Penn Museum Reviews

Ever since the first time I visited the Penn Museum, I knew I wanted to get married here (it was at least the top candidate in my mind at the time). This was when I had recently met my (now) husband and had recently moved to Philly. That was 9 years ago. Working with Victoria and the staff at the Penn Museum was an absolute pleasure. Victoria was very responsive, met with us multiple times, and never had a problem with us visiting the museum as much as we needed to coordinate the wedding. For the venue fee, we got access to the ENTIRE museum for 5 hours. We could use as many rooms as we wanted. The flexibility they allowed us was remarkable and I am SO grateful for it. The security staff was amazing as well, we had a blast with them on the day of. Victoria allowed us to store items in her office the day before and we were able to pick them up the next day. The museum is gorgeous, the rooms are gorgeous, and we had a beautiful wedding.

I do wish they let you into the "getting ready" rooms earlier (I believe the earliest was 3pm) - they just use classrooms for this, which worked out great. But I would have loved the extra time. The day goes by so quickly, it is amazing how little time there is. I also wished we would have added another hour on the back end (additional fee). If I would have a redo, I would have moved all the couples pictures to another day to just focus on the guests and be able to spend as much time with them as possible. So, for future brides, something to take into consideration!

Also to note, there is only one caterer that the museum works with. It makes it easy because you do not have to shop around for options, but if you were hoping to shop around (such as for price, budget accordingly), you will not be able to do this with the museum. We had some challenges with communicating with the caterer (some technical), but the service they ended up providing was outstanding. The service blew our guests away. 100% was a five star, fine dining experience kind of service. Food was delicious and they provided plenty of options for us to choose from.

The museum put on an excellent event for us and it does really take a huge team of people to pull off a wedding. I would recommend the Penn Museum if you are considering it!

We had our reception at Osteria and were looking for a space to hold the ceremony - the Penn Museum far exceeded my expectations. Victoria in particular was an absolute pleasure to work with. She was responsive and so flexible! We definitely used the venue for all it had to offer, and it had lots of great surprises up its sleeves! We had a joint tisch in the Widener Lecture Room and then went upstairs to Upper Baugh for our ceremony. Both were gorgeous, and the museum was just so generous in allowing us to use their spaces to their full capacity! For our 52-guest wedding, these rooms were perfect. We could have fit more in Upper Baugh but wanted space for Jewish circle dancing!)

When looking at wedding venues we knew that we wanted somewhere that could host all of our wedding day events - ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. But we also wanted a venue that would wow our guests. The Penn Museum was the first place we looked and all other venues fell short of its beauty and the energy, professionalism, and enthusiasm of event staff. Our coordinator, Allison, was helpful throughout the whole planning process - she was responsive and accommodating, offering to take us around as many times as we needed. Our wedding day ran smoothly in large part due to her and her catering counterpart, Grace. If you are looking for a one of a kind wedding experience with a truly wonderful staff, look no further than the Penn Museum.

We are SO happy we had our wedding at the Penn Museum. Liz, Atiya, and the rest of the team were incredibly responsive and accommodating throughout the planning process. On the day of, Liz was an amazing resource to have around at wedding day and I always felt calm knowing she was there to field any last minute requests. The team was so flexible when we needed to use our rain plan and it ended up being even more gorgeous than we could have imagined having the full wedding inside! It’s an amazing venue to book when you don’t want to have to rely on Philly weather to be perfect on your wedding day. The guests couldn’t stop talking about how special the museum was and how much fun they had in the spaces. Dinner in the Chinese Rotunda really blew our guests away. I never expected to have such fond memories from the security at our wedding but they were also amazing! They were helpful in directing our guests and brought so much good energy and positivity to the wedding.

Grace and the team at CxRA also did an absolutely incredible job with catering our wedding! Start to finish, the experience was excellent. The table set ups looked amazing, the staff was incredible, and the experience was just so smooth. They worked closely with us on floor plans to make sure the setups were exactly as we wanted, and then seamlessly executed changes when we needed to use a rain plan. The bartenders were mixing up amazing drinks and there were never lines for the bars despite us having a big crowd of guests. The food was SO delicious - from the small bites, to starters, to entrees, to desserts and we had multiple guests tell us it was the best wedding food they had ever had! By the end of it, I felt like Grace was a friend of mine at the wedding celebrating with us! Can’t recommend the Penn Museum and CxRA enough.

My husband and I got married at the Penn Museum on September 24th, 2022 and have nothing but great things to say about the venue and the venue team - Atiya and Jenn from Restaurant Associates. Atiya was incredibly professional and helpful throughout the planning process. The venue itself was perfect for an early fall wedding. Our guests couldn't stop talking about how amazing the venue - super unique and beautiful - and food were. We loved the fact that we could have an outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour and not feel like we were in the city. Additionally, the Chinese Rotunda was such a grand space to invite our guests to dinner. Overall, the Penn Museum is an amazing and memorable location for a wedding in Philadelphia!

We had a spectacular wedding at the Penn Museum in October 2021 and can't imagine it being anywhere else. Atiya was great walking us through our multiple covid delays and was extremely responsive and understanding to our requests and concerns. The layout of the museum is extremely conducive to a great wedding experience. The Chinese Rotunda was a jaw dropping backdrop to dinner and the location of dancing and the bar helped the wedding have a very nice flow. We received numerous compliments on the food and passed apps from CxRA, who provided us with extensive options to chose from and executed the service perfectly. We would highly recommend the Penn Museum! It is a unique oasis in the city and the event staff are all wonderful.

Outstanding service from Atiya and Jenn! They were very responsive and provided valuable insights. Atiya helped us think about how to thoughtfully use the museum spaces, and worked seamlessly with our vendors. Jenn and the catering team did a great job with preparing delicious food and our custom speciality drinks, and helping us understand costs and prioritize what would be most impactful for guests. Everyone raved about the venue and the food!! Loved working with the team!!

