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Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation Reviews

Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation

Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation

Waltham, MA
4.8 out of 5 rating, 51 reviews
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4.8 out of 5 rating
4.8 out of 5 rating
51 reviews
96% recommend it
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    Emily R. Sent on 04/17/2023
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    Really cool venue!

    I am so happy with my decision to host my November 2022 wedding reception at the Charles River Museum. The space is so unique and offers something a bit different than a typical hotel ballroom. While I was initially a bit intimidated by the need to bring in many vendors, in the end I was really pleased with the chance to do something more "custom" to my husband and my preferences. Our guests also seemed to think the space was really cool! I'd definitely recommend the Charles River Museum to anyone hosting a wedding in the Boston area.
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    Kylie N. Sent on 03/04/2020
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    The Perfect Venue!

    Picking our venue was an easy decision. This was the first place we visited over a year before our wedding and we knew right away we wanted to get married here. The process was so easy and affordable compared to other venues we had researched. Jillian helped us book the venue and the process was seamless. While she was on maternity leave, Anna stepped in and made sure everything went perfect and smooth for our big day. We are very thankful for such a unique place we could call our wedding venue. Our guests were all pleasantly surprised and loved the venue as well. I definitely recommend this venue to anyone looking for a special wedding spot.
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    Amanda Sent on 01/28/2020
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    A wonderfully unique venue

    From start to finish we were incredibly pleased with CRMII.

    We worked with Jillian initially and her knowledge about the space and friendliness was fantastic. After working with Jillian we started working with Anna who was such a pleasure to work with on the day of the event and after.

    The pricing structure is very transparent and I never felt like I was hoodwinked by it. The events packet that the museum provides is incredibly helpful as well. It helped us nail down our vendor team within a few weeks.

    Our guests LOVED the space. Having a January wedding it was great to have a space that allowed the guests to escape the load dance music or just be away from the reception hall.

    The venue truly allows you to be creative with your decor and how you set up the space. I would highly recommend using the Charles River Museum as part of your special day! We do not regret it in the slightest!
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    Blair P. Sent on 01/15/2020
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    Stunning Venue

    We still have guests talking about how amazing our venue was. I knew that I wanted something different for our wedding. I had no idea what we were in for when we walked into the CRMII. It was amazing. All exposed brick, old antique everything - it is what my dreams were made of. From day one, Jillian was wonderful to work with. We met with her and different vendors quite a few times and she was always flexible - even meeting us there in a snowstorm one day. The venue was made even more beautiful by adding greenery and candles. It was truly a dream wedding.
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    Jessica Sent on 11/11/2019
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    11/9/19 Wedding

    HOLY CRAP we love the Charles River Museum!!! This was truly our dream venue and such a special place to have our wedding. Honestly, the space speaks for itself. Jill was so wonderful to work with and answered all of our questions so quickly. We were able to drop off all of our decorations a few days early, and she made sure everything was where it needed to be. On the day of our wedding, she greeted us a big smile! When we weren't sure about the order for walking in to the ceremony, she made a great suggestion that ended up working perfectly! The entire space is absolutely beautiful and so many of our guests loved that they could tour many of the exhibits while enjoying a drink. The Jackson Room is our favorite part of the museum with its beautiful brick walls and the back room that over looks the Charles River. We are beyond happy that we chose the Charles River Museum as our wedding venue and can't believe that we were able to have our wedding in such a breathtaking space! Thank you!!!
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    Maggie Sent on 11/25/2019
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    Unique and perfect

    This venue was everything we dreamed and more. The event coordinator, Jill, is exceptional and all of our guests loved the museum!
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    Katie Sent on 12/16/2019
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    A one-of-a-kind venue

    We had a lot of boxes we wanted to check for a wedding venue -- accessible by highway and public transit, parking, able to accommodate both our ceremony and reception, and without a cookie-cutter function hall vibe -- and the Charles River Museum hit them all. We didn't do much decorating since it's such a distinctive space, but it still felt celebratory and we were able to personalize the details to suit our wedding. So many of our guests raved about how cool and unique the location was, and had fun checking out the exhibits during the cocktail hour. Jill was great at answering (and anticipating) questions. We hooked up an iPhone with Spotify to the museum's sound system for our reception, to great effect. We also used the museum's tables and chairs, which fit nicely in the space with 120 guests and made it feel intimate.
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    Leah F. Sent on 09/09/2019
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    Gorgeous and super easy to work with

    What a beautiful venue! The main function hall is extremely beautiful, huge, high-ceilinged, brick, and kind of industrial. The body of the museum is really cool, with so many objects big and small to look at. And, as a huge bonus, it's right on the Charles, so there's gorgeous running water and trees to take photos next to if you want!

