TREADING LIGHTLY. The historic Mabel Tainter in Menomonie is undergoing needed repairs to its staircase, which comes with a $300,000 price tag. (Photos via Mabel Tainter's website)

After enduring 134 years of Wisconsin weather, the grand double staircase leading to the front entrance of Menomonie’s historic Mabel Tainter theater is showing its age. Over the next five months, the Building Restoration Corporation of Roseville, Minnesota, will repair the staircase to its original glory.

Made from Indiana limestone and supported by locally sourced Dunnville sandstone, the treads and landing stones of the staircase have eroded and sloped backwards. That tilt causes rain and snow to pool at the backs of the stair treads and landings and be absorbed into the building. The accumulation of water is causing the sandstone to crumble into the building’s downstairs bathrooms, making them unsafe for use.

Erosion pictured on outside staircase.

The theater’s inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 means that, whenever feasible, components must be repaired rather than replaced. The repairs include dismantling and rebuilding some of the staircase’s supporting sidewalls, and the overall project includes restoration of the downstairs bathrooms.

The projected costs of the repairs are just under $300,000, and the theater plans to thank financial supporters of the restoration with a listing on a plaque at the front of the building. The repairs are scheduled to begin in April and finish in August in time for the start of the 2024-25 season.

“As we embark on our 134th season, patrons will be greeted with an entrance that will be just as it was on the theater’s opening day, July 3, 1890,” said Lucas Chase, executive director of the Mabel Tainter Theater. “The Tainter family understood the impact that The Mabel would have on our community, and it is our responsibility to continue to preserve this magnificent structure.” 

View more about the fundraise on Mabel Tainter’s website.