We are so happy that we went with the Penn Museum for our wedding venue. The Warden Gardens was gorgeous for the ceremony and cocktail hour. The guests were SO wowed by the Chinese Rotunda and Egyptian Gallery for the reception. Guests kept coming up to us and saying this was the coolest wedding venue they’ve ever been to! The events team was awesome - Atiya and Angela answered all our questions and were so helpful. Jenn on the CxRA catering team was very accommodating and the food was delicious - like the best wedding meal ever, definitely recommend getting the arancini appetizer! We can’t say more positive things about the venue and the team.

Wow! That was the first word out of everyone’s mouth when they saw how beautiful our reception looked. Wow! That was the first word out of everyone’s mouth when they saw the soaring lights and beauty of the Chinese Rotunda at our dinner. Wow! That was the first word out of my mouth when I saw how beautiful our wedding looked in our photos. All of those jaw dropping wow moments were thanks to Atiya and the truly incredible team at The Penn Museum. We wanted something special and different for our wedding and the venue sets the tone for the whole day. From the first day of planning with Atiya right through dancing the night away at our reception surrounded by ancient Egyptian artifacts, the Penn Museum delivered the wedding of our dreams. Atiya and her team made sure every little detail was perfect and just how we dreamed it up. When the rain came and forced us to move half of our wedding festivities inside, they were so accommodating and helpful to make it look like we planned it all that way from the beginning.

And everyone is still talking about how amazing the food was! Jenn and her team at CxRA stole the show with their mouthwatering catering from beginning to end. Right from the beginning with the tasting, Jenn made sure everything was exactly as we wanted. She made every little menu adjustment we requested and made sure that all of the many dietary restrictions of our guests were strictly respected to ensure everyone got to properly enjoy the amazing food. They even made a point to clean the fryer before making our gluten free fried food to ensure there was no cross contamination. That’s attention to detail. And every member of the wait staff was so incredibly friendly and attentive.

If you want a boring banquet hall style wedding, then look somewhere else. If you want a truly special wedding venue for your special day, then look no further. Atiya, Jenn, and the team at the Penn Museum can deliver you the wedding of your dreams just as they did for us.

CxRA and the Penn Museum staff were amazing to work with. Guests absolutely raved about the food quality. The venue is such a unique space and we had an amazing time. Two tips - be sure that you book early enough in the season to avoid heat (no AC, but wasn't an issue on April 9), and plan proactively for speeches. The rotunda doesn't lend itself to acoustics so you lose out on band time.

To say that the Penn Museum went above and beyond for us on our wedding day would be a complete understatement. Let me tell you — this venue and their dream team were beyond exceptional, Attiya and Jenn in particular! Where to start.

First - the Museum itself is stunning! The pictures don’t do it justice. Located in the heart of University City, Philadelphia on UPenn’s campus - the museum was such a creative and special place for us to tie the knot. Rich with history and stories of cultures from across the world, when Attiya showed us around we knew immediately that this was the place. I’ll get to this miracle worker in a second but first I wanna hit on our truly magical run-of-show. The Museum staff gave us two classrooms to prep once we arrived - super clutch for sprucing up, any costume changes, and a safe space to keep our stuff. We did our photos beforehand with hair and makeup fresh and ready to go in the back Stoner Courtyard by the fountain which was perfect. We were greeted with a plate of cheese and wine and an Attiya there to help settle our nerves with reassurance that all prepped and that the ceremony would go off without a hitch. Then we were off to the races! We got married in the Warden Garden with our parents walking us down the gorgeous steps from the main entrance of the building with the beautiful Coy pond adjacent to our entrance. After that, while everyone made moves to the reception on the main floor in the Sphinx Gallery, my new wife and I snuck away to the rooftop for a moment to ourselves with some bubbly. From there we joined our guests for cocktails and passers in the Sphinx Gallery with speeches there from our Maid of Honor and Best Man on the side steps. After that we headed up to the most magical dinner of our lives. You’ve probably seen the Chinese Rotunda online. It was simply breathtaking with the lighting and florals. We did our first dance upon our entrance (gotta be a slow dance because of the delicate statues) and then our parent dances after the first course. Cut the cake, and then danced the night away in the Egypt Gallary next door. We closed up the night with hot Philly pretzels and made our exit under sparklers in the Warden Garden where we’d just been married a few hours ago - facilitated by the amazing Penn Museum Staff.

That brings me to one of the most important parts of this review. Attiya. Wow. This woman is one of the most organized, get shit done no matter what, intelligent, people I’ve ever met. Eager to problem-solve with her astute knowledge having organized weddings for couples many times before - we leaned on her wisdom through the duration of our planning. Also she is an awesome human being who we really enjoyed being around. A good thing for us because we had so many questions with planning around COVID and making things work with our guests, vendors, and run-of-show. Let me tell you, planning a wedding during a pandemic is not for the faint of heart. Attiya was responsive, honest, straight forward yet kind - and very obviously knew what she was doing. It felt like she truly wanted our wedding day to be as fabulous as we did, almost like a friend or family member would. Attiya is a great leader and we are so grateful she was there to guide us through the planning and day of. Sometimes we’d be like … let’s do this! And she’d be like, I like that but here are some things to think about based on what I’ve seen. (SO HELPFUL!) She’d listen to our ideas and always try to make it work. Attiya made our day so special. We simply couldn’t have done it without her.



