The concert hall on the UW-Green Bay campus: what it books, the stages inside, official tickets, campus parking and dinner first.
Green Bay's big seated concert hall is not downtown at all. The Weidner Center for the Performing Arts sits on the UW-Green Bay campus at 2420 Nicolet Drive, about 4.7 miles east of downtown in a straight line, and it is where touring Broadway, ballet and orchestra nights land. Locals mostly call it the Weidner.
This page covers what the hall books, how its stages differ, how to buy tickets without paying a reseller, where to park on campus, and what to do about dinner. Pair a show with a day out around Green Bay, from Lambeau Field to the bay shore.
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What is on at the Weidner Center?
The calendar this fall shows the range: a touring ballet company with live orchestra, a holiday Nutcracker, and a singer-songwriter night. Check the time on each listing.
FOX 11 reported in July 2026 that the Broadway In Green Bay season brings Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Clue, The Book of Mormon and The Wiz. Gold Circle seats on those nights include a pre-show reception in Fort Howard Hall.
The Weidner is one of Green Bay's live music rooms, which range from the arena by Lambeau to the bars on Holmgren Way.
The halls inside the Weidner
Cofrin Family Hall is the main theatre, with 2,021 seats. The seats rise over three levels.
The building also holds Fort Howard Hall, which hosts pre-show receptions, the Jean Weidner Theatre and the Grand Foyer. The Weidner also programs The Weidner Downtown at the Tarlton Theatre, so check the venue line on your ticket before you set off for campus.
A short history of the Weidner
The Weidner opened in 1993 and is named for Dr. Edward W. Weidner, the founding chancellor of UW-Green Bay. Dr. David Cofrin made the gift that started it, on the condition that it be built on campus and serve the whole community, not only the university.
That condition still shapes the calendar: a student recital and a Broadway tour can share the same week. The campus around it covers about 700 acres along the bay shore, with the Cofrin Memorial Arboretum wrapped around it, which is worth a walk before an afternoon show.
Family, school and student shows
Beyond the touring titles, the Weidner's event menu runs several series of its own: UW-Green Bay on Stage for student productions and concerts, EveryBody Arts, Virtuosi Live, and the Weidner Philharmonic. Its Stage Doors education series brings school groups in for daytime performances.
Ballet, film-with-orchestra concerts and the season's touring holiday show all land between late November and mid-December. Book those early.
Show-night checklist for the Weidner
Arrive with time to park in the main lot, and if you are collecting tickets, the office opens 90 minutes before the show. Firearms and other weapons are not allowed in the building. Bring an ID if you want a listening set from the coat check. Drinks from the bar can go to your seat if they have a cover.
If the show is an afternoon one, the arboretum trails around campus cover about 290 acres and make a good walk first. Pack a layer for a winter show.
How do you buy Weidner Center tickets?
The Weidner Ticket Office calls itself the only official seller, through WeidnerCenter.com, in person or by phone at 920.465.2800, and it charges no service fees. It warns that tickets from other sellers may not be valid.
The office is in the building and opens Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 90 minutes before ticketed events (check before you go). If you are comparing prices online, start with the venue's own site and work outward.
Where do you park for the Weidner Center?
Ticket holders can use the Weidner main lot, pods A to D, from two hours before a show until two hours after it ends, under the university's parking rules. Hourly parking through the campus parking app is also available, and valet runs at select performances. The Weidner's parking page flags construction on campus, so read it the week of your show.
Every part of the building is wheelchair accessible, with an escort available from the main entrance on request. Free assistive listening sets are lent at the coat check with an ID, hearing loops work from any seat, and live audio description runs at select shows through the LiveVoice app.
Where to eat before a show at the Weidner
There is bar service in the building, and drinks with a cover are allowed in the theatre.
For a dressier dinner, Republic Chophouse downtown, about 4.6 miles west, serves steaks, seafood and wine with a cocktail lounge. It sits a block from the Northland hotel on Adams Street, so an out-of-town couple can eat, see the show and be back downtown for a nightcap.
The Weidner, the Meyer or the Resch?
Green Bay has three stages for touring shows, and the Weidner is the seated concert hall between the downtown Meyer Theatre, with 1,011 seats, and the arena, which seats up to 10,500.
Choose the Weidner for orchestra, ballet and Broadway, the Meyer for tribute bands and comedy in a 1930 movie palace, and the Resch Center when the act fills arenas.
Downtown evenings pair the river walk with dinner and drinks on both banks of the Fox.
Frequently asked questions
Published October 26, 2026