    Jillian at the CRMII is also great to work with--there are some people in the world who are just On Top Of Everything and I think Jillian is one. It was a pleasure to do business with the venue because of her.

    All dressed up on the night of, the museum was stunning. The museum staff sticking around to make sure that everything went smoothly were super nice, and very present & available. I think working with CRMII was as perfect of a venue experience as you're gonna get. Now I want all my friends to get married so I can tell them to get married there :)
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    Shannon W. Sent on 09/10/2019
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    History Meets Elegance

    If you're looking for a laid-back and historical venue, the Charles River Museum in Waltham, MA is just what you're looking for! With 104 guests, most from out of town, this was the perfect venue for people to catch up, learn about my hometown and enjoy great food and drinks.

    Jill, the event coordinator, was willing to help with any before, day of or after things my groom and I needed. She also walked us through the entire day so that we had a piece of mind.

    I can't wait to go back and see more exhibits when I return home for the holidays :)

    Shannon & Jordan
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    Benjamin F. Sent on 08/22/2019
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    Incredible Experience

    We couldn't be happier with our choice of the Charles River Museum as a wedding venue. Jill and her team were wildly accommodating throughout the process and worked with us to structure an event that aligned with our vision. Jill worked closely with the wedding planner, caterer, florist, DJ, and games vendor to ensure that all parties had everything they needed to make the evening a success. The space is suitable for a range of purposes. We had a pre-ceremony cocktail party downstairs in the main exhibit hall, held the wedding ceremony in the main upstairs room, and used the adjacent upstairs spaces - including the gallery - for games. The venue's ramps made the transitions accessible to guests with mobility impairments, a key consideration for our elderly attendees. The river boardwalk provided an ideal backdrop for pre-wedding photos, and the whole event looks incredible on camera. We're fortunate to have found the CRMII and would recommend it enthusiastically to anyone in the market for a unique wedding venue in the Boston area.
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    Elizabeth H. Sent on 08/29/2019
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    Great, unique DIY venue

    We loved having our wedding here - it definitely allows for creativity as you call the shots on decor, food, seating rentals, etc. Jill was great to work with! If you're looking for super fancy - this isn't for you (unless you REALLY dress it up) but we were looking for something that was unique/not your standard hotel/banquet room and we got that. The price was reasonable. One tip: make sure you specify to your clean up crew what you want to throw out since you pay for trash service day of - there are no dumpsters!!
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    Rebecca Sent on 12/07/2018
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    The BEST venue!

    The Charles River Museum is truly one of the most unique locations you can choose for your wedding. Every single one of our guests raved about it! It's very different from your typical venue - you have to get your own catering, rentals, alcohol, etc but you really get to utilize the entire museum. Your guests can walk through the museum during cocktail hour, the Jackson room is absolutely stunning when it's decorated. Every single staff member at the museum is so helpful. Jillian was extremely responsive to my questions and concerns, and with her help, our wedding at the museum was the most magical day we could have ever imagined.
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    Emma Sent on 11/27/2018
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    We absolutely loved this venue!

