Venue Reviews - Minnesota Weddings in Museums

There are several museums in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, area that can host both wedding ceremonies and wedding receptions. They are all large, well-run, and have very friendly staffs.

The Minnesota museum wedding sites reviewed are as follows:

Minneapolis Museums: McNamara Alumni Center  On the West Bank of the University of Minnesota (Not actually a museum, but it's so unusual that I've placed it here.) Walker Art Center Between downtown and uptown Minneapolis Mill City Museum In downtown Minneapolis Weisman Art Museum   In Minneapolis, on the West Bank of the University of Minnesota (closed October 2010 until October 2011) St. Paul Museum: Minnesota History Center In downtown St. Paul, close to the Cathedral

McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis

200 Oak St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, 612-238-4012. Not a museum, but so unusual that it's tough to know what category to put it in!

This overhead view, shot from the new Gopher Stadium across the street, shows the McNamara Alumni Center in its entirety. You can see the caramel-colored angular structure on the left (the main auditorium), the chocolate-brown 6-story building in the middle, and the nougat/chocolate-chips of the attached parking garage on the far right.

I have performed many wedding ceremonies at the McNamara Alumni Center at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and it's a great site for wedding receptions, too. (It's often misspelled as the MacNamara Center.)  You don't have to be an alumnus of the U of M to rent this distinctive site for weddings. It is one of the most unusual, non-traditional wedding sites in Minnesota, but it really works well since it's specially built for events. 

The McNamara Center has been declared a masterpiece of modern architecture. It's beautiful inside, with wood and bronze everywhere and four-story-high ceilings. Inspired by the Minnesota landscape, this architecturally-stunning event facility on the University of Minnesota campus has been the backdrop for national advertisements and an MTV music video, as well as numerous galas and wedding receptions. Memorial Hall auditorium soars 85 feet tall and is lined with 6 miles of wood, 75,000 square feet of copper and a 150 foot long water feature. The adjacent Johnson Great Room and nearby University Hall have funky, dramatic interiors as well that make this venue an architectural gem. 

Not only is there plenty of space, but they have dressing rooms and a dance floor, and it's in a prime location - right in the heart of the University area, within walking distance of the Dinkytown neighborhood. Here is a customized map to find this gorgeous and unusual wedding reception site in Minnesota.

You can check the McNamara Center's booking calendar online for availability, which is very handy. Only one other wedding ceremony site in Minnesota allows you to see the booking schedule online (Lake Harriet Spiritual Community church in Minneapolis). The McNamara Center also has a 360-degree view of their interior on their website.

Little-known fact: There is a tunnel between the nearby Radisson University Hotel and the McNamara Center. This set-up is perfect for wedding guests who don't live in Minneapolis or St. Paul, or who simply don't want to drive home after the wedding reception. Having one main hotel right by the wedding site can be great because then all the guests get to visit each other all weekend, instead of being isolated at different hotels. Plus, you can get special rates if you promise to book a certain number of rooms. You can also get a special parking rate for your guests to park at the McNamara Center, even if they don't stay at the hotel.

Johnson Great Room plus Memorial Hall capacity and fee: 350 guests, $3,500 rental fee
Memorial Hall auditorium capacity and fee: 250 guests, $2,200 rental fee
University Hall capacity and fee: 120 guests, $2,000 rental fee
Food and beverage minimum for a Saturday: $7,500
Phone Number: 612-624-9831.  They have several wedding coordinators, and you'll be assigned one depending on which date you choose.
 
 

Walker Art Center in Minneapolis

1750 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403, (612) 375-7553.

Wedding ceremonies can be held on the multi-level rooftop terraces of the world- famous Walker Art Center, halfway between uptown and downtown Minneapolis. Tenting can be set up (as seen on the pictures to the left), and the ceremony can be among all the rooftop art, like Sol Lewitt's 3x4x3 (top right) or Claes Oldenberg's Geometric Mouse (to the right).

Wedding ceremonies at the Walker Art Center can also be held in the Skyline Room, pictured above left, where the amazing view, the snowflake-like "crunchiness," and the star-like lights of the ceiling are the art. Here it's set up for a wedding reception, but ceremonies (with multi-media options) are often held here with box hedges, red or white entrance carpeting, and goboed (templated) lights. The jagged shapes of the windows, designed by Herzon & de Meuron (designers of the Tate Modern in London), are reminiscent of the spaces inside a snowflake.

If you really love museums and want to make your wedding a piece of art, the Walker Art Center will work with you to make every element of your special day artistic and memorable. The ceremony will be held around (or in!) works of art, the food will be artistic...and your photographer will love you for the amazing photo opportunities. Note that you can take pictures in the adjacent Minneapolis Sculpture Garden (reviewed here), although if you want to rent it that's completely separate (done through the Minneapolis Parks Department).

Eighty percent of weddings at the Walker Art Center are progressive events, starting with the ceremony at one spot (such as the rooftop terrace, Gallery 8, or the Skyline Room), flowing to the social hour, and then on to the reception. During transitions, guests can be led on private tours of the gallery by the Walker's highly educated docents (optional).

