The literature on cultural participation often emphasizes the importance of socialization in the arts during childhood in the construction of the aesthetic tastes and practices of adults. However, quantitative research on the topic remains scarce. In this paper I explore this question by focusing on the gender gap in highbrow cultural participation: in most Western countries, women participate significantly more than men in highbrow cultural activities. A quantitative analysis of recent American data (Survey of Public Participation in the Arts 2008) reveals that early socialization in the arts plays a central role in explaining the gender gap in highbrow cultural participation. A disaggregated analysis by age group additionally shows that early socialization in the arts plays a particularly significant role among the youngest respondents.