    We could not be happier that we chose Charles River Museum as our wedding venue. It is such a beautiful, unique, and engaging venue. Our guests were absolutely in love with it—we were getting constant compliments throughout the night and we still are to this day! Jill at CMRII was so wonderful to work with. Her calm and supportive demeanor made us feel so comfortable with how the day was going to go. It is not an all-inclusive venue, in that you have to bring everything in, but it was so worth it to have this amazing and memorable space. We highly recommend picking CMRII as a wedding venue and working with Jill to make your day possible.
  • Molly
    Molly Sent on 10/28/2018
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    Beautiful venue with wonderful staff

    My husband and I got married at the CRMII on October 5th and I can’t say enough wonderful things. From the prompt communication from Jill, the museum coordinator to the wonderful support we received throughout the panning process and day of, our experience was truly excellent. One thing to note: this is a bare bones venue, meaning that you must bring everything in yourself (linens, tables, glassware etc.) I actually found this to be totally fine, as it allowed me to customize everything exactly how I wanted it. We got SO many compliments from our guests talking about how it was the most unique venue they had ever been in. If you are looking for a beautiful, unique venue that is a bit of a blank canvas, the CRMII is absolutely for you!
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    Chris Sent on 03/10/2019
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    Unique & Industrial!

    Luckily, we came across the Charles River Museum through a suggestion on a Facebook group. On our first visit to the museum, we met with Anna, who was in the middle of prepping the space for a wedding later that night. It gave us a chance to see the potential the space had, it’s stunning. We loved that the space would offer exhibits for our guests to explore and offer tons of room to mingle, all while keeping the ceremony and reception in the same place.

    We had our ceremony the Jackson room, which is a large gorgeous brick ballroom. It really doesn’t need much to make the room pop, we opted for edison bulb string lights on the ceiling and for a ceremony backdrop. Post ceremony, our guests were funnelled into the museum for hors d'oeuvres and cocktails while our catering team flipped the ballroom for the reception.

    If you’re looking for a unique venue, it’s definitely worth while to check out the Charles River Museum. There are a ton of unique photo spots in and around the venue as well! Both Anna and Jill were lovely to work with too!
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    Bekah Sent on 07/17/2018
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    Working with Jill at CRMII was a total dream. To be quite honest, this was the first venue we looked at. after seeing it and meeting Jill, we booked it immediately. The museum's location on the Charles is gorgeous in all seasons, and it allows for the outside ceremony/quick transition to inside reception that we wanted. The museum itself is so unique and fun, with old fashioned cars and time stamp machines and clocks--our guests LOVED looking around. Plus, the old textile mill high brick ceilings are to die for. Most importantly, I cannot overstate how wonderful it was to work with Jill. She was extremely organized, responsive, and accommodating. We ended up hiring her as our day-of coordinator, and it was the best money we spent. She instills total confidence that everything will go smoothly and exactly as you hope.
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    Teresa Sent on 06/08/2018
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    The Charles River Museum is such a unique venue and I am so happy we found it! Our guests could not stop raving about it! Jill was a pleasure to work with throughout the whole process.
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    Joseph Sent on 05/14/2018
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    We had our Spring 2018 wedding at the museum and it was a truly wonderful experience. The museum space, exterior areas along the river, and Jackson room provided unique and special spaces that our guests loved. The mix of industrial museum pieces, metal and brick made for beautiful views (and pictures). It was the perfect sized space for our 125 person celebration. Jill, the museum's event coordinator, was phenomenal in helping us with planning with our vendors, and helping us with truly maximizing the space and providing insight on what other couples had done. We had a day we will never forget and highly recommend the museum for your special day.
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    Kira Sent on 12/06/2017
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    We had an exceptional experience with CRMII. Jillian was our initial contact but we primarily worked with Anna. I cannot describe how amazing our experience was, the space is amazing, interesting, our guests loved it. Anna was insanely helpful, far beyond expectation. She helped us make a difficult decision about a vendor and compensated with advice and support for the deficit. Anna is so calm, patient, kind- exactly the vibe you want around your wedding. We must have visited 7 times throughout the year before the big day and they were so accommodating, helpful. We couldn't decide whether to have our ceremony inside or outside (we decided inside) did a quick flip and had our reception inside as well. Photos were outside, we got lucky with a beautiful late October day. We used Blue Ribbon BBQ/Premier Bar Service & Catering- Fiona was the catering manager- she is a GEM/Peak Rentals/Holly Redmond-Photos/DJ JD. We HIGHLY recommend CRMII! Also loved all our other vendors.
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    Naychelle Sent on 10/25/2017
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    We had our October 6, 2017 wedding here and I cannot recommend the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation enough! The space is beautiful and unique and the staff is professional and friendly! Anyone looking for a non-traditional space with staff that will work with your vision, this is the place for you!