We did our catering with CxRA and were blessed beyond measure to have Jenn lead the way on this hugely important piece. She helped us create a innovative and delicious signature cocktail for the reception and helped us piece together everything from the bar menu, to the apps, to the cake, to the full dinner itself. Jenn organized a menu that blew us away and presented us with options that utilize fresh, local ingredients, by chefs who care deeply about getting it right. The food represented a tireless dedication to quality and Jenn was there to ensure every aspect of our catering went off without a hitch. Our reception apps were AMAZING:
- Jumbo lump crab cake
- Maine lobster
- Jumbo shrimp cocktail
- Creekstone farm beef tenderloin
- Smoked gouda
- Garlic glazed chicken Starters
For dinner we served:
- Barolo Braised Beef Short Rib, Olive Oil Whipped Potatoes, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Cipollini Onions, Aged Balsamic
- Miso Glazed Salmon, Ginger Carrot Puree, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, 5 Spice Red Wine Reduction
- Ricotta Tortellini, San Marzano Tomato & Butter Emulsion, Pecorino, Toasted Bread Crumbs, Basil
Our party desserts were:
- Dark chocolate ganache
- Caramel cheesecake
- Lime Coconut Cream Tart, Mango
- Mini apple pie
*This worked great because everyone got some sweet treats as we moved to the dance party … and then upon their departure got bags of our cake at the exit door! (We did the traditional thing and saved a layer of our cake to enjoy on our anniversary.)
As you can imagine … the food was one of the best parts of the wedding. It was also an aspect that we didn’t really worry much about after the tasting with Jenn. We knew this woman had everything covered and that the food would be amazing. Believe me - it was!

This review is already way too long and I’m not even close to finished but I will close with this. We had the wedding of our dreams at the Penn Museum. If you’re looking for good people and the most magical spot to make the promise of a lifetime before your family and friends? This place is next to none. 10/10 stars. You won’t be disappointed. We’re 6 months out and already eager to plan a vow renewal so we can do it all again!

The Penn Museum was the perfect venue for our party. Their incredible events team and gorgeous spaces made our celebration beyond perfect. Atiya and Angela were so wonderful to work with- super professional, reliable, and responsive. Highly recommend planning your event here!

COVID-couple here. After reducing our wedding to the bare minimums, we were still too large for Philly's indoor rules. We're so thankful that Angela at the Penn Museum was so helpful, flexible, and arranged our wedding venue basically two weeks before the day.
My husband and I have said a thousand times since that day, we don't know why we didn't reach out to the Penn Museum from the onset. The Stoner Courtyard was an absolutely beautiful backdrop for our wedding.

We could not have been more happy with our wedding at the Penn Museum! Atiya (Penn Museum) and Jamie (CxRA catering) were such a pleasure to work with and ensured that everything went perfectly on the big day!
We had an October 2019 ceremony in the Stoner Courtyard, followed by cocktails in the Warden Garden, then dinner in the Chinese Rotunda, and dancing in the Egypt Gallery and definitely recommend this flow to the evening. Our -225 guests were blown away by the venue, the food and the staff. They remarked that it was a great experience exploring the museum during the cocktail hour. Jamie and the chefs were able to provide some delicious South Asian-inspired dishes, which our guests loved.

Both Atiya and Jamie were always available to answer questions we had about the venue and ensured that we stayed on top of things during the planning process. Our favorite part about getting married at the Penn Museum, beyond it going better than we could have ever imagined, is that we’ll forever be able to return to the museum and walk around as guests reliving the night.

Atiya (from Penn Museum) and Jamie (from the exclusive caterer Restaurant Associates) were an outstanding team that provided a flawless and first class experience. They were in constant contact throughout the pre-wedding process with reminders and advice. Penn Museum was an absolutely stunning and elegant venue that had options in terms of locations on the museum grounds (it was nice to have an indoor backup option in case of weather). Restaurant Associates provided a variety of choices in terms of food and beverages, and they were all outstanding. It will certainly be a wedding experience we wont forget and would not do any differently, in part because of Atiya and Jamie.

My husband and I were married in March at the Penn Museum. I had gone to the Penn Museum a number of times on school trips and always thought the building was incredible. We visited a number of venues when we first got engaged and were so impressed with the space at the Penn Museum and with the professionalism of the staff. Atiya was incredible and answered all of our questions promptly and comprehensively as we were making our decision. It wasn't hard to choose the museum, and there was never a moment that we regretted our decision. Working with Michelle and CxRA was such a wonderful experience. She was exceptionally accommodating in helping us put together a day that fit our
needs, budget, and guests. All of the food, especially the spiced salmon (so amazing!), was delicious. We just loved working with Michelle and Atiya.
Needless to say, the wedding day was one of the best day of our lives. After the wedding, a number of guests told us that it was the absolute coolest wedding venue they had ever been at. There is nothing about the space that is cookie-cutter and it was so incredible that our guests could explore the museum throughout the entirety of the wedding. We are so happy we chose the Penn Museum and would recommend it to any couple interested in having a unique, timeless, and beautiful wedding.

I got married in March 2019 and people are still talking about 2 things- how amazing the Penn Museum is as a wedding venue and how delicious the food was. Atiya and Michelle were amazing to work with. From the start they had amazing recommendations on DJs, cake, how the day should flow- they just made it super easy, including handling last minute (like less than 24 hours) changes to the guest list. The catering staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating to our guests.
If anything went not to plan (and I seriously doubt that the team at the Museum would let that happen, but, you know, stuff happens), neither my husband nor I knew about it, that’s how seamless the day was.

The Penn Museum staff and catering team were amazing and our wedding turned out better than we could ever imagine. The museum's indoor and outdoor spaces are beautiful and give you flexibility to customize your event. The food is truly restaurant quality - our guests raved about this for days after the wedding. Our museum and catering coordinators (Hladini and Jamie, the best!) were very responsive and anticipated our needs. Could not have asked for a better day! I would also suggest using the recommended vendors as they are familiar with the unique spaces, lighting/sound needs, and design elements.

We had so much fun hosting our wedding in Penn Museum. The venue is very charming, with a touch of old antique and nice tall ceiling. We worked with Hladini and Jamie on the venue and catering. I have to say that working with them gave me the best assurance and I couldn't thank them enough of the support they provided. The venue was elegant, the food was delicious, and the service was superb.

This museum holds a special place in our hearts. Bill and I had our first date, walking through the beautiful halls and exhibits in spring of 2014 and he later proposed to me in the Chinese Rotunda on 2/24/18. When researching venues, I initially thought that the Penn Museum would be way out of our budget . I did a bit of research and found the Sweet and Simple Ceremony and contacted Hladini Mensah
Hladini answered all of my annoying questions and countless emails. She helped ease our nerves and even held one of our bags that held my spare shoes.
Our Simple and Sweet ceremony was held in the Upper Egyptian Gallery on a beautiful Thursday in November. It was a perfect day!

