21c Museum Hotel
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21c Museum Hotel Photos
About This Vendor
Historic Ballroom, Contemporary Art Museum & Hotel
21c Museum Hotel is a full-service hotel wedding venue in Durham, NC. The property has multiple spaces across its 10,500 square feet and features a luxury hotel as well as a contemporary art museum full of exhibits and event spaces. The hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With a convenient location in downtown Durham, you and your guests won’t have to go far to find plenty of local activities and dining options. Facilities and Capacity The foyer of the 21c Durham has green marble and silver leaf ceilings that have been preserved by the design team, who were also able to maintain the terrazzo floors throughout the facility. The Main Gallery can seat up to 130 guests with a dance floor and can host a standing reception for 200 people, while the art galleries on the 2nd floor can host up to 180 guests for a conversation-starting cocktail hour. There are also several private galleries that are wonderful options for more intimate weddings, including the underground bank vault built as part of the original 1930s building. The on-site restaurant, Counting House, has a private dining room that can accommodate up to 32 guests. For additional convenience, valet is available. Wheelchair accessibility is fully available. Services Offered Couples who book their wedding at 21c will be encouraged to think green while planning their wedding. 21c is a full-service catering venue with a variety of table styles, Herman Miller chairs, black or white linens, china, glassware and flatware. Getting-ready rooms are available to be rented for both sides of the bridal party. If you want to have all of your wedding events in one place, you can host your engagement party, bridal shower, and rehearsal dinner at 21c Museum Hotel in addition to your ceremony and reception. The museum shop is able to arrange welcome gifts for your guests and wedding party if desired. Cuisine Counting House provides all catering for our weddings, and all menus are created by Executive Chef Stephanie Klos. As a 21c couple, you will receive a complimentary tasting so you can select the perfect menu for your wedding. Your choices of meal styles include a buffet, stations, or plated entrees, with optional desserts. The catering team can also accommodate a cocktail reception with hors d'oeuvres. We have a wide variety of wine, beer, liquor and specialty cocktails available for an open or cash bar. Accommodations The 125 guest rooms feature high ceilings, large windows, and customized furniture. The rooms have free WiFi, HD televisions, and coffee machines. You and your guests will feel completely refreshed after using the Malin + Goetz bath amenities and luxury bedding. 21c Museum Hotel also offers several other amenities, including: Spa (appointments available with 72-hour notice) 24-hour fitness center Laundry service Pet-friendly rooms In-room dining
Amenities & Details
Ceremony Area, Dressing Room, Handicap Accessible, Indoor Event Space, Liability Insurance, On-Site Accommodations, Reception Area, Wireless Internet
Guest CapacityUp to 200
Ceremony TypesCivil Union, Commitment Ceremony, Elopement, Interfaith Ceremony, Non-Religious Ceremony, Religious Ceremony, Second Wedding, Vow Renewal Ceremony
Venue Service OfferingsBar & Drinks, Cakes & Desserts, Destination Weddings, Food & Catering, Rentals & Equipment, Service Staff
SettingsBallroom, Historic Venue, Hotel, Museum, Restaurant
Business AttributesWoman-owned Business
Pricing for 21c Museum Hotel
| Option | Value |
|---|---|
| Starting Cost | Moderate |
| Cost Starting | |
| Price Range | $16,600 - $20,850+ |
| Couples Usually Spend | $18,750 |
| Peak Season Months | |
| Peak Season Cost | $16,600 - $20,850+ |
| Peak Season Reception Cost | |
| Peak Season Ceremony Cost | |
| Peak Season Bar Service Cost | |
| OffSeason Months | |
| OffSeason Cost | $16,600 - $20,850+ |
| OffSeason Reception Cost | |
| OffSeason Ceremony Cost | |
| OffSeason BarService Cost |
Browse 21c Museum Hotel pricing PDF below for sample services and estimates.
View Prices21c Museum Hotel Reviews
I would not get married here. If you choose to do so anyway, I would NOT use their catering, their bartenders, or their staff. I would hire outside vendors. The venue coordinator will not make an appearance on the day of your event, or assist with anything. The bartenders were extremely rude to me (the bride) and our guests and kept leaving the bar unattended. The worst part is that venue will make you 20 promises and not even fulfill 10. If you have guests with dietary issues and order special plates for them, they will never receive them and will not get to eat. The buffet was completely unattended and kept running out of food, so it took our guests (60 people) over an hour to get their food. Once all of our guests were able to get their plates, the staff LITERALLY started taking their plates from them as they were still eating. Many guests said they felt rushed and couldn’t believe people were grabbing their plates as they were actively eating. The cost per plate is very expensive so the fact that many of our guests didn’t get more than 5 minutes to eat is absolutely egregious. We were not in a rush, but the staff was acting like they were trying to hurry up and get us out, even though we had the venue until 11, and it was 7 pm. The hotel was also a mess. Our room keys stopped working several times on our wedding day and we were repeatedly locked out of our suite. And if you call the front desk and ask for towels, or anything, you can be sure you will never receive it. We also ordered lunch in advance for myself and the bridesmaids to come around noon, and it came around 2, when we had to be dressed and ready so we didn’t get to eat, and the food we did eat was cold. Overall, it sucked. The 21c messed up a lot. They forgot a lot. Dinner was a mess and your event does not matter. The staff makes it clear they want you out. I am heartbroken at how much money was spent on a reception in which our guests were unable to eat and the staff was despicable. Just go elsewhere.
