Skip to main content
Weddings
ARE YOU A VENDOR?
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Courtyard Ceremony
Courtyard Ceremony
Visitor Hall Set Up
Visitor Hall Set Up
Couple at Ceremony
Couple at Ceremony
Couple in Front of Building
Couple in Front of Building
Front View of Building
Front View of Building
First Dance
First Dance
Bridal Party in Courtyard
Bridal Party in Courtyard
Happy
Happy
The Walk
The Walk
Elegant Set Up
Elegant Set Up
Head Table
Head Table
Visitor Hall Tables
Visitor Hall Tables
Ceremony Photo
Ceremony Photo
Dancing in Visitor Hall
Dancing in Visitor Hall
Dancing
Dancing
Wedding Set Up
Wedding Set Up
Ceremony Courtyard
Ceremony Courtyard
Outside Ceremony
Outside Ceremony
Sweetheart Table
Sweetheart Table
Find Your Seat
Find Your Seat
Cake in front of Happy
Cake in front of Happy
Happy tables
Happy tables
Sunshine & yellow flowers
Sunshine & yellow flowers

Interested in this vendor?

Main Wedding Set Up

About

Cleveland Museum of Natural History is a museum wedding venue located in Cleveland, Ohio that offers both indoor and uncovered outdoor settings. This museum was first founded in 1920 in the spirit of the gentlemen who had a passion for the natural sciences. Today, this museum is considered to be one of the finest institutions of its kind in North America.

Facilities and Capacity

OPENING FALL 2023: THE NEW VISITOR HALL & EVENT SPACE. As our primary event space, your guests will be seated among several of our iconic specimens- including "Happy" the Jurassic sauropod. This grand reception area features floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the beautiful Smith Environmental Courtyard, a lovely outdoor area for cocktails.

In addition, this historical museum and wedding venue offers several smaller spaces and rooms for receptions, engagement parties, and/or rehearsal dinners. The variety of galleries and collections, including Corning Gallery and the Perkins Wildlife Center & Woods Garden, provide a great backdrop for your special day. To create a truly unique experience, you can consider adding a private planetarium show for your guests or even invite some native Ohio animals to the cocktail reception. This will truly be a night of unforgettable experiences, fully customized to what you want on your special day. The venue can accommodate anywhere from 10-250 guests.

Services Offered

This venue offers a variety of event, catering, and bar services for each couple and their guests. Create your dream event at this venue by throwing a party in a setting that is truly one-of-a-kind. Services include:

  • Tables
  • Chairs
  • Housekeeping staff
  • Security staffing
  • On-site event coordinator
  • Cleanup
  • Setup
  • Event planning
  • Server(s)
  • Audio equipment
  • Lighting
  • WiFi

Cuisine

We are proud to partner with Levy Cultural, our exclusive catering partner, whose 40+ years of culinary excellence and creativity will help bring your vision to life. Ask about our Wedding Packages!

illustration popular

Venues you may like

See other venues that are popular with couples right now

Great Lakes Science Center
Outdoor wedding ceremony
Wedding ceremony
Wedding procession
Great Lakes Science Center
4.2 (5) ·
Cleveland, OH
Up to 250
Ariel Pearl Center
Reception Set-up
Reception Set-up
Ceremony Set-up
Ariel Pearl Center
4.5 (8) ·
Cleveland, OH
$2,000 starting price
Up to 200
Overlook Venue
Micro wedding
Time to cut the cake
Couple photos
Overlook Venue
Cleveland, OH
$6,000 starting price
Up to 250
A Taste of Excellence Catering at Grand City Hall Rotunda
Rotunda
A Taste of Excellence Catering at Grand City Hall Rotunda
Rotunda
A Taste of Excellence Catering at Grand City Hall Rotunda
4.6 (57) ·
Cleveland, OH

Award winner

Ariel International Center
Skyline Lake Rooftop
Beautiful backdrop
Skyline Lake Room views
Ariel International Center
4.4 (41) ·
Cleveland, OH
$2,000 starting price
Up to 350

Frequently asked questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

$5,500

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$5,500

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during peak season?

$500

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season?

$500

Which of the following are included in the starting site fee?

