$2,250 starting price
201-250 guest capacity
This venue can host up to 250 guests
About this vendor
Schauer Arts Center is a performing and visual arts venue situated in Hartford, WI. Originally built in 1918, the building has undergone several renovations and offers refurbished, chic spaces for your engagement, wedding, or anniversary. For over two decades, the center has welcomed extraordinary talent, breathtaking performances, and delicious cuisine.
Schauer Arts Center offers a combination of charm and contemporary with floor-to-ceiling windows, bold colored walls, exposed beams, and wooden floors. Upon your arrival, you and your partner may make your grand entrance via their double staircase or the building’s spacious elevator. If you’re hosting a large ceremony, you may enjoy their ample facilities, like Pikes Peak for 250 guests or the Ruth A. Knoll Theater with a capacity of 569 friends and family. The Suckow Family Art Gallery and Lodge both offer casual spaces for elopements, standing cocktail parties, and other intimate occasions. In addition to these areas, you and your wedding party may freshen up in the center’s dressing rooms between each event. You will also have access to fast, reliable wireless internet connectivity throughout the day.
Schauer Arts Center’s team will be delighted to provide hands-on assistance from beginning to end. These passionate professionals strive to deliver excellence for you and your guests and will respect your use of outside vendors, such as caterers and entertainment. They will also be thrilled to provide information on renting equipment and accessories for each event, including sound systems and lighting. The banquet hall offers a large dance floor with comfortable furniture, chairs, and tables. Decor and centerpieces are also available to rent for your intimate cocktail hour. To complete your wedding reception, the center offers licensed bar services with house wine, beer, and signature drinks. For information on these exclusive services and more, the venue’s staff will be happy to help.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Guest Capacity
- Up to 250
Settings
- Backyard
- Ballroom
- Historic Venue
- Industrial & Warehouse
- Loft
- Museum
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Bar Rental
- Planning
- Wedding Design
- Rentals & Equipment
- Service Staff
Reviews
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5
out of 5.025 reviews
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We had our wedding reception at the Schauer Center a week ago and haven’t stopped talking about how amazing our experience was. Casey & Tryna were super communicative, so fun to work with, detail oriented, and went above and beyond to build our dream venue. They were super flexible with their time, handled a ton of last minute details for us, and really invested themselves in our wedding. It was so special to share the experience with them. The venue itself was so beautiful- we were able to work with Tryna & Cassie to set up the lights, music, PA system, the tables, chairs, and extra decorations to our preference. They gave us the freedom to change everything we wanted to, all the way down to creating a custom beverage package.
A huge thank you again to Tryna, Cassie, & Schauer Arts staff who hosted us there.
- Anne & Marcelino Roxas
The Schauer Arts Center made our wedding dreams come true. From helping us set the stage to look like something out of a broadway show to creating a romantic reception space - they did it all. Getting married in a theater was dreamy and we received so many compliments from our guests about the venue and the auto museum. We have been married for almost a year now and we constantly look back at our wedding photos in awe of what they helped us create. The Schauer Center is a mostly women-run team and being able to work with them so closely helped ease any stress and nerves. They also let us buy a painting early from the gallery to remember the day! They also handled my mother (who deemed herself the creative director) with such patience and ease, I feel like I could learn some lessons from them. I am so grateful for this team and this venue. It was the best night yet.
If I could give the Schauer Arts Center 100 stars I would absolutely do so! With a schedule change we had to find a new venue and plan our wedding in 88 days… and from the first time meeting with Casey at the Schauer, I knew we were in great hands. They went above and beyond every step of the way and made sure that we had an amazing wedding day! Casey was always available for every question or concern that came up and made the planning process with the venue so incredibly easy! The staff the night of the event were so friendly and helpful! They even got into the spirit of the theme (New Years Eve) and wore party hats behind the bar all night. The venue itself is spacious and great! The extra touches Casey and staff worked hard at to incorporate into our day made it extra special. Definitely consider this spot for your reception if you’re looking!
We chose Schauer Arts Center for our daughter's wedding. It is a beautiful rustic and spacious facility easily accommodating 150 or more guests for the ceremony, reception and dinner. Following the dinner guests were able to enjoy music and dancing or choose quiet conversation and seating, which was important to us. The staff was very helpful, patient and courteous through the entire process, anticipating our every need and working closely with our other vendors. I would highly recommend!