All of the wedding ceremony spaces in the Walker Art Museum can hold between 20 and 200 guests, and the museum charges $2,200 to rent the site. That fee includes ceremony chairs in white, wood, or black; a sound system and microphone; the rehearsal; and the bride's changing room. There is a food and beverage minimum that varies (anywhere from $1,000 to $15,000 - Saturdays are on the high end, of course). You must use their caterer, which is the amazing Wolfgang Puck's 20.21 Restaurant. A special feature: Dinners are served a la minute ("to the minute"), which means that for a table of eight guests, all eight are served with a flourish at the same time by four uniformed butlers (dressed in all black), so the food has been cooked right at the time of serving. It's an incredible way of ensuring that the food is fresh and served in an artistic way - brilliant! Note that all the catering chefs are the actual Wolfgang Puck 20.21 chefs - wow!  

Rehearsal dinner: Can be held in one of the Walker's private rooms, catered by the 20.21 chefs. Any kind of food is available (they can do anything).
Closest hotel: The Minneapolis Hyatt is just across Loring Park (a 15-minute walk or a 5-minute cab ride).
 
Capacity: 20 to 200 guests
Site Rental Fee: $2,200
Food and beverage minimum is $10,000
Phone Number: 612-375-7553
 
 
 

Mill City Museum in Minneapolis

704 South 2nd St., Minneapolis, MN 55401,  (612) 238-4012.

The Mill City Museum in downtown Minneapolis is definitely an unconventional wedding site, but for some couples that's perfect. The museum, a former flour mill, is located right next to the new Guthrie Theater and just a few blocks from the Metrodome. 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 above, on the middle right), which holds 220 guests for a wedding reception. D'Amico Catering handles all the booking for weddings and caters the events at the Mill City Museum.

Closest hotels:The Marriott Depot and the Residence Inn, (the two hotels are right next to each other), and the Aloft Hotel (very hip!) are all within a block or two of the museum.

Capacity: 220 guests
Site Rental Fee: $1,750 for Saturdays in the summer, plus $350 if the courtyard is used
Food and beverage minimum: $4,500-$7,000
Phone Number: 612-238-4012. Ask for Patrick Fitzgerald. His email is pfitzgerald@damico.com  - Patrick is a great guy, very friendly, knowledgeable, and easy to work with.

Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis

333 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, (612) 626-5241.
Note: Closed for renovations October 2010 - October 2011.

Note: Closed for renovations October 2010 - October 2011.
The Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, located on the University of Minnesota campus, has become famous for its unique and irregular stainless steel exterior. The inside space is much more traditional than the outside, with white walls, blonde wood flooring, 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 Art Museum 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. One nice thing about the Weisman is that it is good for small weddings (10 to 12 guests) as well as larger ones. Weddings and receptions are held on the third floor of this four-story building, where all the art galleries are located. The dressing rooms are on other floors, accessible by elevator. A dance floor or stage for the DJ or band may be set up in one of the smaller galleries.

Some couples show a video montage right before the wedding begins, using the available video-projection system. The video montage might 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 may choose to have a traditional wedding even though it is held in such a non-traditional space.

You can select any of the Weisman Art Museum's 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 ceremony at the Weisman Art Museum, with the wedding reception at another location.

Closest hotel: The U of M Radisson, about 3 blocks away.

Capacity: 10 to 180 guests
Site Rental Fee: About $3,300. Of that, $1,000 is for the Patron-level membership; $1,750 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.
Note: Closed for renovations October 2010 - October 2011. If you are interested in a wedding before October 2010, or afer October 2011, their phone number is 612-626-5241. (Ask for Chris Cunnington, the events coordinator.)

Minnesota History Center in St. Paul

345 West Kellogg Boulevard., Saint Paul, MN 55102, (651) 259-3030.

The Minnesota History Center is a unique site for weddings because it's both grand and fun. Most wedding ceremonies are held in the third-floor hall (shown in the top-right picture above). The State Capitol is framed by the huge windows and makes for an amazing view. Receptions are held downstairs in the huge, striking reception area, pictured on the bottom right. The staircase between the ceremony site and the reception location is gorgeous. The Minnesota History Center has been called the finest building constructed in Minnesota since the State Capitol was completed in 1905.  Parking is available in the adjoining parking lot.

The St. Paul Cathedral is about a block away, which many couples love as an amazing wedding photo location.

Great site for a rehearsal dinner: The elegant and historic W.A. Frost, which is about six blocks away.
Closest hotel: The 3-star Holiday Inn, which is two blocks away.

Capacity: 450 guests
Site Rental Fee: Here's a menu, although it doesn't list prices. The rental fee is $2,200 plus a food/beverage minimum, but they have switched to simply a food/beverage minimum, (which is $5,000 for a Friday/Sunday and $8,000 on a Saturday; standard for a top-tier venue like this).
Phone Number: 651-259-3030 (the special events office). Email: specialevents@mnhs.org