5.0
Praised by couples for:
Amenities
Guests comfort
Unique aesthetic style
Make your wedding one for the history books
Holds ceremonies and receptions
If I could give a gazillion stars to Erika, the staff and the CHM I would. My daughter and son-in-law had their wedding reception at CHM and it was stunning Erika is one of the kindest most professional individuals we have had the pleasure of working with and extremely helpful and supportive. The entire staff was also very pleasant and helpful. I highly recommend CHM and Erika and the other staff for events.
Sheana H.
5.0
Erika and the CHM team were AMAZING! I cannot say enough good things about them. Our wedding day truly felt like a dream and it was possible thanks to this team! I want to get married again and again there!
Meaghan M.
5.0
AWARD WINNER (17X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
The Chicago History Museum is a wedding venue located in Chicago, IL. The property exudes timeless elegance and historic charm, treating couples and their loved ones to captivating views at every turn. With its modern amenities, dedicated event staff, and stylish decor, this property provides guests with the opportunity to host the wedding event of their dreams.
The Chicago History Museum is a historic building that features charming Georgian architecture. With its high ceilings, wall molding, and large, illuminating windows, guests are certain to feel as though they have stepped back in time when visiting. For your ceremony and reception, the Chicago Room offers endless versatility for your needs. Its open-plan layout allows space for both a romantic service and a celebratory dining experience, as well as a night of dancing. In addition, the Outdoor Plaza is the ideal choice for those looking to gather in the warmth of the sun. Hidden away in the heart of Lincoln Park, this romantic space provides stunning views of the city skyline.
The team at the Chicago History Museum provides couples with a wide range of services to choose from. They will work with you to ensure that every last element of your day is carefully curated and expertly executed. To begin your day, you and your beloved will have access to the venue’s Get Ready Rooms. Here, you can enjoy a relaxing preparation experience with your wedding party. The in-house event planner will ensure that every detail runs smoothly on the day of your event. Set-up and clean-up services will be provided, allowing you to enjoy your day without worrying about the smaller details.
Amenities + details
Amenities
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Settings
Ballroom
Historic Venue
Museum
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks
Destination Weddings
Planning
Rentals & Equipment
Awards and Affiliations
17-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2026.2025.2024.+14 more.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Hall of Fame
Earned by winning 'Best of Weddings' four or more times.
Join couples who chose award-winning vendors for their wedding
Meet the team
Erika Johnson
Special Events Manager
Erika has worked with many wonderful CHM couples since April 2016. She can't wait to work with you on your big day!
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.0167 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Chicago History Museum is a stunning, timeless wedding venue with elegant indoor and outdoor spaces and beautiful photo backdrops. The events team is professional, responsive, and handles planning, logistics, and rain contingencies smoothly. Fees can add up with incremental charges, but most couples were thrilled.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
Vidya G
Highlighted review.
5.0
My husband and I had our Hindu ceremony at CHM 2 weeks ago, and the experience was a dream! We leveraged both the outdoor space as well as the indoor ballroom area - the former ser...
ving as our ceremony location and the latter our family style brunch. We envisioned a serene, traditional experience for this morning, and we could not be happier with the outcome.
The space itself is beautiful. Our outdoor ceremony was set against the lush backdrop of the neighboring park, and we loved having park-goers pause as they walked by to take in our ceremony. The indoor space has a more traditional vibe, which was perfect for what we were trying to accomplish with our nostalgic-South Indian wedding.
In the 18 months leading up to the event Lynette , the Special Events Coordinator, was collaborative, responsive, and accommodating. She did a great job helping us visualize what our ceremony and timeline could look like - advising along the way what different options could look like and how we would pivot if the weather didn't cooperate.
We felt taken care of the entire time, and while we couldn't have possibly asked for more, Lynette and CHM went above and beyond and even gave us a commemorative drawing of the museum with our wedding date. We're so grateful and would recommend this venue and team to any couples planning their wedding.