My husband and I were married in the gorgeous Stoner Courtyard in October. Hladini, the coordinator who helped us plan, she was simply THE BEST. She responded to all of our NUMEROUS emails so quickly, answering all of our questions, helping us through all the logistics; we were so lucky to have her. Our guests loved the Courtyard, the trees were lush with the trickling sounds of the water fountain.... if you are planning for a very intimate wedding and wanna make your laugh and cry at a beautiful venue with the best helper in the world, Penn Museum is the one. :)

Fantastic group!Easy work with

Penn Museum is a gorgeous non-conventional venue with multiple different rooms/exhibitions/gardens available for use, and the coordinators (Atiya and Hladini) cannot be more helpful or friendly. Initially we were slightly concerned about having to use the exclusive in-house caterer - CxRA, worrying that we don't have much flexibilities or options. But CxRA (Michelle as the coordinator) had been nothing but flexible and excellent in their quality of food and service. Michelle and the chef even helped us create appetizers and desserts that were not on the menu. On the wedding day, Atiya and Michelle ran the show perfectly. Although we were repeatedly told by married friends to expect something to go wrong on our wedding day, we honestly could not think of anything that went wrong (thanks to our other vendors as well). And all of our guests could not stop talking about how great the venue and food were. So THANK YOU, Penn Museum!

My wife and I were looking for a unique wedding venue in Philadelphia and thankfully we stumbled across the Penn Museum by chance. Atiya was absolutely fabulous to work with and immediately made us feel welcomed from the very beginning. Additionally, she was always very responsive with any questions that we had and really goes above and beyond to make sure everything is set for the day. The venue is absolutely stunning and it's amazing that you can take advantage of multiple spaces that are available from the courtyard outside (where we had our ceremony) to the beautiful Chinese Rotunda and Upper Egypt Gallery for dinner and dancing. Michelle from Restaurant Associates (the museum's exclusive caterer) took fantastic care of us and the food was simply delicious! We highly recommend that anyone consider the Penn Museum for a wedding or event!

My daughters wedding on 4/15/18 was so incredible that one guest remarked "how do you top this" LOL We weren't looking for a perfect day, just a happy one but we got perfection anyway. the venue is so gorgeous it takes your breath away. The catering manager and Facilities manager are so exceptional that they made the planning a pleasure. It was fun from start to finish. They are the best!! Price per guest and rental space was comparable to other places but nothing can touch them for elegance.

We couldn't have asked for a better venue. In fact we got this place by luck. I had an 8 month planning session (which apparently is fairly difficult). It just so happened an even the museum was planning to run was canceled and I got the October 7th weekend. It was beautiful, the staff was very professional and I couldn't' have asked for a better spot. The only thing I would note is that there is no air conditioner and we somehow got an 80 degree day on October 7th, so it was slightly hot on the dance floor.

I would highly recommend the Penn Museum as a wedding venue. First of all, the CxRA caterer that is affiliated with the venue is awesome. The food is absolutely delicious and visually appealing while the catering director, Michelle, is really easy to work with. Both the Penn Museum's facility director and coordinator, Atiya and Hladini, are also very professional and easy to work with. Hladini was assigned to us on our wedding day, and I couldn't be more impressed. I brought in a lot of DIY projects and was nervous about the coordination of set up, however, Hladini helped me and my family feel so comfortable and calm. Thank you to the Penn Museum team!

From start to finish, Atiya and Michelle were wonderful to work with, very quick with responses and help. Food outstanding. Cake beautiful and tasted wonderful. Staff was fabulous. A wedding never to forget. Thanks so much for a wonderful wedding. Sarah & Bo

I truly can’t recommend the Penn Museum more highly. Working with Atiya and Michelle was an absolute pleasure. They made every aspect of planning this huge event a joy. We feel incredibly lucky to have had such a thoughtful, professional, and talented crew as part of our big day. Guests are still talking about how magical the wedding was!! They are so flexible (don’t have to call indoor vs outdoor til 10am the morning of) and were super accommodating to any request. We had a wedding with 155 guests in October. The ceremony was in Pepper Hall/Buddhism Gallery, cocktail hour in Lower Egypt, dinner in the Chinese Rotunda, and dancing in Upper Egypt. Our guests faces when they walked into each room were PRICELESS. We were initially a little worried about having an in house caterer but CXRA is absolute best case scenario. The food was fantastic. If we had chosen a different venue I would have wanted to pay them to come to us! I also highly recommend using Philly Star Events for your DJ and for lighting. They are experts in this unique venue. We had Kaitlyn Phillips as our day/month-of coordinator and I cannot speak more highly of her. I had ZERO stress on my wedding day, no lie! Our wedding day will forever be so special and even the guest photos are spectacular because the museum is so lovely!

Artifacts remain present during the ceremony/reception, creating an amazingly memorable venue. Overall it was excellent to work with Atiya and the Penn Museum.

We can't thank the Penn Museum enough for our truly phenomenal and magical wedding day! The day flew by without any venue hitches. Atiya and Michelle were amazing and so on top of everything. Not one single thing went wrong. The food was absolutely delicious and the venue was gorgeous. If I had to do it all again, I wouldn't change a thing!

This was a spectacular place to get married. You have access to whole museum and they are quite flexible on how you use it. We loved it because you could do everything there including the ceremony. The caterer (Restaurant Associates) were awesome and many of our guests said it was the best 'wedding food' that they'd ever had. Also you can't beat the beauty of the Museum. We hardly used flowers because it was so gorgeous.

The museum is a wonderful place to have your wedding; you can choose from several different venues appropriate for different sized weddings. I highly recommend it.

My husband and I celebrated both our wedding ceremony and reception here, and we could not have asked for a more unique and beautiful venue! Atiya was so acommodating and professional, and Michelle and the CxRA team provided the most delicious food we've ever had. Guests were BLOWN AWAY by the venue, and I can't recommend it enough!!