Chairs
China
Clean Up
Event Planning
Flatware
Glassware
Linens
Parking
Set Up
Tables

Which of the following are included in the cost of wedding catering?

Dessert
Server(s)

What is the starting price per person for bar service?

$40

What is the minimum number of guests required to book your venue?

10

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

5

Describe your venue:

Museum

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Bar Services
Catering Services
Clean Up
Event Planner
Event Rentals
Wifi

What event items are available?

Audio Equipment
Chairs
Lighting
Tables

What food and beverage items are available?

Barware
China
Flatware
Glassware
Linens

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Valet
Wheelchair Access

What months are included in your peak season?

April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

What months are included in your off-peak season?

January
February
March

Reviews of Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Write a review
Write a review
Cleveland Museum of Natural History - 1
Cleveland Museum of Natural History - 2
Cleveland Museum of Natural History - 3
+2 User photos
Cleveland Museum of Natural History - 4
E
Elisabeth Sent on 11/17/2021
5 out of 5 rating

The best part of the wedding (besides getting married)

Booking the Cleveland Museum of Natural History was a highlight of our wedding planning experience! Our guests loved the unique venue and were so excited to dance the night away underneath the dinosaurs. We held our ceremony in the new Smith Environmental Courtyard which was so beautiful with the colorfully lit waterfall behind us and native plants lining the start of our aisle. We also opened the Wade Gallery of Gems and Jewels for the evening, which was a big hit during the cocktail hour!

We were thrilled to work with with Anne, our event coordinator. She was so helpful both on in-person visits and virtually when we planned much of the wedding from the East Coast. She was enthusiastic about our ideas and able to share experiences from previous events to help us make more informed decisions where possible. Anne was also really good at talking about the Museum in ways that made sense and were exciting to both lifelong enthusiasts and complete newbies- I had been to Ohio a few times prior, but my husband was a regular guest of the Museum while growing up in Cleveland.

Another highlight of working with CMNH: Anne, Zach Bruell catering coordinator Kim, and Solus Lighting coordinator Maureen are a power trio that work amazingly well together for both brainstorming and seamless execution of our plans. We are so grateful for their teamwork!

If we had to plan a wedding all over again, we would return to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History without any hesitation. It’s been a few months, but our guests are still telling people how memorable it was to attend a wedding at the Museum!
A
A Melling Sent on 03/07/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Best wedding ever (our guests' words, not ours)

We had our wedding reception at CMNH and cannot recommend it enough as a special-event space! We got so much overwhelming feedback from our guests saying it was the coolest wedding they've ever been to, and it's all thanks to the museum. The newly renovated event space is modern and gorgeous, and there was plenty of room for 200 guests, a DJ, a dancefloor, an open bar, a photo booth, welcome tables, etc. In addition, our guests absolutely LOVED being able to see all of the exhibits and eat next to a dinosaur skeleton! The special event team at CMNH is kind, responsive, and phenomenal to work with, and they made our night completely stress-free. They also gave us so many amazing, unexpected options, such as light rentals, bringing out live animals during our cocktail hour, and offering custom planetarium shows for our guests. In addition, the museum's catering company, Levy, provided absolutely delicious food options for everything from hors d'oeuvres, to dinner, to a donut dessert bar, to late-night snacks, and we and our guests were wowed by the quality of everything they ate. We cannot recommend CMNH enough, especially for future bride/grooms looking to get away from the norm and offer their guests something TRULY fun and unforgettable!
  • Cleveland Museum of Natural History - 5
  • Cleveland Museum of Natural History - 6
  • +3 photos
    Cleveland Museum of Natural History - 7
Katherine
Katherine Sent on 06/17/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Unique.Classy.Unforgetable

If you are looking for the most unique and entertaining venue for you and your guests, this is the place to be! We just had our wedding at the museum a couple weeks ago, and our guests are still raving about it. The dinosaur exhibits and animal enclosure were our favorite parts!

On top of having the endless entertainment of the displays, the staff there are the greatest! Their special event's coordinator Anne was as excited about our wedding as we were. She was super accommodating especially because we were planning our wedding from New York. She is super organized with a concise packet of information that answers practically anything that come up. Also she was very quick to respond via phone or email.