We first intended to have our wedding at the Schauer Center in 2019, as an elopement party to celebrate our Hawaii elopement. A pandemic happened and plans changed- a BUNCH. We rescheduled our original party plan to 2021, and then rescheduled a more traditional, full wedding for 2022. The coordinators at the Schauer Center did an amazing job of being flexible as COVID changed basically ALL of our plans. They were wonderfully helpful and supportive every step of the way, and kept up with the changes as quickly as we had to make them. Their coordinators are amazingly detail oriented, and made sure our ceremony and reception were everything we wanted them to be. They worked with our DJ and caterer to make sure everything went smoothly, and their bartenders were great! We were also able to rent out the auto museum for our guests to wander through while waiting for the ceremony to start, and during the room change-over from ceremony to reception. We’re so glad we chose this venue and so grateful for all the people who helped us plan our wedding- three different times!
Absolutely Loved this Venue for our Wedding reception. Katryna, the new event coordinator, was amazing to work with! Always responded very quickly to any questions that I had. She went above and beyond to make our Dream event come true. She was very flexible and easy to talk to and work with. During the reception she was there to help with anything and everything that needed to be done! Such as sneaking me into a private bathroom to get situated and my dress bustled before the Grand March! The space is beautiful and can be equipped with hanging lights, and up lighting to illuminate the Hall. The bartenders were all very kind and attentive and even helped clean up after dinner as well. We also rented out the neighboring Wisconsin Auto Museum for our Cocktail Hour which our guests loved. I couldn’t imagine our Wedding at any other Venue! Everyone we worked with helped our Dream Wedding come true!
I can't say enough good things about Amy and Schauer Arts Center. The venue is beautiful! Amy was so easy to work with and very organized. She communicated so well with me and made it seem like I was the only bride she was working with. I would recommend Amy and the Schauer Arts to anyone who is looking for an affordable, gorgeous spot to have their wedding.
Leading up to our event, the planning process was so simple and smooth! Amy, the event coordinator is so nice to work with and made all of our wishes come true. We had THE BEST NIGHT EVER and we couldn’t have done it without the Schauer Arts Center team. I can’t recommend them enough. The Wisconsin Auto Museum is connected to the venue and was rented out for cocktail hour which was so cool and guests seemed to love it! Pricing was affordable and very reasonable. If I could do it all over again I wouldn’t change a thing! Everything went exactly as planned.
Words truly cannot express just how happy we were with choosing Schauer for our reception venue. The moment we met Amy we felt incredibly confident that we would be in great hands and we were so right! Amy is such a pleasant person who was super professional and accommodating throughout the entire planning process. Schauer is a beautiful venue. We absolutely loved having the Suckow Art Gallery and Automotive museum open for cocktail hour and guests seemed to really enjoy this as well! All in all we highly recommend working with Amy and choosing Schauer for your wedding venue!
If you want your special day to be perfect, call Amy at the Schauer Arts Center! If you want to work with smart, professional, kind and caring young women that will have your best interest at heart and can help you recreate the exact vision you have in your head, then you really need to call Amy at the Schauer Arts Center! Amy & Mallory were absolutely delightful to work with despite my many unusual and time-sensitive requests. They took the time to understand each of my requests and then found a way to make it happen. The best possible customer service AND a beautiful venue! My husband & I were originally married in Rome, Italy and are blessed to have been married in the church on our 5th Wedding Anniversary. Our vision was to marry the two events by bringing Italy to our guests... the food, the wine, the photos, the chocolates, and even the music. Amy helped with it all and the result was absolute perfection! The comments from our guests include: "Absolutely Fabulous Day!"; "Beautiful event... no detail overlooked or forgotten!"; "Spectacular idea... wasn't sure you could make it happen but you certainly did not disappoint!"; "I truly felt as though I had been transported to Italy for the day!"; "You have forever changed my opinion of Hartford!"; and one guest even commented it was "by far, the best wedding they had ever attended" (and that individual is over 60) because no detail was left to chance. Many people plan weddings assuming it is all about the bride and groom but our wedding/anniversary celebration was about our guests. We truly wanted them to know how important they are to us and Amy understood that from the very beginning. She knew that we wanted to create a special and unique day for our guests so she never considered us demanding but instead took every request as a challenge or opportunity... what a truly refreshing spirit!! Amy was the BEST and the space is quite easy to transform into almost any vision with the assistance of Amy & Mallory. I've been planning corporate events for 40 years and have never enjoyed the planning as much working with anyone else. I highly recommend you call Amy to start planning your amazing day at the Schauer Arts Center... you will not be disappointed with the venue or the service!
