21c Museum Hotel is a full-service hotel wedding venue in Durham, North Carolina. The property has many different spaces across its 10,500 square feet and features a luxury hotel as well as a contemporary art museum full of exhibits and event spaces. Recently, the hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With a convenient location in Durham, you and your guests won’t have to go far to find plenty of local activities and dining options.
Facilities and Capacity The foyer of the 21c Museum Hotel has green marble and silver leaf ceilings that have been preserved by the design team. They also were able to maintain the terrazzo floors throughout the facility. The main gallery can seat up to 170 guests and can host a standing reception for 250 people. There are also several private galleries that are wonderful options for more intimate weddings of up to 100. The on-site restaurant, Counting House, also has a private dining room and a one-of-a-kind underground vault that can be used. For additional convenience, shuttle and valet services as well as wheelchair accessibility are all available at the 21c Museum Hotel. The hotel has a complimentary Mercedes-Benz sprinter van service that is free within a five-mile radius.
Services Offered Couples who book their wedding at 21c will be encouraged to think green while planning their wedding with the event planner. They’ll also gain access to set up and clean up services, tables, and chairs. Get-ready rooms are available for both sides of the wedding party to use before the big day. If you want to have all of your wedding events in one place, you can host your engagement party, bridal shower, and rehearsal dinner at 21c Museum Hotel in addition to your ceremony and reception. The museum shop is able to arrange welcome gifts for your guests and wedding party if desired.
Cuisine The Counting House provides catering for events at the hotel. Menus are created by the executive chef and celebrate the rich heritage of North Carolina’s fresh seafood. You can have a tasting prior to officially choosing your wedding foods. Your choices of meal styles include a buffet, family-style meals, stations, or plated entrees, with optional desserts. The catering team can also accommodate a cocktail reception with hors d'oeuvres. Barware, china, flatware, glassware, and linens will also be provided on your big day. Bartenders at 21c Museum Hotel can serve the following beverages at an open or cash bar:
Champagne toast
House beer, wine, and liquor
Premium liquor
Signature drinks
Specialty beer and wine
Accommodations The 125 guest rooms feature high ceilings, large windows, and customized furniture. The rooms have free WiFi, HD televisions, coffee machines, and fully stocked mini bars. You and your guests will feel completely refreshed after using the Malin + Goetz bath amenities and luxury bedding. 21c Museum Hotel also offers several other amenities, including:
Our wedding at the 21C Durham was beyond everything we had hoped and planned for! The staff was professional, accommodating, and helpful at every turn. There were so many venues in the area with hidden costs and piles of rentals necessary and we were blown away by the straight forward and easy process with the 21C. Many of our guests were out of town and the ease of the venue was perfect - guest room block was managed incredibly, ceremony in the main gallery, cocktail hour in the curated museum, and back to the main gallery for dinner and dancing. They managed a bridal breakfast, special touches for my husband and I throughout the day, and courteous and professional staff at every corner of our event! Not the mention the incredible food from The Counting House. My husband and I visited in the summer for a birthday dinner where they recognized us as booking an event, we spoke to the chef, and he remembered not only meeting us when our tasting time came - but he recalled my food allergies as well. Top notch service! Thank you to the 21C for making our wedding so memorable!
Sent on 04/26/2018
Claire
· Married on 10/28/2017
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
This venue is EVERYTHING! I held my wedding there and I got so many compliments on it. The reception hall was breath taking and required very little decorating. The art gallery where we held cocktail hour was held made it easy for guests to mingle and talk about the art. Everyone thought the bathrooms were a hoot. My pictures are going to forever reflect our relations unique style because our backdrop of the venue was amazing. The food was unreal good and we got the cheapest buffet option available. They even made up a special dish just for the wedding. We rented the penthouse suite as the bridal suite and it was perfectly sized to get 9 bridesmaids and me in makeup and hair done. I really can’t enough about how much we enjoyed our wedding here!!
Sent on 12/08/2017
21c Museum Hotel's reply:
Claire,
Your wedding was EVERYTHING! Thanks so much for the awesome review. It was such a pleasure hosting your celebration and we're still swooning over the photos.
Cheers!
21c Durham
Cecily
· Married on 02/18/2017
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
I NEVER give 5 Stars across the board, but the staff and facilities @ 21C were over the TOP! Listen to their advice about wedding vendors - they have terrific local partnerships. The food is farm to table and our guests couldn't stop raving about it. The modern art is everywhere you turn, so your photography will be beyond special. Outstanding service from the planning all the way through the event/reception was stellar - top notch.
Sent on 03/11/2017
21c Museum Hotel's reply:
Thank you so much for your review! We love our couples and making their days memorable. We agree the contemporary art makes for the best photos!
21C is the perfect venue for the alternative bride! I love this place so much. It inspires such unique designs, my heart skips beats! And the staff is wonderful to work with. Your wedding is only as good as your vendors, so choose this venue team for the best wedding possible!
21C is the perfect venue for the alternative bride! I love this place so much. It inspires such unique designs, my heart skips beats! And the staff is wonderful to work with. Your wedding is only as good as your vendors, so choose this venue team for the best wedding possible!
21c is a phenomenal wedding venue! We have DJ'ed there many times and it absolutely beautiful and eclectic in all the right ways! The service is amazing in every way. We highly recommend!
What items and services are included in the starting site fee at 21c Museum Hotel?
21c Museum Hotel includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
Bridal Suite
Chairs
China
Clean Up
Flatware
Glassware
Linens
Set Up
Tables
At 21c Museum Hotel, what items and services related to wedding catering are included in the cost?
21c Museum Hotel includes the following items and services in its wedding catering costs:
Server(s)
At 21c Museum Hotel, what does the bar service starting price include?
The bar service starting price at 21c Museum Hotel includes:
Bartender(s)
Champagne Toast
House Beer
House Liquor
House Wine
What are the most important characteristics of 21c Museum Hotel in terms of venue type, style and location?
The space offered by 21c Museum Hotel for wedding events is known for:
Art Gallery
Ballroom
Banquet Hall
Historic Building
Hotel
Museum
Resort
Restaurant
What kind of indoor/outdoor options are available at 21c Museum Hotel for wedding events?
21c Museum Hotel offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
Indoor
Scenic Views
What kind of wedding events does 21c Museum Hotel offer?
21c Museum Hotel offers the following types of wedding events:
Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner
What services does 21c Museum Hotel offer for wedding events?
21c Museum Hotel offers the following services for wedding events:
Accommodations
Bar Services
Cake
Catering Services
Clean Up
Event Rentals
Get Ready Rooms
Outside Vendors
Pet Friendly
Set Up
Wifi
What furniture and decorations does 21c Museum Hotel have available for wedding events?
21c Museum Hotel offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
Chairs
Dance Floor
Lighting
Tables
What percentage of users recommend 21c Museum Hotel and which are the most valued aspects of their wedding services?
21c Museum Hotel is recommended by 80% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.0 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.3 in flexibility, 4.1 in quality of service, 4.1 in professionalism, 4.1 in value and 3.4 in average response time.