The museum exclusively contracts with Zack Bruell Events for catering. It was also a pleasure working with Kim and Molly. Again, all were super flexible working around our travel schedule and all our lat minute changes to the guest list. And the food.... to DIE for.

The museum also only contracts with Solus lighting who brought to life the night of our dreams. They offered soo many options for coloring, shapes, and the expertise to make it all work together.

Overall this experience has been excellent and we would HIGHLY recommend this venue!
B
Rebecca Sent on 05/19/2009
5 out of 5 rating
This was an amazing venue -- everyone commented how unique the venue was and the outdoor setting was lovely for a spring wedding (we had both the ceremony and reception here.) The museum staff were very professional and happy to work with us in every way. We had a planetarium show, which they customized for our wedding. It was really the perfect site for a pair of scientists to get married.
K
Kara Sent on 08/26/2008
5 out of 5 rating
GREAT!!!! Perfect site for our wedding. The only problem at all was it was hot in there, the air didn't seem to be working great. I love the museum though and it was just the right place for the type of people that we are. Loved it!! Dick was helpful and great about booking.
K
Kelly Sent on 08/05/2017
4.6 out of 5 rating
We had our reception here, and it was AMAZING! When I found out that CMNH was available to rent for weddings, I told my then-fiance and we both agreed we had to have the reception here. We are both huge nerds so the venue would really reflect us (haha), and my husband is also not big on dancing, so the museum setting would give him something to do during the reception instead of just standing off to the side of the dance floor awkwardly. The museum staff was admittedly a little hard to get in touch with early on in the wedding planning process (like when we were a year to 6 months out), but the event coordinator became very responsive as the event drew closer, and accommodated emergency updates to the seating chart when we found out family members couldn't attend due to illness, a friend was planning to come but forgot to RSVP, etc. Our guests all loved CMNH and had a great time at our reception, and so did we!
Note: This review is for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in University Circle in Cleveland, not in Rocky River as is listed on WeddingWire for some reason (??).
J
Jessica Sent on 08/20/2013
1.9 out of 5 rating
The museum needs to invest in an event planner who is dedicated to their job. Two weeks before our wedding, our museum contact announced that he was resigning and would not be working with us anymore. He was unsure who our new contact would be and provided us with incorrect contact information for the person he thought was his replacement. He also lost our liability insurance paperwork.

After I tracked down his supervisor, I was put in contact with the temporary replacement the museum had hired for the interim, who thank goodness was absolutely wonderful, and our wedding and reception (both held at the museum) were great. To give credit where it is due I have provided a separate review of her services (Deb) in the "wedding planner" section, but until the museum gets their act together and hires a trustworthy, permanent person for events planning, I cannot recommend this venue to anyone else.
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Awards

7

Explore other wedding venues in your area

Find your ideal space among popular ones and Couples' Choice Award winners.

See venues

Map

Addresses map Open Map
Wedding Venues Cleveland Museums Cleveland
Wedding Venues Cleveland (City) Museums Cleveland (City)

Cleveland Museum of Natural History frequently asked questions

Cleveland Museum of Natural History includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Chairs
  • China
  • Clean Up
  • Event Planning
  • Flatware
  • Glassware
  • Linens
  • Parking
  • Set Up
  • Tables
Cleveland Museum of Natural History includes the following items and services in its wedding catering costs:
  • Dessert
  • Server(s)
The space offered by Cleveland Museum of Natural History for wedding events is known for:
  • Museum
Cleveland Museum of Natural History offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
Cleveland Museum of Natural History offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Elopements
  • Rehearsal Dinner
Cleveland Museum of Natural History offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Bar Services
  • Catering Services
  • Clean Up
  • Event Planner
  • Event Rentals
  • Wifi
Cleveland Museum of Natural History offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Audio Equipment
  • Chairs
  • Lighting
  • Tables
Cleveland Museum of Natural History is recommended by 90% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.5 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.7 in flexibility, 4.6 in quality of service, 4.4 in professionalism, 4.4 in value and 4.3 in average response time.
View next Museum Weddings

Other vendors in Cleveland for your wedding

Wedding Venues