Milwaukee's outstanding residential landmark, the Frederick Pabst House, stands as a reminder of the grandeur of the Gilded Age. The house was one of over fifty mansions constructed between the years of 1870 and 1900 along the verdant boulevard once known as Grand Avenue, where Milwaukee's leading families lived in Victorian luxury and comfort.

The house is arguably one of the great works of architects George Bowman Ferry and Alfred Charles Clas. Abandoning the showy ornamentation typical of Victoria-era homes, Ferry and Clas created a distinctively dignified and elegant residence in the decorative style that is referred to as either Flemish or German Renaissance Revival.

The symmetrically planned front elevation is ornamented with tan pressed brick. Also symmetrically designed, the dazzling interior boasts master ironwork and woodwork, stained glass windows and a variety of rich materials, including mahogany, ebony, birch, oak, marble, and onyx. The residence was wired for electricity, plumbed for nine bathrooms, and had a modern heating system with 16 thermostats; all systems were relatively recent innovations in the year of the home's construction. The property originally included a glass conservatory, a stable and a servants' residence.

Along with Blatz, Miller and Schlitz, the Pabst Brewing Company was a major Milwaukee brewery. As president of the Pabst Brewery, Frederick Pabst not only contributed to Milwaukee's reputation as the beer capital of the world, but also helped develop the growing city's economic, social and cultural life. His founding of the Pabst Theater was one of many of such efforts.

In 1908, following the death of Pabst and his wife, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee purchased the property for use as the residence of the Archbishop. It remained in use by the Archdiocese until 1975. In 1978, a preservation group now known as Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion, Inc. was able to buy the house, saving it from being replaced by a parking structure. This group did much to restore the building, inside and out. Today the building is in excellent condition, boasting original furnishings, ornate wall coverings and Pabst's collection of rare art.

The Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion is now a historic house museum, with tours available to the public.