Thank you so much for all your help Stefanie Sutton, you were attentive, responsive and kind!
Our expectations were surpassed for such short notice!
We were very happy with the outcome, exactly what we both wanted for our wedding ceremony; privacy, romanticism, mystery, and richness in ancient history!
Glad for having you being a part of our story!
<3

Obviously this review is a little overdue, as it's been eight months since our fantastic, 200+-guest wedding. But I couldn't possibly say enough good things about our experience. I work at the Penn Museum, and when I suggested having our wedding there to my wife, she loved the idea; her parents (who footed the bill) were thrilled with the idea, for the fact that it's so different a space than any country club—and far more beautiful. We enjoyed expert help and lightning-fast responses from Atiya, the Museum's Rentals Manager, as well as from Jenn, who manages the on-site catering on behalf of CxRA. The food was fantastic, the setting was perfect, and there were exactly zero problems throughout the planning process and the wedding itself. Since then, we've been inundated with compliments from family members about just how magical an evening it was. I cannot recommend enough this venue and its fantastic staff; if I had to go back and do this all over again, I'd do it exactly the same way.

An amazing and beautiful museum!

We were lucky enough to be able to get married in Lower Egypt. Our ceremony (in front of the Spinx Statue) will always be a memory never to be forgotten. Our memories are accompanied with gorgeous photos that are breathtaking and much different than regular wedding pictures.

If it wasn't for Stefanie helping us plan our wonderful day, none of it would have been possible. She was attentive, informative and extremely helpful. We look forward to spending more time in the museum, taking in all of the new and upcoming exhibits and always remembering the very special day the Penn Museum played in our lives.

Thank you.

Everything about my wedding at the Penn Museum was perfect! I was so nervous about how things would go, but I shouldn't have been. Atiya, Stef, and Michelle were so patient and wonderful to work with. They made sure that everything ran smoothly on the day-of. The food was amazing, the service top-notch, and the decor was fabulous--you can't really go wrong with beautiful objects from thousands/millions of years ago all around! My guest are STILL talking about my wedding more than two months later!! Everyone loved it. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a spectacular venue with amazing service.

We absolutely loved the Penn Museum. Atiya made us feel welcome from the very moment we stepped into the museum and took incredible care of us throughout the entire process. She was extremely attentive and quick in getting back to our emails and calls, always putting us at ease and ensuring our needs were met. We cannot say enough amazing things about her and the entire museum staff. The venue itself is unbelievably beautiful, from the courtyard where we had our ceremony, to the Chinese Rotunda where we had dinner, to the Upper Egypt Gallery where we had desserts and dancing. Our guests were blown away by the space and were amazed by the yummy food! Michelle of Restaurant Associates took incredible care of us as well. She ensured that our guests had the premium dining experience and everyone left raving about the food. We honestly cannot do this venue and the staff enough justice in this review. You really have to see it to believe it. We are grateful beyond belief and recommend this to anyone looking for a space to have their wedding or any event for that matter!

The Penn Musuem was so great, and I have such wonderful things to say about them, but I'll try to keep it brief: they were professional and easy to work with throughout the entire process, they thought of all the details and made sure things ran smoothly even when I totally dropped the ball on things (we didn't bring a cake topper, and Michelle kept me from stressing by using flowers from a centerpiece to hide the pole that was sticking up, and it honestly looked so professionally done and intentional I couldn't believe it), the food was incredible (they have all their events catered in-house) and all of our guests were in disbelief by the quality of food and the bar list. From all I've heard that the bride and groom don't eat or drink at their own wedding, I couldn't believe it but I ate my entire plate of food, we had our own personal host follow us around with apps and getting us drinks, we were able to talk to every table throughout the dinner, and I was able to dance to about 80% of the songs. This is because they figured all the details out for us and ensured that we were taken care of all night. At one point, I asked for a red bull vodka, and they sent someone to find a vending machine to get me one even though I made it clear if they didn't have one it was no big deal. They seriously were just so professional and nice and detail-oriented, in addition to having an amazing venue and food that everyone loved. I seriously just can't say enough good things about the Penn Museum for a wedding or event of any sort!

The Penn museum was absolutely the perfect place to have our wedding. The staff was absolutely wonderful every step of the way.

Our guests were completely wowed by the decor. We were originally supposed to have the wedding in the courtyard, but a thunder storm forced us inside into the Sphinx gallery—which was awesome. Anyone can get married in a rustic themed wedding outside. Who gets married in front of a Sphinx. It was beautiful and memorable and absolutely amazing. I cannot recommend it more.

Having our wedding at thr Penn museum was fantastic, we got complemented a lot by friends and family for our choice of venue. The service was phenomenal. the staff was quickly responsive to all our concerns before and during the wedding. I certainly will recommend this venue to all couples. great affordability, excellent service.

I loved having my wedding at the Penn Museum. It was a magical experience because of the world and exquisite ambience of the galleries, delicious food provided by Catering and Restaurant Associates, and the wonderful staff. I was a little worried about something going wrong because I didn't have an event planner, but Stefanie Sutton (rentals coordinator) did an amazing job making sure all went as planned. The entire catering team was a pleasure to work with as well. My wedding was truly the best night of my life

We couldn't have chosen a more beautiful location for our wedding ceremony. It was gorgeous and intimate, and made for fantastic pictures. The only downsides were that the lighting in the museum is designed to highlight the artifacts, so mostly lit from above which cast shadows, and that there is no air conditioning, so it was a little steamy.

We recently used the Penn Museum for our Simple and Sweet wedding and we couldn’t be happier. The lower Sphinx Gallery provided a fabulous back drop for our ceremony. Stefanie was very friendly, responsive to our many questions, and helped us make our day perfect. The staff was very accommodating to us by assisting with set up. We could not have asked for a better location as our guests continue to talk about how perfect the ceremony was.

These five stars are truly deserved--hands down a perfect winter wedding venue. It is gorgeous, and an exceptional value--you have the run of the entire museum! The museum staff and caterer (Atiya and Jenn, respectively) were tremendously helpful and accommodating, absolutely invaluable in going the extra mile to make sure it was perfect (and exactly as we wanted it). Really couldn't be better.

