Wyndham Hotel and the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. In 2000 more renovations were done to the theater, including new designs to increase the comfort of patrons and become accessible to the handicapped and elderly. This included the installation of two elevators, larger plush seats, newer restrooms, a more contemporary ventilation system and the addition of Cudahy's Irish Pub. The pub is in the lobby area and was opened in 2001 to offer cocktails prior to events and during intermission and is also available for rentals.

The Pabst Theater is a truly magnificent venue in terms of longevity and quality, providing great acoustics and a rich history and it is located in the heart of the downtown Milwaukee theater district. It is a beautiful example of the architecture of another era that continues to be enjoyed by performers and audiences today