If you want your wedding to be as memorable as it is beautiful, hosting it in a museum offers a stunning setting, unique atmosphere, and often a built-in conversation piece for your guests. From presidential libraries to art museums with ocean views, we’ve rounded up some standout museum wedding venues in the U.S. and what it costs to tie the knot there.
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Yorba Linda, CA – Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum
The Nixon Library blends stately grandeur with lush gardens, offering two main ceremony and reception spaces: the elegant replica of the White House East Room and the tranquil First Lady’s Rose Garden. The East Room’s chandeliers, Italian silk draperies, and marble fireplaces create a regal reception backdrop, while the garden offers an outdoor option surrounded by roses.
Venue Rental Fee: Prices vary by month and day. In peak months like March, September, and October, Saturday evenings cost $13,500; Fridays and Sundays in January or February start at $6,000. An administrative fee of $750 applies.
Catering Fees: Exclusively through White House Catering (pricing varies; bar packages available through caterer).
Windsor Locks, CT – New England Air Museum
If you want your big day among aviation history, this museum offers soaring hangars filled with aircraft as your reception backdrop. The rental includes full private access to the museum, day-of coordination, new tables and chairs, and even docents to guide guests through exhibits or let them explore aircraft cockpits and flight simulators.
Venue Rental Fee: Starts at $8,500 for a five-hour rental (plus two hours of setup and one hour of breakdown).
Catering Fees: Packages range from $55 per person for the “Joy” Collection to $90+ per person for the “Happiness” Collection, plus bar packages ranging from $26 per person for beer-and-wine to $38 per person for a full open bar.
Atlanta, GA – Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Famous for its towering dinosaur exhibits and 86-foot glass ceiling in the Great Hall, Fernbank offers a dramatic, light-filled space for ceremonies and receptions. Indoor options include the romantic Star Gallery with a twinkling fiber-optic ceiling.
Venue Rental Fee: Great Hall rentals start at $5,500 (Sunday–Friday) and $6,000 (Saturday). Ceremony-and-reception packages range from $7,000–$8,000 depending on space and day.
Catering Fees: Provided by approved caterers; bar packages available through caterers.
Chicago, IL – The Field Museum
One of Chicago’s most iconic venues, the Field Museum lets guests explore exhibits while dining among massive fossil displays. Stanley Field Hall, with its grand architecture and balcony views, is the premier option.
Venue Rental Fee: Stanley Field Hall – $22,000 (Saturday) or $17,000 (Friday/Sunday). East Atrium & Pavilion – $14,000 (Saturday) or $11,000 (Friday/Sunday). Outdoor terraces can be added at an additional cost.
Catering Fees: Provided by exclusive caterers (pricing varies; bar packages available).
Ogunquit, ME – Ogunquit Museum of American Art
Perched on Maine’s rocky coastline, OMAA offers sweeping ocean views and exclusive access to sculpture gardens, art galleries, and the Narrow Cove Lawn.
Venue Rental Fee: Entire museum (indoor & outdoor) – $25,000. Indoor-only or outdoor-only ceremony/reception – $9,000. Additional fees include a $700 security/overhead fee and a $1,000 refundable damage deposit.
Catering Fees: Outside catering allowed (rental includes basic tables/chairs; bar service can be arranged separately).
Boston, MA – Museum of Science
This riverfront museum offers skyline views and the chance to celebrate among interactive exhibits. The Blue Wing can host up to 400 guests for cocktails or 250 for a seated dinner, while the 6th-floor Skyline Room offers panoramic city views.
Venue Rental Fee: Highlights include the Blue Wing at $10,500 for the first 150 guests, the Skyline Room at $5,000 for the first 100 guests, and the Washburn Pavilion & Tent starting at $8,500–$11,000 depending on the day. Additional ceremony spaces and combination rentals are available — see the full pricing PDF for all options.
Catering Fees: Exclusively through MAX Ultimate Food (pricing varies; bar packages available).
St. Louis, MO – Saint Louis Art Museum
SLAM offers elegant event spaces like Sculpture Hall for receptions and Grigg Gallery for dancing.
Venue Rental Fee: $3,000 for a classic reception or $5,000 for a modern reception layout (4-hour rental; $850 per additional hour).
Catering Fees: Packages start at $135 per person (Silver) and go up to $165 per person (Platinum), plus a 24% service charge and tax; bar packages available.
New York, NY – Guggenheim Museum
If you’ve ever dreamed of celebrating your wedding inside an architectural icon, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum offers one of the most recognizable backdrops in the world. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, its sweeping spiral rotunda can host up to 1,000 guests for a reception or 280 for a seated dinner, with supplemental spaces like Café Rebay and the Wright Restaurant available for more intimate gatherings.
