Historic Grand Opera House in Oshkosh prepares for $10M expansion project

Wisconsin’s oldest operating theater building is moving forward with a $10 million renovation and expansion in downtown Oshkosh.

The Grand Oshkosh, formerly the Grand Opera House, opened in 1883 and is on the state and national registers of historic places. Its 500-seat auditorium hosts more than 100 performances each year including live music, plays and TED Talks. 

The 140-year-old opera house is owned by the city and operated by a nonprofit organization, The Grand Oshkosh Inc. In December, the city council unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding to split the $10 million construction costs 50-50 with the nonprofit. 

At the Dec. 10 council meeting, City Manager Mark Rohloff said sharing the cost with The Grand would help the nonprofit fundraise for the project.

“The Grand, in order for them to be successful in a fundraising effort, are going to need to go to donors and say, ‘The city’s in for this,’” Rohloff said.

The project will include expanding the opera house building westward to include a new front entrance with better accessibility for wheelchair users and will double the space used for the building’s lounge and lobby atrium space, according to Joe Ferlo, president of The Grand Oshkosh.

He said the new main entrance will now be on the side of the building, instead of on the front toward the street.

“The in and out of the theater becomes much safer coming in off the side of the building, rather than unloading school buses on High Avenue as they do right now,” Ferlo said. 

The main opera house building will receive some improvements like new seats, wallpaper and doors, but will be “largely untouched” by the project, Ferlo said.

He also said the renovation would help improve The Grand’s overall business model. Since the pandemic, he says performing arts centers have had to host more special events and gatherings beyond just performances.

“The Grand Lounge will be fully functional to operate as a venue of its own, which is really important to us during the summer months, when we don’t do a lot of live entertainment, because everyone wants to be outdoors,” Ferlo said.

During the council meeting, officials also said the project also supports increasing foot traffic near the city’s downtown.

“I’m excited for what this facility can help do into the downtown space in terms of activating more space, as well as drawing more people into our downtown more days of the year,” said Mayor Matt Mugerauer.

There isn’t a set timeline for the project, and The Grand is still fundraising. Ferlo said construction is unlikely to begin before 2026 and is expected to take 12 to 16 months.

The Grand has been renovated before. Ferlo said the building’s very first renovation included installing electricity and indoor plumbing. 

It was then extensively restored in the 1980s, and renovated again in 2009, he said. In 2021, the property had a new sign installed, designed to be reminiscent of the 1920s.

“The first restoration, the one in the 1980s, was about preserving the past,” Ferlo said. “This renovation is about securing the future while still respecting and preserving the past.”