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Weddings

About

NC Museum of Natural Sciences is a historic wedding venue located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. They pride themselves on being the largest natural history museum in the Southeast. Your guests will experience a dramatic two-story waterfall, a beautiful mountain cove, live animals, whale skeletons and amazing dinosaurs at this one-of-a-kind venue. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences allows you to support important exhibits, research and educational programs as you host your wedding at their unique location.

Facilities and Capacity
Couples can accommodate up to 2,250 guests at this spacious venue. Offering three floors in the Nature Exploration Center and four floors in the Nature Research Center for both intimate ceremonies and grand receptions. The second floor Featured Exhibition Gallery in their main building is a lofty space that can accommodate up to 625 guests for a strolling reception. Your loved ones will enjoy the Mountains to the Sea exhibit, showcasing the two-story waterfall, as you dance the night away. On the fourth floor of the Nature Research Center, you can rent out the spacious William G. Ross Jr. Environmental Conference Center. This expansive space is perfect for lavish affairs. It features custom-made reclaimed wood, three projectors and a catering kitchen. It can easily be divided for smaller weddings, and boasts an outdoor rooftop terrace.

Services Offered
This modern museum will assist you with setup and cleanup for your event. They offer a variety of event rentals, such as tables and chairs, to ensure your celebration is stress-free. Wireless Internet is available throughout their venue, along with plenty of complimentary parking for your friends and family. Couples can also elect to have museum educators interact with their guests and help them explore natural objects, specimens and other materials. Additional services include:

  • In-house caterer
  • Security
  • Audiovisual equipment
  • Wheelchair accessible


Cuisine
NC Museum of Natural Sciences works exclusively with Rocky Top Catering to create a delicious menu for you and your guests. Their goal is for their food to reflect your tastes, themes and any cultural influences you may have. Couples can choose hors d'oeuvres, action stations, a buffet or a plated meal. They also offer scrumptious desserts, dips and displays. Sample buffet items include:

  • Shrimp & Grits
  • Herb Grilled Chicken Breast
  • Sliced Tender Sirloin

For more information you can visit the website: naturalsciences.org/rentals

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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?

$1,450

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

$1,450

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?

$1,450

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

$1,450

Which of the following are included in starting site fee?

Chairs
Clean Up
Parking
Set Up
Tables

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

Cake Cutting

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

10

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

10

Describe your venue:

Government Building
Historic Building
Museum
Rooftop

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
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Clean Up
Event Rentals
Outside Vendors
Wifi

What event items are available?

Audio Equipment
Chairs
Tables

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Wheelchair Access

What months are included in your peak season?

April
May
October
December

What months are included in your off-peak season?

January
July
August
September
November

Reviews of North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
4.9 out of 5 rating
4.9 out of 5 rating
20 reviews
98% recommend it
  • Quality of service
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.9 out of 5 rating
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

Powered by AI

The museum venue receives high praise from reviewers for its beauty and helpful staff. One reviewer specifically mentions the smoothness of the planning process and the top-notch service provided by Rocky Top Catering. The 3rd floor of the NEC is highlighted as a beautiful spot for a wedding reception, with great food and professional and attentive servers. The event coordinators are commended for their assistance during the pandemic, and one reviewer raves about the perfect atmosphere for their Halloween wedding. Overall, the museum venue at NCMNS receives highly positive feedback for its location, service, and ease of planning.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

The museum venue receives high praise from reviewers for its beauty and helpful staff. One reviewer specifically mentions the smoothness of the planning process and the top-notch service provided by Rocky Top Catering. The 3rd floor of the NEC is highlighted as a beautiful spot for a wedding reception, with great food and professional and attentive servers. The event coordinators are commended for their assistance during the pandemic, and one reviewer raves about the perfect atmosphere for their Halloween wedding. Overall, the museum venue at NCMNS receives highly positive feedback for its location, service, and ease of planning.

L
Lynn Sent on 11/29/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Mother of bride

This was a great place for a wedding reception. We chose the 3rd floor of the NEC. Beautiful spot with the treetops, waterfall and under the stars in the Acro dome. Food was great and servers were professional and attentive. Highly recommend.
Carol
Carol B. Sent on 08/12/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Rehearsal Dinner at NCMNS

One of the easiest parts of this wedding was deciding to have the rehearsal dinner at NCMNS. Robert was great when we were booking and Jeff was the caterer from Rocky Top (Planet Cafe'). The food and the venue was the easiest part of the whole wedding experience. No question was too simple or silly and I asked many! :) Would choose NCMNS and Rock Top over and over again. Outstanding!!!
K
Kaitlin M. Sent on 10/11/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Hallowedding Success!

The event coordinators were amazing to work with here! They were very helpful and stayed in contact with us through out this whole pandemic. We had to move our wedding twice because of the pandemic and the museum did their best to help us keep it together!
I could not have asked for a better location for my Halloween wedding, the atmosphere was perfect for our costume wedding.

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Map

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences frequently asked questions

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Chairs
  • Clean Up
  • Parking
  • Set Up
  • Tables
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences includes the following items and services in its wedding catering costs:
  • Cake Cutting
The space offered by North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences for wedding events is known for:
  • Government Building
  • Historic Building
  • Museum
  • Rooftop
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Rehearsal Dinner
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Clean Up
  • Event Rentals
  • Outside Vendors
  • Wifi
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Audio Equipment
  • Chairs
  • Tables
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is recommended by 98% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.9 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 5 in value, 4.9 in quality of service, 4.9 in average response time, 4.9 in flexibility and 4.9 in professionalism.

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