It's probably not possible to find a more beautiful venue in Philadelphia which is obvious from seeing pictures on the site etc. But what you can't see is that behind the scenes there is an AMAZING team that will provide you with the most perfect day of your life (even if things beyond your control happen). My guests left with in awe of both a beautiful venue AND amazing food! Not just like oh the food was good for a wedding but like gushing over how it was way beyond what anyone expects from even a restaurant none the less at a wedding! I couldn't have been more happy about that! The catering manager (Jenn Mikos) is very nice and patient and with work with you through all of your food needs and design requests no matter how many times you go back and forth about the table clothes. Due to unforeseen circumstances our ceremony ran late but Jenn stepped right in and knew how to handle the food distribution to get us back on track! She was so calm and confident that it helped to keep me cool! I can't say enough good things about the director of facility rentals (Atiya German). Atiya gets things done while being the sweetest person! From day 1 Atiya gives you her undivided attention and clearly knows her stuff! Beyond that she personally made sure my wedding day was perfect. She made me feel like my day wasn't just work to her but like it was her own friends wedding that she had to make sure went off with out a hitch. I can guarantee that with Jenn and Atiya as the team behind the Penn Museum a wedding day here will be PERFECT!

The Penn Museum is an incredible venue! The space is not only beautiful but totally unique, with an astonishing range of indoor and outdoor areas available for both ceremony and reception. Not only that, the entire team is a joy to work with. I knew we were in good hands with Atiya and Jenn from the moment we met them. They are true professionals, and their humor and hard work made what could have been a stressful process seem like a breeze. The catering and security staff that worked the night of the wedding were also all pros -- I can't say enough good things about this place. We had such an wonderful experience, I want someone else I know to get married there so I can go back and do it all again as a guest!

Oh, and the food, indeed, is delicious! It was one of the things people commented on most -- particularly the hanger steak.

I got married at the Penn Museum this past October and it was the most incredible experience. Everything was perfect and we could not have asked for a better experience. We used the following rooms: Lower Egypt for the ceremony, Warden Garden for cocktail hour, Chinese Rotunda for dinner and Upper Egypt for dancing.

We chose the museum after visiting in September 2013. We were enamored with the idea of getting married in front of the Sphinx and having our reception in the gorgeous Chinese Rotunda. We first met with Atiya German who really helped us to plan out our entire day. We felt so comfortable that we took a few months off from planning, (I wouldn't recommend!) but Atiya was always patient with us and made sure we got all of the necessary information to her on time. Atiya also made my dreams come true by allowing us to have fire dancers for our cocktail reception!

As for the food, it is the best wedding food you will ever have! Jen Mikos from Restaurant & Associates is the caterer and all I have to say about this is that they should open up a separate restaurant because the food is amazing! We have been to weddings catered by Garces and Starr and honestly the food can't compare. My guests were looking for second plates to eat!

The day of the wedding was amazing. Every single staff member at the museum was so kind and so helpful. One of the guards even helped me cut off a string that was dragging from my dress right before I walked down the aisle. Everything went off without a hitch. Our guests were amazed with the space and really loved that each moment of the day had a unique space and feel to it.

The only drawback is the cost of lighting. The labor costs can be pretty high so make sure you figure out these costs in advance so you can include it in your budget.

Overall, this is a truly unique and special place to get married and if you want to wow your guests this is the place to go!

Having our wedding at the Penn Museum was, aesthetically, a phenomenal experience for us, and for our guests. Our guests gasped in awe when they walked into the Chinese Rotunda for dinner, and a highlight for my husband and me was also walking into the Rotunda - the sheer beauty of the space guarantees that your wedding there will be unique and remarkable.

Just as importantly, Jenn (who handled catering through Restaurant Associates) and Atiya (who is the Museum point-person) were the best team we worked with throughout our wedding planning process. They were always responsive (even when we were sending them numerous emails a day), and always flexible (even when it was the fifth time we were changing a very minor detail); they were also very warm and personable, which made the experience of wedding planning with them truly pleasant (while some aspects of wedding planning are inevitably stressful - working with Atiya and Jenn never was).

It should also be noted that the food was exceptional - numerous guests have told us it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding.

We will cherish our memories at the Penn Museum for years to come, as will our guests. We can't recommend more highly having your wedding here - it was a wonderful experience from start to finish, and Jenn and Atiya are truly the best.

Our wedding ceremony was located in Stoner Courtyard at the museum. The patterned brick, fountain, and trees provided for a beautiful backdrop as we declared our vows to each other. It was exactly what we wanted and an excellent venue if you're looking for an outdoor ceremony in the middle of the city. The staff, especially Atiya, were incredibly helpful and went above and beyond in helping to make everything perfect on the day-of.

The Penn Museum was everything we could hope for in a wedding venue. The best part about the Museum as a wedding venue is that you get to pick and choose from at least six different exhibits/locations on the Museum property to host the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner reception and dancing, so your guests get to experience the full museum. It even rained on our wedding day and we moved our ceremony inside to a location we hadn't otherwise considered before that afternoon -- and it worked out beautifully. Atiya and Jenn are great to work with throughout the planning process and made sure everything ran smoothly. Couldn't have asked for anything more!

This was absolutely the most amazing wedding venue. We looked all over the city to find something unique and this hit every mark. The team was so flexible and so helpful every step of the way. They really gave us our dream wedding. I highly recommend the penn museum. It will blow your guests minds in very way. Atiya and her team are fantastic. The food is also exceptional quality for restaurant associates.

Our wedding was amazing, and the Penn Museum was an important reason why. My guests were in awe of their surroundings and were blown away by the beauty of the spaces, of which we used many including the Lower and Upper Egypt Galleries, the Chinese Rotunda and the Warden Garden (particularly beautiful in April when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Atiya, Jenn and the entire Museum staff were incredibly helpful. My wife and I had many requests on everything (spaces, timing, chairs, etc.) and they were very accommodating. We even asked for a specific tailored menu which included regional cuisine that the kitchen hadn't prepared before, and they nailed it. Would recommend to anyone.

