If you really want to create a unique, memorable wedding experience for you and your loved ones, marry at the Museum! A wedding day at the Museum is an incredibly exhilarating experience for art, history, science, or design lovers.
In this article, we share the best museum wedding venues around the U.S. to suit every interest and style and highlight some of their cutest elements. These venues are often ideal for weddings with higher guest counts.
The Boston Public Library offers one of the city’s most unique and historic event venues for newlyweds-to-be. Whether you’re hosting an intimate event for your closest loved ones or a magnificent gathering, they can offer a space to suit you. Couples can choose to exchange their vows outdoors in the stunning Courtyard. This remarkable space has an elegant water feature, set off by magnificent statuesque columns and lush greenery. Bates Hall offers an incredible backdrop for receptions, with vaulted ceilings and oak-paneled bookcases. Alternatively, couples can celebrate their vows in the Abbey room, which is resplendent with a mural cycle by renowned artist Edwin Austin Abbey.
The Boston Public Library understands how much work goes into planning your big day. A professional team of staff will take care of the setup and cleanup of your event and can offer a range of rental items.
PHOTO Afrik Armando, Jenny Moloney
Add dinosaurs and elephants to your guest list!
The Field Museum is a sophisticated wedding venue that sits beside Lake Michigan, giving celebrations of all sizes a dramatic backdrop. The Museum is available to host both ceremonies and receptions in its indoor and uncovered outdoor spaces.
The Field Museum can comfortably accommodate events with up to 1,000 guests, but intimate gatherings with 10 attendees are also welcomed. Host a ceremony on the terrace, where seats can be set up on the lawns. From here, make your way to the Rice Native Plant Gardens for a celebratory cocktail reception. Ceremonies can also be held indoors. Soaring ceilings, grand columns, and arches can surround couples and their guests. A sweeping staircase can act as the backdrop for the couple. Receptions can also be held in this indoor space, which can be transformed with flowers, decor, and atmospheric lighting.
Throughout the Museum, you’ll find unforgettable backdrops for your wedding photos. These range from panoramic views of the Chicago skyline to the Museum’s exhibits, like Máximo the Titanosaur. The venue is available to be used for standalone photography sessions, too.
On your special day, the universe should revolve around you! With breathtaking skyline views, the Adler Planetarium is a unique and memorable Chicago venue for your private event. Whether an event seated for 50 or a reception for 1,200, your guests will be dazzled by everything the Adler offers. This spot is a total showstopper and an architectural gem.
The Library’s landmark Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, is a quintessential New York City icon. Located in the heart of Manhattan, this magnificent Beaux-Arts building caters to intimate gatherings and lavish extravaganzas, lending a sense of grandeur and distinction to any occasion.
It houses some 15 million items, among them priceless medieval manuscripts, ancient Japanese scrolls, contemporary novels, poetry, baseball cards, dime novels, and comic books.
Hosting your event at the Library provides unique access to its most beautiful spaces while helping sustain one of the world’s premier non-profit institutions. In addition, all event fees support the Library’s indispensable collections, services, and programs.
PHOTO Allan Zepeda, Virginie Carolina
Exchange vows right by the world’s largest dinosaurs for a uniquely memorable wedding ceremony.
Fernbank Museum combines stately elegance and unique character with various settings ranging from intimate to grand. The glass ceiling, towering 86 feet above your guests, invites the outside world in. Limestone fossil floors and the twinkling Star Gallery add a touch of cultural elegance to your occasion.
The Museum has a rich history of its own. And with a number of large event spaces, the Museum can accommodate a wide range of wedding celebrations, from intimate gatherings of loved ones to gala events of up to 2,500 guests.
Consistently ranked one of the most beautiful libraries in the world, the George Peabody Library provides a truly breathtaking setting for weddings and celebrations of all kinds. Six tiers of stately cast-iron columns and ornate railings embellished with gold leaf encircle the Reading Room, creating an ambiance that is both enchanting and scholarly.
Filled with over 300,000 volumes of books, the Library creates a stunning backdrop for ceremonies and receptions and provides a timeless and storied setting for your memories.
Following your ceremony amidst the stacks, your guests will enjoy cocktails in the Exhibit Gallery surrounded by rare and storied items from the Library’s extensive collection.
PHOTO The Axtells, Richard and Tara, Alicia Wiley
Internationally acclaimed for its brilliant architecture and design, the Parrish is one of the most sought-after locations in the Hamptons for private parties and corporate events.
With its breathtaking setting and central location on the East End, the Museum has been host to international fashion designers, premiere automotive companies, major financial institutions, and discerning individuals who have chosen this extraordinary space as the setting for exclusive cocktail parties and elegant dinners for up to 300 guests.
8) Milwaukee Art Museum (Milwaukee, WI)
The Milwaukee Art Museum is a picturesque site. The unique architectural structure creates incredible textures inside and out. Large windows fill the Museum with luscious natural lighting.
Say “I do” under the “wings,” surrounded by stunning views of Lake Michigan. With its soaring white walls and marble floors, the Museum’s iconic Quadracci Pavilion can easily be transformed to fit your own unique style. Add personal touches and custom wedding décor; the possibilities are endless!
Ceremonies and receptions may be hosted any time between 6 p.m. and midnight after the Museum is closed to the public.
PLANNING Engaged Events / PHOTO Charla Storey / FLORAL Maxine Owens
The Museum of the City of New York is the dream location for your wedding. The Museum’s elegant landmark building is filled with beautiful event spaces and terraces facing Central Park.