Response from Chicago History Museum
Thank you so much for the kind words! We loved having you :)
Sheana H
5.0
If I could give a gazillion stars to Erika, the staff and the CHM I would. My daughter and son-in-law had their wedding reception at CHM and it was stunning Erika is one of the kin...
dest most professional individuals we have had the pleasure of working with and extremely helpful and supportive. The entire staff was also very pleasant and helpful. I highly recommend CHM and Erika and the other staff for events.
Any questions?
Meaghan M
5.0
Erika and the CHM team were AMAZING! I cannot say enough good things about them. Our wedding day truly felt like a dream and it was possible thanks to this team! I want to get marr...
ied again and again there!
Noah B
5.0
The team at the Chicago History Museum was went above and beyond for us, and we are so thrilled to have chosen such a special place for our wedding day. The venue itself provides a...
stunning setting, indoor or outdoor. The dramatic staircase and outdoor patio and garden, the intimate classy feel with beautiful chandeliers in the Robinson room, and the elegant and elevated dining and reception space. I fell in love with the venue from the moment I saw it, and our guests were blown away with it on our wedding day.
We originally planned for an outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour but I went into my day feeling confident with the rain plan CHM offers. And when 100% chance of rain was forecasted, the team sprung into action and put so much work into making the indoor ceremony and cocktail hour space just as beautiful. Seeing the ceremony set up inside, it looked like it was meant to be and always planned that way. I could not have been happier! The Chicago History Museum exceeded all of my expectations and made my wedding dreams come true!
The CHM Events team also went above and beyond. They were incredibly responsive, answering any big and small questions we had from the second we booked them as a venue. Their entire team is so professional and experienced, every service they offer is premium, and they LOVE weddings and being a part of them. For all of the weddings and couples they work with, they made us feel so special and prioritized at every step.
There are a lot of wedding venues throughout Chicagoland, but there is no place I would have rather been for our wedding than the Chicago History Museum. We couldn't have been happier!
Natalie T
5.0
We had our wedding at the Chicago History Museum and we loved every second of it! They made planning so easy, communication was always available and efficient. Staff was always ver...
y upfront with pricing and helped us figure out what worked best for our budget. The CHM team truly put so much thought into making our day special and we had the best day ever!
Merna P
5.0
We had the most wonderful wedding event at the Chicago History Museum July 10, 2026! My daughter and (now) son-in-law, plus all family and friends in attendance said it was the a ...
perfect evening! Everyone connected with the museum was so easy to work with--communication was great, all our questions answered completely and quickly. We had many compliments from guests about the attention received, the friendliness, kindness, and the professionalism of all staff present the night of the event. Each part of the evening flowed smoothly--it was nice to have a champagne welcome, ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, music and dancing all on site. The transition from one part of the celebration to the next was seamless. We are so incredibly thankful for the staff at The Chicago History Museum and recommend them whole-heartedly for any and all important events! Merna (MOB)
James K
5.0
The Chicago History Museum is in our opinion one of the most beautiful places to get married in the city. The checkered dance floor is incredible, the cocktail room is gorgeous, an...
d the patio makes for great pictures. The location in Lincoln Park is also extremely convenient. Our only complaint is that everything is incremental to the base fee (glassware, alcohol, tables, chairs, etc.) so it started to add up but we got a pretty good sense of this early on.
J D
5.0
Choosing the Chicago History Museum for our wedding was the best decision we made. It was truly our dream location, but what made it a reality was the incredible team CHM has put t...
ogether. From start to finish, they went above and beyond, ensuring every single detail we asked for—and many we hadn’t even thought of—was perfectly executed.
The space itself is breathtaking and was a total hit with our guests, but the service is what sets this venue apart. The team is organized, timely, and true collaborators. We especially appreciated their transparency regarding costs; they were so helpful in finding cost-effective ways to meet our every need, want, and dream without sacrificing quality.
A special shoutout to Ericka, who was instrumental in coordinating such a wonderful event. Her creativity and guidance made the planning process a joy. If you want a stunning Chicago wedding managed by a team that truly cares, look no further than CHM!
Mya K
5.0
Our wedding at CHM was everything we wanted! Lynette made coordinating details so easy and was so responsive. The venue itself is so gorgeous, with the outside and the inside ballr...
oom. We cannot recommend this venue enough!!
