Wisconsin Union Theater

The Wisconsin Union Theater sits inside Memorial Union at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds three separate performance spaces for concerts, plays, and cultural events. Each space has its own setup designed to fit different types of shows and audience sizes.

The theater opened in October 1939 and became an important venue for artists and speakers on campus right from the start. Over the following decades, major figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Ella Fitzgerald, Martin Luther King Jr., and John F. Kennedy performed or spoke on its stages.

The Classical Series at Wisconsin Union Theater spans over a century of performances, offering a mix of orchestral, chamber, and solo presentations.

The venue is easy to reach since it sits in the heart of campus and can be accessed by public transportation or on foot. It helps to plan ahead since seating fills up at different rates depending on what is playing.

Students can take on real responsibility for show programming and execution through the Wisconsin Union Directorate program at this venue. This kind of hands-on experience in theater operations is uncommon and gives students an insider look at how live performance venues run.

Location: Madison

Architects: Michael Hare

Official opening: October 8, 1939

Part of: University of Wisconsin–Madison, Memorial Union

GPS coordinates: 43.07668,-89.40031

Latest update: December 12, 2025 12:01