    We fell in love with the space right away! From the beginning of the planning process Jill and everyone at the museum was amazing. They provided us with vendor lists and advice for working with the space. Because the Jackson room is so large and the museum only provides tables and chairs, there are a lot of logistics and vendors to work with. Throughout the whole planning process Jill made herself available to answer any questions we had and accommodate any changes. Jill and Ana worked closely with our coordinator, bar, caterer and other vendors to help our vision come true!

    The day of, everything ran so smooth! The staff were available and willing to help, but were not in the way of guests and allowed everyone to have fun. Everyone who attended the wedding was amazed by the space! They wanted to take pictures everywhere and explore all night.

    We couldn’t have been happier!
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    Chelsea Sent on 08/16/2017
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    The Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation was literally the perfect setting for my wedding on August 5th, 2017. The industrial backdrop went so well with the rest of my very natural and light décor. Literally every location of the venue provides the perfect backdrop for a photo, so I’ve just been so in awe of each picture I’ve seen! All of my guests were traveling from Pennsylvania, and many people said that the venue itself was worth the trip. The museum displays provided entertainment for guests the entire night, whether they were just learning about the displays or taking photos in the phone booth. The space itself fit everyone perfectly and allowed for a great flow of events from the ceremony to cocktail hour to the reception. Not to mention, the museum staff was an absolute pleasure to work with!! Jill, Anna, and Cora were all super responsive and accommodating to all our requests and needs. Thank you or making the day so smooth, enjoyable, and beautiful!
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    Laura Sent on 08/13/2017
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    The Charles River Museum was absolutely perfect for our wedding, and working with Jill (the venue coordinator) was so stress-free and easy. She was very quick to respond, and super flexible. The space itself is incredibly cool, and kept all of our guests entertained. We did our ceremony outside in Landry Park, which was the perfect little space before moving all the guests inside for cocktail hour and the reception. We added bistro lights to the Jackson Room for our reception, and I would highly recommend it - I think it really helps warm up the space (pro-tip: ask the lighting company to put them on a dimmer). We followed previous reviewers' advice and had signs pointing the way for guests along with instructions for parking and it went off without a hitch. Overall, it was perfect for us and we would highly recommend it.
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    Erika Sent on 07/13/2017
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    I did a ton of research on venues before I found the CRMII. As soon as I saw it online, I knew we had to get married there. My husband and I are both engineers so the industrial museum vibe fit perfectly with our personalities and we knew it would be a hit with our friends and family. We went for a tour with Jill, who was super sweet and accommodating and fell in love with the museum. She told us there was one date left for summer 2017 and as we were walking out, I ran back to put a hold on the date. Throughout the entire planning process, Jill was incredibly helpful - giving us vendor tips and confirming that we could in fact use open flame candles (one of the few places that does!). Our wedding day was incredible and everyone is still telling us how much they loved the venue - it's just so unique and fun, exactly what we wanted for our wedding day!
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    Kristyn Sent on 07/12/2017
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    CRMII was absolutely amazing!! If you are looking for a unique, industrial venue this is perfect. We got married in the park outside the museum, had cocktail hour on the first floor, and had the reception in the Jackson room upstairs. Guests were so entertained during cocktail hour with the metal stamping, looking at the exhibits, punching in time cards, you name it. The reception space was the perfect size for eating and dancing, and had a great lounge area for guests who wanted to step away from the noise and relax. Jill (the event manager) was always so responsive to any questions/ideas we had. I can't think of a single thing I would change!!
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    Liz Sent on 06/17/2017
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    Our MDW wedding at CRMII was perfect in every way. The space is fantastic - it gives guests a chance to wander or enjoy the party - and Jill is a dream to work with. Since it's a museum, not a banquet hall, you'll need to coordinate rental equipment, but if you're the type that wants something truly unique, CRMII gives you the opportunity to create the event of your dreams.
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