Jessica and Amy went above and beyond to make sure my wedding reception was perfect. I got lots of compliments on the venue and service. If you are looking for an affordable and unique wedding venue, Schauer Arts Center is the perfect fit!
We had the most perfect night! Everything went so smoothly and the planing process was very stress free. Jessica was amazing! She always got back to us in a timely manner and took it upon herself to assist in planning our big day. We actually got to enjoy our night instead of worrying about the little things! Thank you so much!!
The Schauer Arts Center is a fantastic space for a wedding, and their event planning staff, especially Jessica Helmer, were absolutely amazing with keeping track of all of the parts of my event and really making me feel at ease going into my wedding day. Jessica was always available for any questions, no matter how small or how many times I had asked it. The movement from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception was absolutely flawless, and the venue’s bar staff were attentive and really helped make all of our guests feel at ease and enjoy themselves. Jessica’s hard work really made my wedding day the best day of my life. I would absolutely recommend this venue and their wonderful event team to any bride looking for a very memorable wedding.
The Schauer Center was the perfect venue for our wedding. I was looking for something unique that had a lot of natural light and tall ceilings as I had worked in the industry for years and couldn't stand a space that had no natural light and felt cramped - this venue met all of my requirements. The bar area was set outside of the banquet area which meant no long lines and crowds inside the room! Jessica the Events Coordinator was awesome to work with, she met all my requests and helped everything run smooth. We also were able to rent the neighboring auto museum for our guest during cocktail hour and I heard nothing but compliments from them. Thank you for making our wedding so special!
We could not have chosen a better place to have our wedding reception! The Schauer Center has a totally unique feel to it and we received so many compliments on the space. Our guests loved touring the Auto Museum during cocktail hour -- it really adds a fun touch! The combination of the Pike's Peak room and the Suckow gallery allowed our guests plenty of room to spread out and either dance or chat throughout the night; even with 200 guests, it never felt crowded and really set the stage for a fun evening. While I could say a lot more about how great the Schauer Center facility is, one of the biggest reasons we ultimately chose the site for our reception was because of Brandon, the Schauer Center's Event Coordinator. We can't say enough good things about him. Brandon truly went above and beyond before, during, and after our event. We wanted to do some more unique things which required bringing in several outside vendors, which Brandon coordinated seamlessly so we wouldn't have to worry about it. He was constantly checking in on the bridal party and our families to make sure everything was going smoothly during the reception, and even diffused a bridal meltdown! We highly recommend that anyone searching for a unique venue with a talented, professional event coordinator, check out the Schauer Center.
So happy I decided to use the Schauer Center for my reception! I couldn't be happier! The place has great character and style with plenty of space for any amount of guests. We had about 150 guests and there was plenty of room for people to walk between tables and not feel cramped. The price was very reasonable compared to other places we looked and the fact that the bar is all set up through the Schauer Center helped save money compared to most places we made budgets for while deciding. They are able to get pretty much any beer, wine, or alcohol you want and assisted in keeping within our budget. The additional option of renting the Auto Museum is great to give the guests something to enjoy during down time while the bridal party did photos. The director of event services, Brandon Herr, was fabulous! We started booking and getting things organized with the previous coordinator, and then Brandon was hired midway through our planning. This made me a bit nervous at first, but he was seriously the best thing about the Schauer Center. He kept everything organized and had great rapport with the other vendors. I had concerns about my dessert table when the catering company offered very little assistance and he made sure to take care of it with the catering staff. He seriously was everywhere at once! I really don't know how he keeps it all organized while being of such great assistance to everyone. My bridal party and my parents all commented on how he would check in with them to make sure they didn't need anything during the night. He worked with us to make our specialty cocktail perfect and everything went off without a hitch. He responded to emails in a reasonable amount of time and his attention to ALL details as the date approached was remarkable. So happy we chose the Schauer Arts Center for our wedding and will continue to recommend it to everyone!