Reviewed on 21-10-2023
21c Durham hosted a wonderful wedding weekend for my daughter & son-in-law, our family, and friends. Everything from Friday hotel check-ins to Sunday evening's wedding, cocktail hour, and reception was beyond all expectations. Trey at the front desk saved the rainy wedding day by securing a First-Look location, Jon took care of us from day one (a year prior) and Karina made every little detail perfect the day of. Axle, Brian, Amelia, and the rest of the valet crew took great care of all of our guests and helped us load in and load out. Emily took care of the room block and all guests had a seamless check-in. The tables were beautiful, the food was delicious, and the service was impeccable. Even though it rained all weekend, guests were kept warm and cozy in the Counting House and enjoyed touring the 2nd floor Art Gallery. The bridal brunch on the morning of the wedding in Gallery Five, the wedding ceremony and reception in the Main Gallery, and the Cocktail Hour in the 2nd floor Art Galleries were all so elegant and well-serviced by the staff. No little detail was overlooked. This was the first of many destination weddings coming up for our extended family and thanks to everyone at 21c Durham, we set the bar high!
Reviewed on 05-06-2023
If we could give this place 10 stars out of 5, we absolutely would. Everything, everything from the initial check in on Friday to us ending our wedding experience with brunch at the Counting House was the most amazing experience. We would do it all over again, but who wants to go through the wedding process again.I cannot stress enough Jon and his group went above and beyond their job requirements and made not only our experience a magical one, but also our guests’ as well. Food was also delicious. I would highly recommend anyone who is thinking about having their big day and are considering the 21c as their venue, STOP thinking and go with these guys. They know what they are doing, and most of all, have you seen this place, it’s amazing.
Reviewed on 31-05-2023
Wedding Date 05-11-2022
This is a bit of a difficult review to write; we had high hopes. Initially signing our contract was an easy process and we were glad that the hotel was willing to negotiate certain things. We knew the food at 21c Counting House is fantastic and appreciated the convenience/location of the venue. The kitchen was willing to modify some dishes to be all vegan as well and they were flexible on our dining packages since we wanted 3 entree options and no dessert options (we sourced our desserts from outside the venue). We also loved the artwork and uniqueness of the space.In the months leading up to our wedding things got a little dicey. Communication was not very good from the event coordinating staff, and it was clear they had serious internal disorganization and record-keeping problems. We loved working with Jon F. who unfortunately had to go on sudden leave, and we ended up working primarily with Karina. It was clear she was trying to pick up what Jon left off and was likely overburdened, which isn’t her fault, but it was not a smooth transition nor was she actually present for most of our wedding to help with coordination and support. She did help with bridging a serious language barrier with the waitstaff who spoke little to no English, but after that was not present for assistance.The hotel was OK. Many guests loved their rooms. The penthouse suite was really cool and accommodated our large bridal party very well. However the elevators continuously broke and it was clear they couldn’t support the number of people staying and using the elevators. There is only 1 elevator that goes to the rooftop suite which was a little bit of a nuisance. The hotel also had TV issues in multiple rooms, and there were some issues with their in-house dry cleaning service.For the big day, 21c promised numerous staff and assistants and they only delivered about half of what they told us. My planner and her assistant had to scramble to take on the jobs of several people and even run food to people who waited a while for their meals. The other glaring issue is we asked for a nut free event due to allergies and the kitchen immediately began serving a peanut sauce during cocktail hour. But one of the most obvious and embarrassing issues of all was the lighting for the space. It was controlled by an iPad that was overlooked and allowed to die. No one knew how to manually control the lights so we were dealing with the ballroom lights coming totally on at points, and totally off. You can liken it to being at a nightclub and all the lights coming on at once - it truly kills the vibe.There were a lot of high points. For the most part guests were unaware of some of these mess-ups occurring in the background, and they did find the venue very cool. The food was great, and Josh went above and beyond to help us out in the days leading up to the wedding and on the big day. Without Josh things would’ve gone much more sideways. Huge shoutout to him for doing his best and always being in our corner.21c did recognize the errors and they did provide both prompt and ample compensation after the event to make up for it, which was greatly appreciated. If you do have a wedding here my advice would be to keep it smaller and not too elaborate, at least while they’re dealing with the staffing and elevator issues. As an extra precaution I’d also advise having your planner bring multiple assistants to help with flipping the space and other tasks to avoid things being missed.
