Museum Wedding Sites In Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota

There are several museums in Minnesota which can serve as non-traditional wedding sites that can host both wedding ceremonies and wedding receptions. They are all large, well-run, and have very friendly staffs.

These museum wedding sites reviewed are as follows:

Minneapolis museums Mill City Museum Downtown Minneapolis Weisman Museum West Bank of the University of Minnesota McNamara Center West Bank of the University of Minnesota Not actually a museum, but it's so unusual that I've placed it here.	St Paul Museums Minnesota History Center Downtown St Paul

A new Minnesota wedding reception site that is also appropriate for wedding ceremonies is the Mill City Museum in downtown Minneapolis, which is at 704 South 2nd Street, right by the new Guthrie Theater.

D'Amico caters the events and handles all the booking for weddings. The person to call to rent the museum for a wedding ceremony and reception is Patrick Fitzgerald at 612-238-4012 and his email is pfitzgerald@damico.com Patrick is a great guy - very friendly, knowledgeable, and easy to work with.

This wedding reception site is definitely unconventional, but for some couples, that's perfect. In the winter, the Mill City Museum hosts weddings in their big main entrance hall, which has gorgeous columns and high ceilings. Most weddings, though, are held outside in their Charles H. Bell Ruin Courtyard (pictured to the right), which holds 130 guests for a wedding reception.

If you know where the Metrodome is, the Mill City Museum a few blocks from there, or if you're familiar with the Guthrie Theare, it's right next door. Since the Museum is right downtown, many couples book hotel rooms down there and Guests can do so, too, thus extending the wedding event into a whole weekend. The closest hotel is the Holiday Inn Metrodome, which is right up Washington Ave, across 35W. Here is a customized map which shows the location of the musuem and the nearby hotel.

The Weisman Museum has become famous for it's unique stainless steel, irregular exterior and the entire building can be rented for wedding ceremonies and receptions. The inside space is much more traditional than the exterior, with white walls, blonde wood floor, and lots of natural light. The interior spaces were declared by Herbert Muschamp of the New York Times to be "five of the most gorgeous galleries on earth".

Most weddings at the Weisman Museum in Minneapolis are held in one of the smaller rooms with the permanent art collection, and then the wedding reception is held in the big room, called the "Dolly Fiterman Riverview Gallery". This large Riverview Gallery has gorgeous river views and breathtaking lighting from its skylights. Here is a 360 degree view from the walk-bridge right outside the museum. Weddings and receptions are held on the third floor of this four-story building, which is where all the art galleries are. The dressing rooms are on other floors, connected by an elevator. A dance floor or stage for the DJ or band may be set up in one of the smaller galleries.

Your wedding may be very traditional even though it is held in such a non-traditional space. Some couples will add a video montage right before the wedding begins, using the available video projection system. The video montage may be photos of the bride and groom during different stages of their lives, from childhood until their wedding day. Here's an article about a couple who had their wedding and reception at the Weisman, which talks about their unique choices. You can choose from many of the approved caterers, and you may have alcohol at the wedding reception, with some restrictions since it is a working art gallery: red wine and kegs of beer are not permitted, and the bar must be an open bar, not a cash bar. Some couples choose just to have their wedding reception at the Weisman Museum, with the wedding reception at another location, and this option is available, too.

The rental fee is about $3400
$1000 is for the Patron-level membership, $1750 is for the rental fee for the museum rooms, $135 for insurance when alcohol is served (insurance is available through the University), and $400 for the manager, guard, and janitor.
Available for small weddings of 10-12, all the way up to 240 guests
The event coordinator for the Weisman Museum is Paula Kittelson, who is very friendly, charming, and knowledgeable
612-625-9683
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