Kevin C
5.0
The venue is beautiful and everything we were looking for in a classic Chicago wedding. The indoor and outdoor spaces were perfect to accommodate our ceremony and reception.
Lynet...
te and the entire team at the CHM were extremely helpful in helping plan the event, coordinate with vendors, and execute the event. They made the processes very clear when setting up bar and furniture packages and made it easy for other vendors to setup easily.
Lexi M
5.0
Chicago History Museum was the PERFECT wedding venue for our June 2025 nuptials. Lynette was a rockstar coordinator to work with. We toured in September 2023 and she was with us ev...
ery single step of the way. The Museum made every part of the planning process painless.
Our guests raved about the gorgeous venue and the opportunity to walk through the exhibits during cocktail hour. It was such a fun and unique place that will forever hold a special place in our hearts.
Allie P
5.0
We could not have pictured a better venue for our wedding than the CHM. From the minute we walked in, we knew that we had to get married there! They are fully prepared for both rai...
n or sun and the venue is STUNNING. Erika was incredibly responsive and helped me with all my silly questions leading up to our wedding - plus, she's worked with all of our vendors so that made planning even easier! We cannot recommend CHM enough - the pictures speak for themselves!
Kristen C
5.0
The Chicago History Museum was a beautiful, perfect venue for our daughter’s wedding reception Labor Day weekend 2025. The Morse Genius Chicago Room is grand with its high ceili...
ngs, large windows, and light walls with classic woodwork trim. French doors in the center of the room lead outdoors to a plaza and lovely gardens.
When exploring venue options, I studied the CHM photos online (we are out of state), and told my daughter and her fiancé, “Call CHM and make an appointment to tour the place as soon as you can.” They loved it at first sight.
Staff at CHM were a pleasure to work with. A shout out to Lynette Velazquez, our event coordinator. She made the planning process easy. I appreciated that the equipment rentals (tables & chairs) are also through CHM.
CHM recommended our wedding planner Cygnet Event and Designs, and our caterer Blue Plate. We highly recommend both. The planning and execution of the wedding reception were seamless with these three groups leading the way.
Hannah M
5.0
The CHM, and Erika, were an absolute dream to work with. They were patient with us, and were able to accommodate all of our crazy, last minute questions. The venue itself is nothin...
g but timeless elegance. I am so so so happy with our choice to have our wedding at the CHM!
Natalie B
5.0
We had some high expectations for our wedding and CHM exceeded them. It is such an elegant venue for a wedding and in such an amazing location-- not to mention the ROI with pricing...
compared to other locations in Chicago. With them hosting so many weddings and events and a preset list of vendors for us to choose from, we found it a lot less stressful than if we had to find each vendor on our own with varying levels of experience with the venue.
We also did a brunch wedding, which was part of the reason why we selected CHM. It was perfect and we'd highly recommend to others!
Lauren K
5.0
Hosting our wedding at the Chicago History Museum was an absolute dream come true. From the very beginning, the experience was seamless, heartfelt, and nothing short of magical. Th...
e CHM team was exceptional—professional, attentive, and genuinely committed to making our day unforgettable.
A heartfelt and deeply deserved thank you to Erika, who was truly the heart of it all. Her kindness, responsiveness, and unshakable calm turned what could’ve been a stressful process into a joyful one. She anticipated every need, handled every detail with care, and made us feel supported every step of the way. On our wedding day, Erika was our anchor—allowing us to be fully present and soak in every beautiful moment.
The venue itself is timeless. With its stunning architecture, historic charm, and breathtaking event spaces, it captured the essence of Chicago in the most elegant way. Our guests are still raving about how extraordinary everything was.
We are endlessly grateful to Erika and the entire CHM team for turning our vision into reality. Thank you for making our day not only easy—but truly unforgettable. It was perfect in every way, and we’ll cherish it for a lifetime.
Ellie F
5.0
We hosted our wedding reception at the Chicago History Museum in October 2024, and we couldn't have chosen a more perfect venue! It provided the timeless, elegant setting we had en...
visioned.