We booked for the Penn Museum's Simple and Sweet Wedding Package, and it has been a great experience. We wanted to have a ceremony, but nothing to big or expensive.
You can book the wedding during business hours Monday- Friday and invite about 30 guests. The atmosphere is so much better than just running down to City Hall AND as a bonus my fiance (soon-to-be husband) are getting museum memberships that are included in the $350 price! This is seriously the best inexpensive wedding option in Philadelphia.

We are so happy we chose to have our wedding at the Penn Museum. Our friends and family are still talking about how amazing it was. The venue itself is stunning, of course. We worked with Atiya, who could not have made the process any easier. She was so helpful in the planning stages, and really made it worry-free. On the wedding day, I don't know how she did it, but she would just appear instantly when needed. She made sure everything was in place, everyone was where they were supposed to be, and the day ran so smooth. I would highly recommend the Penn Museum for a wedding, or any special event.

I couldn't imagine having my wedding anywhere else! They were incredible. The venue was gorgeous, the food was fantastic, and everyone had a really great time. Atiya German went above and beyond to make sure the day went smoothly, and she was an absolutely pleasure to work with. Sometimes I felt like we were bombarding her with tiny questions, but she was always gracious in answering them (always promptly) and at no point did we feel like our wedding wasn't in good hands.

Spacious, historical, incredible architecture and great design. On a beautiful day, there is no better place to marry! It rained a little bit on our day, but it was still a legendary place and we would recommend it for any bride!

Breathtaking would be the one word I would use to describe my wedding at the Penn Museum. While all newlyweds aspire for an evening to remember, my husband and I wanted to also offer an experience worth traveling halfway across the country to have. Without a doubt, our guests were transported when they walked into the Lower Egyptian Gallery enjoying cocktails and h’ors d’oeuvres under the watchful eyes of the Spynhx. The journey through our night continued as our guests climbed the staircase to the Upper Egyptian Gallery and dined where West meets East in the Chinese Rotunda. As our friends and families mingled amidst the blending of the two hemispheres we could not believe how transcendent an evening the setting had offered us. Dancing the evening away alongside sarcophagi only enhanced the magic and mysticism of the night!

we had the absolute pleasure of working with Jenn Mikos from Wolfgang Puck Catering (formerly Restaurant Associates) as the exclusive caterer to the Penn Museum. Jenn was incredibly flexible and creative and the food was absolutely amazing. Jenn and her staff did an incredible job of ensuring my husband and I had a chance to have a glass of champagne and taste the hors d'oeuvres prior to joining our guests for the cocktail hour, and ensured our glass was always full. did I mention how great the food was? DELICOUS! and the room for dinner literally took my breath away with how stunning it was. Jenn worked hand in hand with our florist (Nature's Gallery) to design the most beautiful tables for our guests. we can't thank Jenn enough!

I had such a great experience working with the staff here. They were so easy to work with the months prior to the wedding to make decisions and organize the day. Then, they were utterly professional the night of the wedding, and I owe it all to them that the night ran as smoothly as it did. They ran things and yet you didn't even notice their presence.

The Penn Museum was SUCH a beautiful venue!! I had my sangeet there. The moment I walked in, I was taken aback by how beautiful the Chinese Rotunda and the gardens are. It is already a stunning venue but when I saw it with the lighting and the decor, my jaw dropped! The sangeet dances looked amazing with the rotunda backdrop & with Indian decor. I would definitely recommend for sangeets with less than 215 guests.

For anyone thinking of doing a buyout to use an outside caterer, just a heads up that you have to use a smaller kitchen and it might incur rental fees of kitchen equipment beyond the buyout price. I would work this out with your caterers well in advance of the wedding.

The staff is so sweet - every single person gave such genuine wishes & blessings. I really enjoyed working with them!!

Everything went great, and they were extremely helpful with last minute alterations, set-up, and clean-up. While you only have one catering option with this venue, the quality of that is also exceptional.

We absolutely had the most amazing reception at the Penn Museum. Our wedding was over three months ago and our family is still talking about it! Everything was perfect. Atiya and Jenn bent over backwards for us an really shined the day of the wedding. Everything was in place, the food was incredible and the venue was breathtaking! We can't thank them enough.

We're so happy with how beautiful and perfect our wedding was! The Penn Museum is a great choice if you want an urban and elegant setting, but looking for a stunning and unique alternative to a ballroom or hotel. There's various spaces to choose from, almost all of which will make you and your guests go wow. You'll get to work with an excellent and efficient venue and catering team too. You have to use the catering that comes with the musuem (CxRA) but technically they are separate from the musuem. Both sides were extremely flexible and work well together. We liked the food choices offered by catering (the food is delicious) but they are very willing to customize the menu for you as well. We took advantage of that for our bar choices and they were able to get us a beer that typically isn't available in Philly area. We also added another logistically onerous personal touch -- a Pittsburgh cookie table. It was their first time doing it and they displayed it beautifully. Only (small) negative I would say is that catering is extremely busy so sometimes responses and communication were delayed on the catering side, however on the day of you would have thought we were their only client. Everything went perfectly and according to plan. It is clear Atiya, Jenn, Allison, and all the staff want your big day to be amazing and it showed not only in the perfect execution, but on their faces as well. Everyone was so happy for us and excited. We are thrilled we chose Penn Museum and highly recommend!

Atiya and Michelle were amazing! From the first day we met them, we felt completely at ease. They made our wedding planning process seamless and were both supportive and accommodating for our complicated wedding. The museum is also a beautiful venue with many settings for different parts of our wedding, from the ceremony to cocktail reception to dinner.