Reviewed on 28-11-2022
Wedding Date 09-12-2017
We booked the 21c for getting ready space + room block, but not the actual ceremony or reception.Our experience at the 21c was amazing! While I agree with one other reviewer that they have switched coordinators a couple times and that caused a slowdown in communication, it didn't create any major issues for us.Our guests were really happy with the rooms, especially at the price we got for the room block. The hotel staff was able to quickly & efficiently distribute the welcome bags to our guests, though we admittedly got them there late. They even hunted down guests who had checked in before we delivered the welcome bags to the hotel staff!The bridal party got ready in the Penthouse, which was a perfect spot to do so. The large bathroom was an idea spot for everyone to have hair & makeup done. We also had the Penthouse for the night of the wedding as a \"honeymoon suite\" and it was amazing. We got in the hot tub on the porch and had a soak which felt awesome after all that dancing in uncomfortable shoes! Management also sent up a bottle of champagne and red wine for us, which was a lovely surprise.All in all, our experience with the 21c for rooms & getting ready space was wonderful and I would highly recommend them!
Reviewed on 30-01-2018
Wedding Date 27-05-2017
MONEY STOLEN- MANAGEMENT IGNORED COMPLAINTS FOR A MONTHMy wedding guests stayed here in a room block/we had breakfast, dinner, and bar time. I was excited for 21C to be our home-base for my wedding weekend. Unfortunately, in addition to less-than-awesome service, several guests had money stolen out of their rooms. When they notified management, management did NOTHING. These guests (some gave up) had to pursue the issue for nearly a month before they were able to speak with anyone that could help them resolve the issue. I am still in shock at how unresponsive and unhelpful management behaved, and would caution people hoping to use 21C as a vendor under any circumstances- why add the unexpected stress of an incompetent management to your potential wedding weekend worries? There are plenty of other phenomenal venues and hotels in Durham.
Reviewed on 11-07-2017
Wedding Date 14-10-2017
I love the venue itself with the changing art galleries plus the Main gallery is gorgeous. The price of the venue is comparable to others in the Durham area. We experienced some horrible service from the staff, they changed out event coordinator 3 times, but didn't tell us.I would be contacting one and they would tell me they were no longer in charge of working with me but it was another person, who had taken the job a few weeks ago but never contacted me. It would take up to a week or longer to get a response to an emails.They never returned any of my calls except when I went to the corporate level. They handled the wedding as if it was any other event instead of one that is highly emotional giving standard hotel responses to questions. They made several big errors among many small ones. One was booking another event in the wedding space that would have ended two hours before our wedding, even though I had it in writing that we would get the room by 10 am for set up. We found this out two weeks before the wedding in an email. I had to go to the corporate level to get anyone to respond to me and fix this issue.They also could not guarantee a room for the bride to get ready in up until the day of the wedding. They told me on rehearsal night they still did not have the room for me to get dressed in. When they were flipping the room from ceremony to reception the staff ended up getting some of my family members and guests to help put out tables and decor. This is unacceptable!They changed items on the menu we selected and we didn't find out until the dinner was being served. This was very disappointing. Now some of these things they made up for by working with me but there were many tears and it was a lot more stress then was necessary. Over all if you are willing to be on top of them in making sure they follow up then go for it the art galleries are amazing plus the vault was very nice for the groomsmen to get ready in.
Reviewed on 24-05-2017
Wedding Date 21-10-2016
We loved having our wedding at 21C Museum Hotel. While the initial booking, etc. was a little difficult due to changing staff, once things got set and we began working with Eli (room blocks) and Celia (event manager), everything went very smoothly. Communication was a little slow, but we always received answers to all of our many questions within a week or two. Our guests LOVED the venue. It is so unique to the Durham area and it was so fun to be surrounded by art (and pink penguins!). The food was DELICIOUS and the day went off without a hitch. Our guests were so impressed with the venue and how unique it was. Truly the best day and I am so happy with our decision to hold this important day here.
Reviewed on 13-11-2016
Contact Info for 21c Museum Hotel
| Contact | Value |
|---|---|
| https://www.facebook.com/21cdurham/ | |
| X (Twitter) | 21cdurham |
| 21c museum hotels | |
| 21cdurham | |
| Website | www.21cdurham.com |
| Phone | (919) 956-6712 |
| Address | 111 N Corcoran Street, Durham, NC, 27701 |
| Tracy.lindskoog@21chotels.com |
21c Museum Hotel on the map
Meet the 21c Museum Hotel Team
Tracy Lindskoog (Manager) Hello! Thank you so much for considering 21c Durham for your special wedding day! My name is Tracy, and I will be available to answer any questions you may have. I will be happy to personally host you for a tour of the art galleries and gorgeous ballroom spaces. It is an absolute joy to represent this historic, Art-Deco building that exudes romance, class and grandeur, and I cannot wait to share it with you.-Tracytracy.lindskoog@21chotels.com | 919-956-6712
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