Entering the Museum from Fifth Avenue, guests step into the beautiful Rotunda, the highlight of our grand Georgian-style mansion. A floating marble staircase leads to the elegant second-floor Marble Court, noted for its floor-to-ceiling French doors, overlooking Central Park’s Conservatory Garden. Dance the night away under the stunning contemporary light sculpture, Starlight, which frames the Museum’s Rotunda. The Museum’s distinguished, wood-paneled boardroom is a wedding suite available for your use throughout the day and evening.
Brooklyn Museum strives to create inspiring encounters with art that expand how we see ourselves, the world, and its possibilities. This unique wedding venue is suitable for a large guest list and provides an inspirational backdrop to luxurious events in New York.
Beaux-Arts Court magnificent space measures two stories high to culminate in a dramatic skylight. It boasts historic features such as original archways, a large brass chandelier, and an updated glass-tile floor originally completed in 1927. While rich in history, the Beaux-Arts Court offers modern-day amenities, including air-conditioning, a contemporary lighting system, and a recently completed bridal suite. Its capacity is 880 for a seated ceremony.
PHOTO Grace Torres Photo, The Day Collective
This architectural marvel was designed and built by the country’s top craftsmen and decored of rare marble, polished brass, fine hardwoods, mother-of-pearl, and colored mosaics.
The Chicago Cultural Center offers a variety of options for weddings, both big and small – from the rehearsal dinner to the ceremony and reception. In addition, it is home to two magnificent stained-glass domes, one of which is the world’s largest Tiffany dome. There are also many unique event spaces, including galleries, halls, and a theater. Close to hotels, shopping, and transportation and across the street from Millennium Park, The Chicago Cultural Center is convenient for those traveling near and far.
PHOTO Tim Tabailloux, Christina G, Ashley Biess, Mandelette
Make your big day a unique Nashville experience by hosting your rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception in one of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s event spaces. This iconic venue is inside an architectural gem located in the heart of downtown and surrounded by history.
The Museum boasts a “one-stop shop” with a skilled in-house events team ready to produce an affair to remember, including live music, custom lighting, and tenting—or wedding invitations, announcements, and commemorative gifts created at their own Hatch Show Print, Nashville’s historic letterpress print shop. What’s more, the Museum’s culinary team will craft a Southern-inspired menu to give your guests something delicious for your special day. So your wedding here will be like no other, touching people with heart and Southern hospitality.
Planning your dream wedding here will provide you with the authentic Palm Beach experience and sophisticated service in an inspiring venue.
The Norton Museum of Art’s contemporary spaces, lush landscapes and garden, and distinguished art collections create an exceptional location and ambiance for your big day. The lush sub-tropical garden thrives on the south and east sides of the Museum, with outdoor sculptures on view by famous artists.
You will be offered excellent in-house bar and catering services, but you are also permitted to select your own outside vendors. The venue can provide specific event items, such as furniture, chairs, tables, lighting, barware, flatware, glassware, china, and linens.
PHOTO Erica Sade, Corbin Gurkin, Jessica Bordner, Controluce
Located on the shore of the Lafayette River, the Hermitage Museum & Gardens is the ideal location for your outdoor wedding and reception. The elegance of the gardens and beauty of the waterfront views create an enchanting backdrop and intimate ambiance for your special day.
You can exchange your vows under beautiful trees or maybe you will prefer the Grotto as the setting for your ceremony – a charming fountain featuring a cherubic figure. If your ceremony is to be small, the gorgeous setting of the Rose Garden is perfect for your marriage vows.
From engagement parties to wedding ceremonies and receptions, the Speed offers uniquely stunning spaces to celebrate in a large or an intimate way. The museum’s experienced event staff raises the bar for personal service and attention to detail, helping you realize the event of your dreams.
The museum’s spaces range from the elegantly traditional to the strikingly modern. With an open design and surrounding reflecting pool, the new Atrium is well suited to ceremonies and pre-dinner cocktails, while the newly built Grand Hall features state-of-the-art acoustics that make it ideal for wedding receptions and that first dance as a married couple.
The Speed also offers a variety of inviting outdoor spaces, including their new Art Park, the Grand Lawn in front of the original 1927 building and the intimate South Courtyard with built-in tiered seating.
No matter which space you choose for your special day, their well-appointed Green Room will allow you to get ready on-site and enjoy a few private moments with your wedding party before saying “I do.”
16) Toledo Museum of Art (Toledo, OH)
TMA galleries full of Baroque and Modernism paintings add style and drama to your wedding. TMA’s marble columned neoclassical main building, curved and transparent Glass Pavilion, exterior gardens and terraces, and gorgeous galleries make for a unique and striking setting for any occasion of any size.
You can schedule your ceremony, your reception, or both at the Main Museum and the Glass Pavilion. Rehearsal dinners can also be scheduled. Ceremonies for up to 200 guests can be held outside depending on time of day and season, and would be moved to the Peristyle Lobby in the event of rain.
At every step of planning process, the museum staff will help you create a first-class and affordable event. Catering and bar services are provided exclusively by TMA. We also have a list of approved florists. You may choose your own DJ/band, photographer, and other providers.
PHOTO Alexa Johnston
17) Seattle Art Museum (Seattle, WA)
When you host your wedding celebration at this museum in downtown the city, you offer your guests an encounter with the unexpected: from a soaring urban contemporary space, to breathtaking views of Seattle’s waterfront, or an Art Deco jewel in lush surroundings. Have a look at John Grade’s large-scale tree sculpture that lengths of the entire space. Looks impressive!
The museum has reasonably priced packages that encourage guests to do so, to hold both their ceremony and reception at the museum. It allows you to save your spendings.
PHOTO Alexa Johnston