Cocktail hour on the beautiful outdoor plaza was an absolute dream, and we were fortunate to have a warm October day that allowed our guests to fully enjoy the stunning surroundings. Inside, the ballroom was breathtaking—its crown molding, stained glass windows, and historic charm created an unforgettable atmosphere.
Lynette was an absolute joy to work with. Her expertise, vendor recommendations, and meticulous coordination ensured that everything ran seamlessly from start to finish.
I cannot recommend the Chicago History Museum and its incredible team highly enough! From the initial planning stages to the final moments of our wedding day, the experience was nothing short of exceptional.
Caitlin F
5.0
We are incredibly happy that we chose the Chicago History Museum for our wedding. The venue is stunning and full of history. Our photos from inside and around the outside of the ve...
nue are fantastic. We also particularly loved doing our first dance on the black-and-white tile floor, and our guests were in awe of the view of the park from the veranda during cocktail hour. The staff at the museum is very helpful and experienced at hosting weddings; they really helped us feel assured that everything would run smoothly, which it did!
Michelle T
5.0
Everything about this venue surpassed our expectations. Erika and her team at CHM were accessible, responsive and paid attention to every detail. The beautiful, classic setting w...
as the perfect backdrop for our ceremony, outdoor cocktail hour and reception. They allowed our DJ to bring in pin lighting which changed colors as the evening progressed creating an amazing glow. I remember looking out across the venue when I first arrived and seeing the ceremony set and all the flowers and thinking - this is absolutely perfect and just want I always dreamed of. They do require you to use their bar service and the drinks and service were excellent. All of our guests commented how beautiful the venue was and how elegant the whole evening felt. Pricing for the venue overall was very reasonable but gave the feeling of a VERY expensive and extravagant event. We just could not have been more pleased with the whole experience and are so glad we choose CHM!
Sam N
5.0
Not only is CHM a beautiful venue, but their whole team is top notch. Erika was amazing to work with and extremely accommodating, same goes for Brad. You can’t go wrong having your...
wedding here!
Andrew A
5.0
The wedding venue is immaculate and Lynette, our events coordinator, was an effective communicator through the entire process. We always felt like we were in good hands and she hel...
ped coordinate the process of the day. We had contingency plans for rain, we had options for cocktail hour and ceremony locations, and had clear conversations about order of events and logistics through planning phase.
Katharine W
5.0
We hosted our wedding reception at The Chicago History Museum, and the day was just perfect! The museum is such a beautiful space and our day-of team was excellent. We did have one...
hiccup in the booking process regarding date availability - the upfront communication could have been a bit better, but we were able to work this out with Lynnette and her team. We could not have imaged a better reception for our big day! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!
Paige S
5.0
The Chicago History Museum was our dream wedding venue! Our ceremony and cocktail hour were outside on the terrace and the stairs and pillars were the perfect backdrop. The recepti...
on flowed seamlessly inside and we couldn’t have been happier with the space. Erika and team were so attentive and easy to work with. They made the whole planning process easy and we felt like we were in good hands the entire day!
Stephanie Z
5.0
An absolute dream of a wedding venue! We would choose CHM again for not only the beauty of it but the people as well! Lynette was so easy to work with and accommodating. They defin...
itely care about their couples!
Talia D
5.0
We had a truly amazing experience getting married at the Chicago History Museum! We had a petite wedding there and had the best day. The staff was attentive, helpful, and accommoda...
ting. Lynette and Brad were very helpful in making sure the day was smooth. I really appreciate how helpful they both were. The museum itself is beautiful too!
Kayla K
5.0
Working with the CHM team has been nothing less than amazing. From the minute we saw the venue we knew that it was the right place for our wedding. The space is gorgeous and the te...
am was incredibly supportive during the entire planning process. They went above and beyond providing us with all the information and guidance we needed to plan our wedding, allowing us to feel stress free. We are so happy to have gotten married at the Chicago History Museum.
