Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation Reviews
Reviews
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![Emily]()
Emily Sent on 04/17/2023Really 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. -
Kylie Sent on 03/04/2020
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]()
Amanda Sent on 01/28/2020A 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! -
Blair Sent on 01/15/2020
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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![katielann]()
Katie Sent on 12/16/2019A 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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![Maggie]()
Maggie Sent on 11/25/2019Unique and perfect
This venue was everything we dreamed and more. The event coordinator, Jill, is exceptional and all of our guests loved the museum! -
![Jessica]()
Jessica Sent on 11/11/201911/9/19 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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![Shannon]()
Shannon Sent on 09/10/2019History 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 -
![Leah]()
Leah Sent on 09/09/2019Gorgeous 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 :) -
Elizabeth Sent on 08/29/2019
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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![Benjamin]()
Benjamin Sent on 08/22/2019Incredible 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. -
![napawedding2018]()
Chris Sent on 03/10/2019Unique & 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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![Emma]()
Emma Sent on 11/27/2018We 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 10/28/2018Beautiful 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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Joseph Sent on 05/14/2018We 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 12/06/2017We 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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![Megan]()
Megan Sent on 04/27/2022Perfect in Every Way!
Married April 2, 2022 - the museum is open and renovated! We had an amazing experience working Jillian and the rest of the Charles River Museum. We were married offsite, but we had our cocktail hour and reception here. It was a dream wedding reception come true!
The space is absolutely beautiful. We’re both history nerds, so we loved the hometown flavor of the museum. Here’s the thing: our guests loved it too. By hometown flavor: don’t expect the Museum of Science. It’s better: it’s authentic, it’s human, it’s a little eccentric. We had our cocktail hour in the museum space then moved to the upstairs ballroom for dinner and dancing. Think brickwork and iron. We added a few flowers, some cafe lights, and candles — so, so romantic!
There is a lot of parking, too! The parking garage / lot is just across the Charles. (The Charles is just a little creek here hehe.) There’s a very enchanting little bridge from the parking lot to a small, quaint “boardwalk,” which leads directly to the entrance of the museum. There’s good signage, and this “boardwalk” is also the perfect spot for a send-off!
We had about 100 guests; it felt full but not crowded. Jillian was a delight to work with. She is responsive, enthusiastic, and kind, and she provided us with a list of vendors who had worked with the museum. Because we picked the museum as our venue first, we were more than happy to follow her guidance: and they all turned out to be stellar recommendations! -
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Becky Sent on 11/20/2017The Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation is an amazing wedding venue! Our guests couldn't stop raving about the beautiful space and how fun it was to walk around the exhibits. Anna and Jill on the events team were responsive and helpful. The one time that we had trouble was when we wanted to book the venue - it took weeks to get the contract signed and our card charged for the deposit, which was stressful since confirming the date and place is the most important step in the wedding planning process. We highly recommend getting a Day-of-Coordinator for this space, specifically Without a Hitch. Without a coordinator it would have been extremely stressful trying to make sure all of the details were in place since the venue isn't automatically set-up for a wedding. Overall, we're so happy that we went with CRMII for our big day and highly recommend it for any couple looking for a unique, industrial, and fun space!
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![Michelle]()
Michelle Sent on 01/30/2019Great Venue
The museum is such a cool space - our guests LOVED it! Working with Jill was fantastic! -
Em Sent on 12/09/2017We had our reception at the Charles River Museum in October 2017, and were so happy with the experience! If you are looking for a unique venue with lots of character, this place is for you.
We started working with Jill, but later worked with Anna, both of whom were incredibly responsive and helpful in answering all our questions. We had many email exchanges and a site visit to review all the details before the big day. There are some things to keep in mind if you are planning your reception here: using the outside park requires a permit from the city of Waltham, parking is in a separate lot (but close to the museum), gaining handicapped access requires a bit of coordination, and so on. These are all things to discuss as you get closer to the wedding. The price for the museum was very reasonable, but keep in mind that everything else (linens, flatware, chairs, etc.) need to be rented separately.
Overall, we were very happy with our reception at the museum, and would highly recommend it to other couples! -
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