When it comes to movie theaters in Milwaukee, times aren't like they used to be. Once home to many movie theaters, downtown Milwaukee no longer has even one. Moviegoers in the area that want to see a movie need to visit one of the other nearby theaters, including the Oriental Theatre on Farwell Avenue and the Downer Theatre on Downer Avenue. Both are about 2-3 miles to the north.

The last downtown movie theater was also one of its grandest. Located just west of the Milwaukee River on Wisconsin Avenue and 2nd Street, the aptly named Grand Cinemas was operated by Marcus Theatres Corp. until it closed in 1995. Its history dates back to 1931 when it opened as the Warner Theatre. It featured a full stage, complete with fly space, and it was truly a grand auditorium. Even after it was twinned, much of the grandeur of the theater remained; just waiting for someone to make it shine once again.

2013 photo

We toured the theater in the late 1990s or early 2000s, and it was still in very good condition, but sorely in need of restoration. (We're still searching for the many photos I took on that tour) Fortunately, OnMilwaukee's Bobby Tanzilo featured many photos in his "Urban Spelunking" series.

When a movie theater falls into disuse, especially in a downtown area, it often gets demolished and replaced with a retail store or office space. Fortunately for everyone in the Milwaukee area, that wasn't the fate for the Grand Cinemas.

Many, many plans were announced for the building over the years, but nothing came to fruition until the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra announced in 2017 that it would make the theater its new home. A major renovation project ensued, which included moving the entire east wall of the theater behind the stage to enlarge the stage area. A large exterior blade-style sign was installed that reads "Warner" as a tribute to its history and presence on Wisconsin Avenue.

The results of that renovation effort are seen in the photo at the top of this story, the photo below, and dozens of photos that we have for the Bradley Symphony Center - Warner Grand Theatre. (It's officially the Bradley Symphony Center, but we're choosing to honor its history with a suffix)

2025 photo. Courtesy Michelle Brown.

One of our readers has been a repeat visitor to the Bradley Symphony Center since it opened, and she graciously provided photos of her visits to share with you. To see all 40+ photos that we have, please visit the Photo Gallery page for the Bradley Symphony Center - Warner Grand Theatre!

Many thanks to reader Michelle Brown for sharing her photos!