Ally W
5.0
My husband and I had our absolute dream wedding at the Chicago History Museum! We could not have been happier with our choice to work with the wonderful people at CHM for our weddi...
ng day! Erika, Anna and Lynette are an absolute dream team. From our first tour to our big day, they were there every step of the way to help answer questions and put our minds at ease, ensuring that our day would go as smoothly as possible, and it absolutely did. They were all an absolute pleasure to work with, and on top of that, CHM is an absolutely gorgeous venue for a wedding. From the chandelier in the lobby, to the exhibit you can choose to have open during cocktail hour, to the beautiful floors and walls and stained glass in the Morse Genius Chicago Room, the Chicago History Museum offers such a beautiful backdrop for such an important and celebratory day. The bridal suite was a great space to regroup in, in between events, and the grand set of stairs off the back of the museum offered the perfect space for our first look and portraits. Thank you to the team at Chicago History Museum for everything!!
Elisabeth M
5.0
CHM was absolutely perfect. We knew we wanted something small and were SO HAPPY to discover their Petite Wedding package and options. It was a huge help to not have to sweat addi...
tional details and perfectly fit what my husband and I were looking to do.
A huge thank you to Lynette and the CHM staff for helping create a beautiful, memorable day!
Peter W
5.0
The Chicago History Museum was the perfect venue for our wedding. We worked with Lorelei who was AMAZING, she was so organized and helpful throughout the entire planning process an...
d made things so easy for us. The museum itself was gorgeous on the day of our wedding, the layout is perfect for dinner and dancing no matter what time of year you are getting married. All of our guests also loved that they could view some of the museum exhibits during cocktail hour, and kept complimenting how beautiful the space was. We had such an amazing experience here I would highly recommend this venue to anyone!
Matt H
5.0
Lynette and the team at CHM did an excellent job hosting our wedding! Everyone was so professional, personable, and fully invested in helping make our wedding day so incredible. It...
was a huge comfort to know that the whole team at CHM was experienced in hosting weddings, and could answer all our questions. From our first visit to the weekend of the wedding, everyone was helpful, competent, and happy to walk us through all the logistics. Additionally, the venue itself is beautiful, and was a perfect space to invite our out of town friends and family to experience Chicago-- over a month later, we're still hearing nice things about the big day. Thank you again, CHM!
Rachel G
5.0
Talk about a dream come true! From the moment I stepped foot in the Museum, I knew it was the one. The space is absolutely stunning and we have received a ton of compliments from o...
ur wedding guests about how blown away they were by the venue. Lynette and the entire team were great to work with. They made it easy for us to ask questions and stop by if we wanted to see the space in person again during the planning process. Once we had our final venue walk through one month before wedding day I knew we had made the right decision because the entire team was so professional and easy to work with. I loved that there were so many options for where to have the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. They know what they're doing at CHM and put us at ease which made our wedding day stress free! I 100% would recommend this space to anyone who is looking for an elegant, breath-taking, amazing, versatile venue!
Audrey E
5.0
We got married at the Chicago History Museum in August 2023. We have only wonderful things to say about the experience. The venue itself is beautiful but, beyond that, Erika and he...
r team were so wonderful throughout the planning process. She was attentive and responsive to all questions and was flexible in accommodating our vision. We have received so many wonderful messages from family and friends saying how great our wedding was, and we ourselves had the most incredible day. I cannot recommend CHM enough.
Maggie K
5.0
We absolutely loved our wedding at the Chicago History Museum in June 2023. It was the perfect location that felt formal but also didn't feel like a typical hotel-ballroom type of...
wedding. We had our ceremony and cocktail hour outside in the garden and there was enough shade that no one was too hot at all. The gardens and steps were also so lovely, we didn't really need that many florals outside. Our reception was inside and the pictures with the black/white floor as so lovely.
Response from Chicago History Museum
Hi Maggie, Thank you for your kind words! We were thrilled to host your wedding and help m...
ake everything special for you!
Kate R
5.0
The Chicago History Museum was the PERFECT venue for our wedding. The indoor and outdoor spaces are elegant, beautiful, and downright dreamy. The staff at CHM was wonderful to work...
with—from booking to event planning to running everything day-of. We received a lot of compliments from guests on our venue choice, and I'm so happy we chose CHM.