Venue Rental Fee: Starts at $5,000 for the Wright Restaurant; up to $55,000 for full rotunda and ramp access for an eight-hour event (additional hourly fees apply for overages).
Catering Fees: Provided by approved caterers; bar packages available through caterers.
New York, NY – The Metropolitan Museum of Art
While The Met does not permit on-site wedding ceremonies, it does host after-hours receptions and dinners in dramatic spaces such as the Great Hall, Temple of Dendur, and Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court.
Venue Rental Fee: Standard Wedding package starts at a $500,000 contribution fee plus $250,000 operational fee. Custom Wedding package starts at a $1,000,000 contribution fee plus $500,000 operational fee.
Catering Fees: Beverage service starts at $115 per person; catering provided by approved vendors with bar packages available.
New York, NY – American Museum of Natural History
From dining beneath a 94-foot blue whale in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life to mingling among dinosaur skeletons, AMNH offers an unforgettable wedding backdrop. The museum hosts receptions of up to five hours (typically 7 pm–12 am) with morning and afternoon load-in windows. Note that ceremonies are not hosted on-site, and couples must work with an approved professional wedding planner. With all the costs, the museum estimates ~$250,000 for 200 guests and $325,000 for 300 guests.
Venue Rental Fee: $115,000 for up to 200 guests; $125,000 for up to 400 guests (final pricing depends on setup), plus a required $25,000 Patron Membership (tax-deductible).
Catering Fees: Catering by CxRA starting at $425 per person; full open bar at $110 per person (+8.875% sales tax).
Cleveland, OH – Cleveland Museum of Art
The centerpiece Ames Family Atrium is a soaring glass-enclosed space perfect for large weddings, accommodating up to 900 seated guests.
Venue Rental Fee: $10,000 (groups under 500) or $15,000 (groups over 500). Smaller spaces: Banquet Room – $3,500; Private Dining Room – $2,000. Food & beverage minimums required.
Catering Fees: Provided by museum’s culinary team (pricing varies; bar packages available).
Philadelphia, PA – Philadelphia Museum of Art
One of the country’s most iconic museums offers a grand setting for weddings, complete with world-class art and dramatic architecture. Packages include five hours of event time, full bar service, and gourmet catering.
Venue Rental Fee: $39,500 with ceremony on-site, $37,000 with ceremony off-site (plus sales tax).
Catering Fees: $320 per person for a seated dinner (5-hour event; tax and facility rental additional; gratuity not included) — includes bar service.
Columbia, SC – Columbia Museum of Art
With flexible spaces ranging from intimate galleries to the full museum, CMA offers indoor and outdoor combinations.
Venue Rental Fee: Saturday rates start at $1,200 for the Boardroom and go up to $8,500 for the entire museum plus Boyd Plaza. Combination space pricing available.
Catering Fees: Outside catering permitted; rentals include use of museum’s tables and chairs, with premium chairs available for an additional per-item fee.
Washington, DC – Smithsonian American Art Museum & National Portrait Gallery
Sharing a historic Greek Revival building in the heart of downtown DC, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery offer elegant event spaces surrounded by world-class art. The crown jewel is the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, with its soaring glass canopy and flexible layout for both ceremonies and receptions.
Venue: $50,000 for 1–200 guests, $60,000 for 201–400 guests, $70,000 for 401–600 guests, and $80,000 for 601–800 guests. Events typically run three hours starting at 7:00 pm, with the option to extend to 11:00 pm (or start at 6:00 pm) for $10,000 per additional hour.
Catering: Catering and bar service are available exclusively through approved vendors.
Washington, DC – Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden
Known for its bold architecture and cutting-edge contemporary art, the Hirshhorn offers a strikingly modern backdrop for weddings. The Lerner Room, with floor-to-ceiling windows and rotating exhibits, accommodates up to 125 guests and provides a distinctive, art-forward setting.
Venue Rental Fee: $25,000 for space rental, plus $2,500–$5,000 for additional museum costs like security and staffing.
Catering Fees: Provided by preferred or approved outside caterers; bar packages available through caterers.
If you’re considering a museum wedding, you’re not just booking a venue — you’re buying into a piece of culture, architecture, and history. And while that price tag doesn’t come cheap (and for some places, it’s extremely expensive!), if you’ve got the budget, it could be your dream venue. For the full pricing PDFs (and 2,600 others across the country) sign in to TulleTogether.com.
Photo Credit: Pexels
