FRANKLIN STREET INN

BED & BREAKFAST

FRANKLIN STREET INN

BED & BREAKFAST

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center

Broadway on tour and so much more...

Woman in grey jacket standing next to poster of Broadway on Tour shows in modern building lobby; information desk with uniformed volunteers and other guests in background
Woman looks down on dense crowd from second floor railing as crowd moves toward exits in lobby of modern building

Here is “Where the Arts Come Alive”! 

Enjoy the best in live entertainment at Northeastern Wisconsin’s premier performing arts venue located at 400 West College Ave in the heart of downtown Appleton! The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center draws the community and numerous out-of-town visitors together for world-class performances and provides educational opportunities. Not only major shows are held here, but also local and regional groups use this auditorium for community events. At left, Lori stands with the 2020-21 Broadway on Tour Season poster at the Reveal event at the Fox Cities PAC, and observes the crowd after the Reveal event.

This wonderful venue is only five blocks away from the Franklin Street Inn Bed and Breakfast, Appleton, Wisconsin. It is perfectly located for our guests to just walk to performances and not need to worry about parking. Visit the P.A.C. website for your tickets, then Book Direct here to receive a room discount for the night(s) of your performance. Click on special rates and use Promotional Code: FOXPAC to see the discounted rate. To retain your discount simply show us your tickets or ticket stubs during your stay.

The Mission

“The mission of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center is to serve as a gathering place for the community to engage in educational opportunities and enhance understanding and enjoyment of life through the creation and presentation of the arts. We will do this by providing a premier venue for performing arts attractions and dynamic environment for our arts organizations.”

THE VISION

The vision for the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center began in the 1970’s. People had a vision to be entertained, inspired, educated, and challenged by performances. Civic leaders and local arts groups imagined a community building like we have in Appleton today. Their vision to support the performing arts has definitely been crucial to our entire region’s quality of life. 

The P.A.C. was a $45 million dollar project which took 31 months to build. The completion of the building was done amazingly fast, not only for the actual building of the facility, but also to raise contributions from over 2,700 local residents and businesses. The construction company, architects, and consultants had a goal to assure that this facility was world-class in both the amenities and the acoustics. 

Upon completion, the people in the valley realized that a long-time dream of actually having a major Fox Cities facility devoted to the performing arts was real. The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center presented their first performance on November 25, 2002 which was supported by many positive reviews. This building has served the cultural, educational, and entertainment needs of our community and will do so for years to come.

Performing arts have a powerful language. World-class talent at the center stimulates and excites audiences. People have their emotions aroused which in turn helps them to see, hear, feel, think and learn. The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center is dedicated to its mission and after 14 years, the community definitely sees how valuable the fulfillment of this dream has been.

PAC VOLUNTEERS

Besides the performances at The Performing Arts Center, attendees notice many people are volunteering to welcome you, take tickets, usher you to your seat, and wish you a great day when exiting - there are approximately 400 willing volunteers. Realizing the spirit of volunteering here is a testimony to the mission of the arts in this area.