Response from Chicago History Museum
Hi Kate! Thank you so much for your kind words. It was such a beautiful wedding and we're ...
happy to have been a part of it!
Roxanna P
5.0
CHM was such an amazing venue for our wedding. It was absolutely magical! The Chicago Room, Outdoor Plaza, and Robinson Gallery were gorgeous. CHM also handles the bar and some equ...
ipment, which made it easy and, in general, they were very easy to work with. Specifically, Erika at CHM was so helpful! We knew we were in great hands when we started working with her, and especially at the final walkthrough when it was clear she had everything dialed in. As expected, everything went swimmingly the day of. We recommend doing your wedding at CHM and working with her!
Response from Chicago History Museum
Roxi, you're so sweet! Thank you for the kind words about CHM and Erika. You are what ma...
de it magical! We were honored to host your wedding. Congratulations again!
Ranana D
5.0
The Chicago History Museum, and particularly Erika, facilitated our beautiful and extremely joyful wedding. Our guests are still telling us how much they loved the venue, including...
how beautiful it was and how much fun they had exploring the galleries. Our wedding happened to be on an extremely rainy day, and we are extremely appreciative of the Museum's excellent rain plan. We appreciate how professional, communicative, and supportive Erika was during the wedding planning process. We had a traditional Jewish wedding and the museum had great space for a tisch, bedeken, chuppah, and reception - and great dance floor space for simcha dancing! The Museum was an integral part in making our wedding day a beautiful one (even in a deluge) - thank you.
Response from Chicago History Museum
Ranana, thank you so much for the kind words about CHM and Erika. We never want to see r...
ain ruin a wedding, so we work so hard to make the Plan B just as lovely as Plan A. We were delighted to host your wedding. Congratulations again!
Kristen M
5.0
We loved our wedding day at the Chicago History Museum -- everything was beautiful! The checkered dancefloor, stained glass portraits, entry room and outdoor patio was all perfect....
We had a great experience working with Erika, who shared all important information, was very responsive and very attentive to all our details. It was perfect!
Response from Chicago History Museum
Kristen, thank you so much for the kind words about CHM and Erika. We were delighted to h...
ost your wedding. Congratulations again!
Heather J
5.0
We loved working with Erika and the entire Chicago History Museum team. Our wedding was in early November and their team helped ensure everything was seamless. From the beginning, ...
we knew we were in good hands with how organized and helpful they were. Not to mention the venue is absolutely gorgeous. When we walked inside, we instantly fell in love with it. It was perfect for our fall wedding. You will not regret it if you decide to get married here!
Response from Chicago History Museum
Thank you so much for the kind words, Heather! Erika loved working with you, too!
James B
5.0
I cannot express how happy my wife, damn that is cool to day, and I are that we had our elopement at the Chicago History Museum. From the first contact with Erika to Anna helping u...
s out on the actual day, it was nothing but a pleasure. Everything feel into place better than we thought it would, and the experience as a whole made our wedding day that much more enjoyable. I would highly recommend the Chicago History Museum!
Response from Chicago History Museum
Thank you so much, James!
Charlotte U
5.0
The Chicago History Museum is an absolutely stunning venue, and is sure to make your wedding memorable and unique. The event space is gorgeous, classic, and elegant. We were able t...
o have the Chicago Crossroads exhibit open for our cocktail hour, which added a special touch to our day. We worked with Erika, and she was so attentive, knowledgable, and a pleasure with work with.
Response from Chicago History Museum
Thank you, Charlotte! You are too kind!!
Christina F
5.0
The Chicago History Museum provided such a unique wedding experience which was everything we could have dreamed of and more. The grand background of the building was the perfect ba...
ckdrop, and the natural beauty and historical touches indoors meant that little additional decor was needed, and anything we did bring in complemented the space perfectly. All in all, it was even more stunning than we could have envisioned. The staff understood from day one what we wanted to achieve for our wedding, and we could not have been happier to have had the opportunity to have our guests explore the museum during our cocktail hour. We loved having a private space for our wedding party to leave their items off the main rooms, and wonderful spots to take photographs both indoors and outside. CHM was a special place to us before we got married, and now will be forevermore.
