The Milwaukee Youth Arts Center (MYAC) opened in January 2005. The first of its kind, it is a collaborative initiative of First Stage Children's Theater and Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra.MYAC is located just north of downtown Milwaukee, adjacent to the Schlitz Park business park, in a facility that began life as the Schlitz garage. This 88,000 sq. ft. building later served several companies as a distribution center and warehouse. After a highly successful $12 million capital campaign which attracted considerable support from donors and volunteers, several thousand students pass through the doors of the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center each week.

MYSO and First Stage have been acknowledged widely for their artistic quality and their service to the community. As they grew organizationally, it became apparent that more space was needed for rehearsals and administrative functions in order to achieve their missions and goals. For many years, both organizations had been resident companies at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, a facility in which both organizations continue to perform and which remains the home of many of the area’s largest performing arts groups.In 2002, the two organizations formed a new nonprofit corporation to own and operate the yet-to-be-built Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. A joint selection committee studied more than 40 sites before settling on the current property, preferred not only for its location in one of Milwaukee’s most quickly developing areas, but also for the ample footprint, the high roof lines and the open interior, free of columns.

The main level of MYAC provides more than 55,000 sq. ft. of program space. Five spacious rehearsal halls are well-designed and feature high ceilings and excellent acoustical properties.The largest rehearsal space is the 3,800 sq. ft. Youth Arts Hall. Though it is not designed to be a performance hall, it offers excellent amenities for smaller performances---full theatrical lighting and sound, excellent acoustics, a control booth, dressing rooms, modular stage and a mezzanine which can be used by rehearsal observers or audience members. Both MYSO and FSCT will, however, continue to present their major performances at the Marcus Center and, in the case of MYSO, the numerous other concert venues used around the community. Additional spaces include nine classrooms, two small practice room/studio spaces, MYSO and FSCT offices, costume shop and storage, music library and instrument storage. All program spaces feature state of the art soundproofing and acoustic paneling. The Commons is a 3,200 sq. ft. social/relaxation space in the center of the building, where parents and students can mingle, study and “hang out.”