The Pabst Mansion, with an embodiment of Milwaukee’s rich history, opened its doors to the holiday season with its grandeur and festive splendor on November 15.
This year, the Mansion’s Christmas celebration, a beloved Milwaukee tradition, adorned its 20,000 square feet with vintage decorations across over 20 rooms, to welcome visitors to participate in the holiday spirit through January 7.
“As the holiday season unfolds, the Mansion becomes a popular destination for those seeking a magical and timeless Christmas experience,” said Mame McCully, board chair of the Pabst Mansion.
When the winter season comes to Milwaukee, the Pabst Mansion transforms into a yuletide gallery of elegance. Visitors are welcomed to immerse themselves in the grandeur of the past through daily self-guided tours, offering the freedom to wander through the ornately decked halls at their own leisure.
“This year the Mansion has some new playful interactive components. Like last year, we have letters which kids can mail to Santa, and receive a response,” said Jocelyn Slocum, Director of Operations & Curatorial Affairs at Pabst Mansion. “This year we also have adult interactives, like the selfie and phone stations in Mrs. Pabst’s parlor. In a museum where we ask you not to touch anything to preserve the collections, it’s fun to ask guests to play in the space a little.”
Located at 2000 West Wisconsin Avenue, the Pabst Mansion has stood for generations as a beacon of Milwaukee’s history, its walls echoing tales of bygone days, while also celebrating today. The holiday season at the Pabst Mansion is more than just a tour, it is an invitation to step into a world where Christmas’s past and present dance in harmonious splendor.
Founder of the Pabst Brewing Company, Captain Frederick Pabst commissioned his grand Flemish Renaissance Revival-styled house in 1892. The Pabst family lived at the mansion from 1892 until 1908, when it was sold to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
For the next 67 years, five Archbishops lived at the Pabst Mansion. By 1978, in an effort to save the grand home from demolition to make way for a parking structure, it was purchased by a historic preservation group.
The Wisconsin Heritages, Inc., would be renamed as Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion, Inc. in 1998. After years of restoration, the mansion remains open to the public with daily tours.
- Illuminating the Dark: Hidden secrets from the Pabst Mansion’s mysterious past unveiled in special tour
- “Seeing the Universe in a Single Flower” at a Japanese Ikebana exhibit inspired by the Pabst Mansion
- Historic Milwaukee: What it takes for Pabst Mansion to preserve its 1893 pavilion for future generations
- Terracotta and Photogrammetry: How UWM’s Historic Preservation Institute uses new tech to save the past
- Pabst Around Milwaukee: Illustrated map details vast reach of Captain Frederick Pabst beyond his brewery
- Pabst Mansion creates new leadership position to address challenges and opportunities
- Pabst Mansion to co-host first “Evening Fit for a Baron” in more than 30 years
- Pabst Mansion decks the halls for Christmas Twilight Tours
- Pabst Mansion celebrates 125 years with open house and family reunion
- Photo Essay: Pabst and Gettelman Family attend Baron Brunch
- Photo Essay: Pabst for Paws
- Pabst donations on 180th birthday honor animal charity
- Video: A look inside the Pabst Mansion
Lee Matz
