Wisconsin Stories: Passing Through

Wisconsin Historical Society Visual Materials Collections.

back to intro >>

Posters from the Fuller Opera House
The Fuller Opera House filled a huge void in Madison when it opened in 1890. New York architects designed a building that had 1,200 seats on the main floor, a second-level balcony, a third-level gallery with hard benches and 10 private boxes.

The facade was finished in gray pressed brick, trimmed in Bedford stone and featured oiled oak doors and stained glass windows. A huge stage had three working traps.

The Fuller played host to everything from vaudeville to symphony orchestras. It brought in acts that had avoided Madison since the demise of the Hooley Opera House in 1885.

During each season of the 1890s, the Fuller Opera House offered a minimum of 40 one-night productions and many multi-night stands. The Fuller was later remodeled into a movie house and renamed the park theater. It was eventually torn down to make room for a store. View first poster>>

Source, "Madison: History of the Formative Years" by David V. Mollenhoff. Kendall/Hunt Publishing.

Image of Fuller Opera House: Wisconsin Historical Society Whi (X3)35645.