What’s old is new again—just ask sisters Carey Sharpe and Jenna Golem, who lovingly restored a 90-plus-year-old building in Oshkosh for use as a multiuse event space, concert hall, café and bowling alley, opening this fall. Named after the duo’s late grandfather, The Howard is over 30,000 square feet and full of period-perfect details, like decorative carved moldings on the walls, sparkling chandeliers and a clean black and white aesthetic.
“We opened The Howard … as a tribute to our hometown that we love so much,” says Golem. “It was originally opened 1927 as a male-only Eagles club that fell into disrepair within the last few years. We loved the idea of two sisters reviving a place that was originally built for men-only and restoring it into something that everyone in Oshkosh can enjoy.”
The building had already been legendary in its day, hosting headliners such as Johnny Cash and Fleetwood Mac when they came through on tour over the course of the last century. Now the sisters are packing its inaugural 2018-2019 season with Grammy award winners like Shawn Colvin and Marc Cohn, murder mystery dinner theatre events, live bands of all genres and comedy shows. Plus, hit up their café for fresh eats, the bar for a cocktail or even the bowling alley for a few games. Check out thehowardoshkosh.com for details.
Photography provided by Ganther Archives and Alex Belville
This article originally appeared in the 2018 fall/winter issue of Experience Wisconsin magazine. The contents of this article were checked for accuracy when it was published; however, it’s possible some of the information has changed. We recommend you call first if you have specific questions for the destinations, attractions or restaurants mentioned in this article.
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