The Schauer Arts and Activities Center was an amazing venue for our wedding and Brandon Herr the Director of Event Services was invaluable. He provided excellent service throughout our wedding planning and even more so the day before and the day of the wedding. He was a calming voice throughout the evening and even brought drinks to the head table at dinner! The venue was beautiful and we rented the Wisconsin Auto Museum for cocktail hour and our guests truly enjoyed it. One of our special touches was to purchase a gobo to project our names on the floor just at the base of the stairwell. This was also a suggestion that Brandon made. We could not have been more satisfied with our choice.
We recently rented the Schauer Center for both our cocktail hour and reception. We also rented the adjoining Wisconsin Auto Museum for our guests to visit during the cocktail hour. With renting the Schauer Center, we were able to have both the Pike Peak's room and the art gallery for one flat price.
Brandon, the new event coordinate, was AMAZING! During the planning stages he worked with us to make sure that everything would be exactly like we wanted on the day of the wedding. The day before/day of the wedding he helped with getting all of the decorating done correctly, and made it so that we didn't have anything extra to worry about during the day of the wedding. During the reception he made sure that everything went smoothly, working with all of our other vendors, and he made sure that whenever we wanted something, it was taken care of immediately. We cannot thank Brandon enough for all that he did!
We loved the character that this venue had. It wasn't just another banquet hall, and we think that the venue selection went a long way towards making our wedding a huge success.
The Schauer Center was absolutely perfect. We rented Pikes Peak as well as the art gallery for our cocktail party. Paying the extra $375 for the art gallery was the best money we spent. When my husband and I arrived to cocktail party, we walked up the beautiful staircase and all of our guests could see us and cheered from the gallery. It was a perfect moment. It looked so classy, and the extra bar in the gallery was a must. Derek, the events planner, answered all our calls and emails quickly and attended to our every need the night of the wedding. At the last minute (last minute=during dinner), my father asked him to play our slideshow (it had been played during the cocktail hour) and he had it up and going in less than five minutes. He made sure everything happened when I wanted it to and worked closely with the vendors. I had no stress the night of because of that. We were allowed to decorate Friday morning (wedding was Saturday night), which was perfect because we didn't feel rushed at all. My mother-in-law made all of the centerpieces but couldn't get them all their the weekend of the wedding. We were allowed to store them at the Schauer Center for over a week, which relied so much stress. I really cannot say enough good things, but I an guarantee you will not find a more classy venue for a better value that close to Milwaukee.
We are thrilled with our decision to have our December wedding at The Schauer Center. We loved it from the moment we toured it more than 18 months before our wedding, and we had a great experience with every aspect of planning our wedding there. Kathy the event manager was extremely helpful and quick to respond to all of my questions. The staff the day/night of the wedding was helpful and courteous to all of our guests. We received many compliments on the venue choice and guests truly enjoyed the art gallery & auto museum. Would recommend this wedding venue to any and all couples!
my husband and I held our reception at the Schauer Center and it turned out absolutely amazing. Kathy is wonderful to work with, she keeps in constant contact with you and has great communication both before your event as well as through the night. She ensured the night ran smoothly and was always very gracious. She knew exactly what our vision for the night was and helped us see it through until the end.
I highly recommend the Schauer Center for an event! Thank you Kathy!
~ Jaimie and Chad
The Schauer Arts and Activities Center is truly a unique venue. This is not the typical banquet hall. Orange and green walls (no worries, they are subdued colors), a grand wooden staircase, exposed warehouse type ceilings, art gallery for your guests to mingle in, and if you’re willing to pay a little extra, a car museum for your guests to explore. The downside however is the bar selection and prices, as well as the extra 12% they tack on the catering bill.
I couldn't be happier with the Schauer Arts Center. It is a great, unique location. The staff is WONDERFUL and 100% helpful.
Kathy was so nice and helpful. The entire staff made our nite perfect. Professional, unique, and unforgetable are few words to express our gratitude.
I loved that my reception venue was unique. There are so many other people we know that are 'copying us' and using that same one because they saw how beautiful it is.
Contact
147 N. Rural Street, Hartford, WI | Washington, Dodge, Waukesha, Ozaukee
Schauer Arts Center
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