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Working with Museums, Mansions & Historical Sites

If you’re looking for a unique, exciting event venue where you can offer your guests an extraordinary experience heightened by the cachet of a rich, cultural setting, consider a museum, mansion or historical site. Countess locations with a vast variety of thematic tie-in potential are available to event and meeting planners in a wide range of sizes and price points. Following are tips and guidelines for holding events at these very special locations.

 

Venues With Cultural Charisma

When you select a museum or historical site for your event, the venue itself automatically adds an attraction factor—another dimension that other types of settings just don’t have.

“Most people are used to seeing museums and cultural centers during the day with lots of people admiring exhibitions and programs,” says Denise Robinson, special events coordinator at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

“But at night guests get a unique opportunity to see all of the same things on a more intimate level. There is something thrilling about walking into a museum at night and seeing the transformation from daytime tourist attraction to evening event space.”

Attending an event at a museum can be an enlightening experience in other ways too, explains Robinson: “At the National Museum of the American Indian, event guests really enjoy the opportunity to visit exhibitions, speak with our Cultural Interpreters (docents), and get information they may not have on a daytime whirlwind visit to the Museum. It also creates very lively and interesting conversations over dinner.”

                                                                                                            

The Advantage of Built-in Décor

Ted Anderson, Director of Special Events at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C., adds: “For planners with lower budgets, these venues are perfect because of their built-in décor. Events with larger budgets, of course, can augment the museum experience with specialty lighting, unusual rental equipment, and themed menus to match the setting.”

He highly recommends that planners take full advantage of extras that the venue may have to offer, whether they are docents, tour guides, or even curators.

“Some of these features will be free, while others may come with a cost, but your guests will love the opportunity to experience the full effect of the setting,” he explains.

                                                                                                           

Special Venue Considerations

“Renting a Museum differs from renting a banquet hall,” says Ken Moss, Director of the Morris-Jumel Mansion in New York. First of all, the site is usually open to the public during specific hours and unless the venue has dedicated event space, off limits to the general public, your event has to accommodate the site’s schedule for normal hours of operation. Nonetheless, there may be certain days when the museum is closed, or closes early, and events can be held during those times, as well as after hours.

“Try to keep in mind that these venues are first and foremost museums and historic properties,” Anderson advises.

“All museums have policies that must be followed in producing special events—procedures designed to protect the venue’s collections or historic architecture and interiors.”

Damage control is a major priority, explains Pi Gardener, executive director of the Merchant’s House Museum in New York.

Therefore, renting the venue for an event entails special considerations, which translates into restrictions on the way the space can be used.

                                                                                                            

Getting Approval for the Event

Since it is generally the responsibility of the museum or historical site representatives to protect the public interest of the site, they often add a legal clause that they have the authority to stop a rental at any time in order to protect the building and its contents. To avoid that unfortunate prospect, know the rules and policy guidelines upfront and follow them closely.

“Choose your vendors with input from the museum or historic property, and be willing to be flexible when necessary,” Anderson suggests. Generally, strict approval procedures also apply before special events can take place on the premises.

                                                                                                            

Dealing With Restrictions

Since artwork, delicate furnishings, etc. must be protected from damage, most of these venues have very specific restrictions on using the space for special events, including some catering provisos. Sometimes you are not allowed to serve red wine, for instance, for fear of staining carpets. Often open flames in the form of candles or cooking equipment are forbidden. Smoking is usually banned. Dancing or loud music might not be allowed. Decorations may be restricted to table arrangements, with use of wall space and ceilings off-limits.

Vendors may have to be approved in advance or you may have to choose from an approved list or use vendors exclusive to the site. (It is common for museums to have contracts with caterers, for example, who provide food service at the in-house concessions and handle food and beverage for all of the events that take place on site.)

Sometimes guests will have to pass through security checkpoints before entering and check larger bags, etc. Tell guests in advance if they need to bring a photo ID or pass through security stations.

                                                                                                                

Fees for Renting the Venue

Some museums and historic properties rent out their space outright, while others require a tax-deductible contribution or even a corporate membership, Robinson explains. “With the latter, you not only look good for producing a great event, but your company or organization also provides much-needed support to culture, the arts, and the sciences,” she adds.

Fees for using a museum, mansion, or historic site as a special event venue vary considerably. Although some museums may require anyone hosting an event on the premises to purchase a membership, different tiers of membership may be available, each with different price points and levels of privileges.

Historic sites may require a donation in a specific or recommended amount. Usually, a mansion will charge a site rental fee.

 

Permits and Other Costs

Especially with historic properties, permits may be needed for special events. Personnel at the site generally know the ropes and can explain what needs to be done and how you go about it, but it never hurts to ask if the subject doesn’t come up.

Other costs depend on the choice of food and beverage, length and time of the event, whether additional security guards, door attendants, etc. need to be hired. Often, smaller, shorter, and simpler is less expensive.

Deposits are generally required in advance both to secure the space and to cover potential damage to the property and its contents.

 

Insurance

Usually, the renter of the space agrees to be financially responsible for any damage or loss of museum, site or mansion property.

Most likely you will have to show a certificate of insurance, often with a single limit of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence for bodily and property damage resulting from or during the event. Often the site will be listed as co-insured (sometimes the city or state too if the site is connected with a government agency). Usually the certificate is filed with the venue at least two weeks in advance.

 

The Right Fit

A clever thematic tie-in is one element to consider in choosing a venue, but many other factors enter the equation too. A good place to start your search is online.

“Nowadays the Internet is the best tool for finding a cultural event space,” Robinson suggests.

“Most cultural institutions have a section on their website dedicated to hosting special events. Usually you can find lots of information about the type of events they do, space capacities, etc.”

Veteran planners agree, however, that there is no substitute of an in-person site inspection.

Inspect a museum, mansion or historic site in much the same way you would any location, taking into consideration the size of the space and size of your group, location, image, accessibility, logistics, kitchen facilities if you are hiring a caterer, A/V needs, and costs.

When you are on location, try to imagine your event and how it might flow in the actual space. What will the traffic patterns be? Any bottlenecks? Look for entrances and exits, possible location of the various food and beverage stations, sign-in desks, kitchen, coat checks, etc.

Often on-site planners or coordinators will be able to offer good advice on what works well in the space.

Pay particular attention to rest room facilities here, making sure there are enough to accommodate the number of people in your group and they are readily accessible (not, for instance, at the opposite end of a large museum on a separate floor.)

 

Image and Accessibility

In addition to meeting your event size requirement does the venue correspond to the image you want to project? What is the neighborhood like? Is the site clean? Is the site easy to get to and from? Are you arranging for transportation? How will guests be arriving? Are there parking facilities nearby? Public transportation? Is transportation from the area accessible when guests are ready to leave? Are there elevators? Wheelchair access?

 

Event Coordination Details

Museums, historical sites, and mansions that regularly host special events generally have coordinators available to help with the event details. Usually, the fees and restrictions are clearly specified and often posted in detail on websites and available as written handouts. Be sure to examine all contracts carefully, however, and note what can and cannot be done at the site from the get-go. Go over your event plans with the site representative in detail (from timing, vendor and guest access, entrances and exits, loading and break down, to parking, food and beverage, etc.)  well in advance, to make sure everything is in order. Also, double check that all necessary permits and insurance certificates have been properly filed by the required deadlines and they are valid for your dates.