Turner Hall: Political History of a Milwaukee Treasure

UWM history professor Aims McGuinness guides visitors through Turner Hall (1882), including the historic ballroom and the newly opened Tavern at Turner Hall. Discover connections between the Revolutions of 1848, the Civil War, the history of women’s suffrage, the struggle for workers’ rights, the rise of modern gymnastics, and Milwaukee’s unique history of socialist city government. See the striking ballroom with its slanted stage and the nation’s most historic, continuously operating gymnasium. View the Turners’ remarkable collection of paintings by Milwaukee’s famed panorama painters and learn how to decode the symbols hidden in the paintings and stained glass windows. This visit to a Milwaukee treasure will enrich your understanding not just of the city’s political history but also its history of art, architecture, and immigration.