When we got engaged, we knew that we wanted to have an intimate summer wedding. Our primary goal was to get married and share the moment with our closest family and friends. We had no interest in elaborate spending for a single day, although we definitely wanted to have a beautiful and meaningful event. We stumbled across the option for a "simple" wedding at Penn Museum and immediately knew that we wanted to book there. We scheduled a brief tour and were even more enamored by the idea. While the event was easily affordable, I must say, our "simple" wedding was anything but simple for the mere fact that the facility itself is stunning. Our guests were impressed. The exclusive catering services were awesome (even tailored to our budget requests), and all of our guests enjoyed themselves immensely. All of the staff were kind and extremely accommodating on the day of our wedding. During the planning process, a response was not always immediate (we mainly communicated via email), but we weren't necessarily in a rush about anything. There was no lack in communication and the caterer and event planner kept everything on track. The amount of time from my casual inquiry about the venue to our wedding day was exactly 4 months and we honestly couldn't be more thrilled with our experience. We had our dream wedding!

We chose the Penn Museum after doing extensive research, and are extremely happy that we did. It was by far the most beautiful and unique wedding venue we visited. We used several of the rooms throughout the evening, each room more memorable than the last, culminating in a breathtaking dinner in the Chinese Rotunda. Everything--from the food to the decor to the service--turned out just as we'd hoped.

So many guests told us that this was the coolest wedding they had ever been to, and I completely agree. Wonderful scenery, friendly helpful staff. Definitely a bit pricey, but the caterer and all the vendors made adjustments to bring some things in line with our budget. Best day of my life.

Atiya and Jenn at the Penn Museum were wonderful! The museum is such a unique and wonderful venue and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an unusual wedding venue location!

Our wedding at the penn museum was a dream. Even after visiting several times and looking at numerous pictures of weddings at the museum-it exceeded our expectations. Our guests loved the venue as well and were awed. The only negative was communications midway to the end of the planning process. Hearing back via email often times took a week or so. Additionally, our point of contact changed for both the museum and catering -however they were also incredibly nice and did a phenomenal job. The membership, bowl, and cooking oils was such an unexpected and lovely surprise.

It is hard to know where to begin to describe my experience hosting a wedding at the Penn Museum. I am currently a few months past the "big day" and I still have friends and family coming up to me to tell me it was the best wedding they have EVER been to (and of course I would have to agree)! A huge part of that is due to the incredible setting and staff at the Penn Museum. Leading up to our wedding Atiya and Michelle worked with my husband, myself, and my parents to bring our collective vision to life. They were accommodating with our suggestions and available to lend advice when needed. There is no way it would have gone off without them. Extra bonus for having them there on the actual day as well. We had our ceremony outside, cocktails in the Sphinx Room in Lower Egypt and the dinner and dancing in Chinese Rotunda/ Upper Egypt. Guests couldn't believe they had their own "night at the museum". Beyond the amazing artifacts and architectural details, the food was delicious, drinks were flowing, and the staff were kind and helpful. The Museum is such a unique and special venue for any event, and we are so thankful that we got to have our most important day there.

Overall, we were very happy with our experience at the Penn Museum. While everything isn't perfect, the beauty of the venue outweighed the negatives for us.

Pros: - Amazing unique spaces. Our guests loved being able to view the exhibits and be surrounded by the artifacts, especially in Lower Egypt with the sphinx. Several commented that they felt like they were celebrities at a gala or 'James Bond'! We love our photos and the fact that many of our guests continue to comment on the venue and how unique it was.
- Outdoor + indoor spaces for large wedding size. Other museums in the Philly area weren't able to accommodate our number of guests and still have the outdoor ceremony I had always dreamed of with an indoor reception.
- Coordinators and staff. Atiya is professional, responsive, and accommodating. She was very helpful in coordinating with the different vendors on day of. We were even able to store many of our wedding decor items, including the chuppah, in her office's storage until a few days later for pickup. The security guards were also very helpful and friendly.

Cons:
- Layout of event spaces. You do need to navigate a bit through the museum if utilizing the most popular spaces (Warden Garden to Lower Egypt to Chinese Rotunda). While this enables guests to see exhibits, it was tough on our guests with limited mobility. There are also only a few elevators available to get from Lower Egypt to Chinese Rotunda, which is tough when there are a large number of wedding guests.
- No A/C - currently the museum is getting renovated gallery by gallery and this is one of the improvements being made, but for our wedding the first week of May on a cool (60-65 degrees) day, it still got warm inside with all the lighting. Mostly felt by me, the bride, in my heavy-ish dress and by the men in tuxedos/suits.
- Renovations lead to limited room/date availability. (Our preferred room for 'rain plan', which luckily we didn't need to use, was unavailable due to renovations.)
- Exclusive partnerships with catering, bar options, and lighting - it can be nice to have options if you are looking to cut costs on some of these areas, especially on bar packages (the exclusive vendor did not have a 'well liquor' open bar, only top shelf liquor or wine/beer). We loved our food but it was on the pricier end when we compared to catering packages at other venues in the Philly area.
- No free parking for guests

Our wedding was magical - truly the best venue in the city of Philadelphia. It took a lot of planning, work and money but we do not regret a single thing.

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is a gorgeous place to have your wedding. Stefanie, Jenn, and the other staff are helpful and will do their utmost to help you plan the wedding of your dreams. Like all wedding venues, make sure that their requirements and restrictions match your own expectations. I would heartily recommend this as a wedding venue for a unique and beautiful wedding venue.

Weddings at Penn Museum are amazing and one of a kind! The environment, setting, and ambiance could not be better. It is a little bit pricey but it is a truly beautiful and unique space and the food was fantastic. Atiya and Michelle are both incredibly nice and do a wonderful job. They can sometimes be very busy but they are super flexible, helpful, and accommodating. They gave us tons of options and really helped us achieve our vision. Everything was absolutely perfect, we got so many compliments, our guests loved everything, and we couldn't be happier, it was beautiful!

The venue is beautiful---everything we dreamed of for our wedding. The catering was restricted, however, they were willing to work with us to prepare a menu that suited our guests. There's no air conditioning in the building, so the dates are restricted as well. However, we did not have any issues in October. I highly recommend this venue even though it's a bit pricey.