Response from Chicago History Museum
Thank you for the kind words, Christina!
Ashley H
5.0
We got married at CHM this weekend and I could not have asked for a better venue, a better staff, or better coordinators in Erika and Anna. In addition to just being a stunning ven...
ue on it’s own- everyone at CHM put in work for over a year to make sure we had a seamless day and everyone who came to our wedding enjoyed themselves. I would choose CHM over and over again.
Response from Chicago History Museum
Thank you so much, Ashley!
Christian W
5.0
A truly beautiful venue and the perfect place to have a wedding. We initially wanted to have the ceremony outside, though the rain had other ideas for us, but the inside of the ven...
ue is truly stunning. An elegant space that truly matched what we were going for (and that required no work to decorate minus the flowers) and working with the team at the history museum was awesome as well. It was plenty roomy for our guest size (150), and enough space to fit at least 100 more comfortably and the dance floor was plenty spacious as the party got started. You can even open up exhibits for guests to look at during cocktail hour (though we didn't end up doing so). Only thing to note is they have a limited caterer list you can work with there (four total) so if you have your heart set on a particular caterer, that would be the only drawback.
Response from Chicago History Museum
Thanks so much, Christian!
Chelsea F
5.0
I knew going into looking for a venue that I wanted to do something meaningful and potentially historical. My husband and I love history and museums, and we met in Chicago, so this...
seemed like a perfect fit! (I will say we looked at almost all other museums in the city as well) Talking to Lorelei from Day 1, she was so friendly and helpful, I felt that throughout the entire process I had a trusted partner. She advised on everything from bar placement to cocktail hour planning. She also has relationships with most of my other vendors, which made everything a breeze on the day of. In addition, I have to say that the actual space itself is breathtaking. It's difficult to tell when you're seeing it with nothing in it, but on the day-of, it truly is incredible. The steps in front were our favorite part, and we were able to get a picture with all of our guests on the steps! We also noticed that our guests tended to use the steps as their photo backdrop, which was perfect because we chose not to do a photo booth. We had one built in!
I highly recommend using the Chicago History Museum - not only is it a gorgeous location (with a newly renovated patio) but it means your event is a small piece of their history!
Response from Chicago History Museum
You're the best, Chelsea!
Charles F
5.0
The CHM is an awesome venue for a wedding. We had an outdoor cocktail hour on the newly renovated patio. It is such a beautiful setting. The indoor site for dinner and dancing o...
nce filled with tables and flowers is stunning. Lorelei is great to work with. Everything was as ordered. The bar staff was great (CHM provides this service). Highly recommend the CHM as a venue.
Response from Chicago History Museum
Thank you, Charles. Hope you and C are well!
Lindsay A
4.0
We loved this venue! Even with the rain, we were still able to plan a beautiful indoor cocktail ceremony. The CHM staff ensured our day went off without a hitch, and we were so gra...
teful to share a historic part of Chicago with our guests.
Response from Chicago History Museum
Thank you so much, Lindsay! Congrats, again!
Jenny K
5.0
We got married on May 14, 2022 at Chicago History Museum! This was the first venue we toured and and immediately fell in the love with the space! Since we were going to have a May ...
wedding, we wanted our venue to have a good "back up" place for ceremony in case it was cold or rainy. The inside ceremony space is as beautiful as the outdoor space. We were lucky and had great weather so we were able to do our ceremony outdoors. We also wanted a venue that was timeless and CHM definitely fits that vibe!
The team at CHM is amazing (we worked primarily with Erika and Samantha). They are very knowledgeable and responsive. We received so many compliments from guests on picking such a beautiful place to get married.
Response from Chicago History Museum
Thank you so much, Jenny!
Danielle B
5.0
Getting married at the Chicago History Museum was a dream come true! Erika was AMAZING to work with! She always went above and beyond to help and was quick to respond throughout th...
e process. For many people, rain on your wedding day would put a damper on the event, but thanks to the incredible set-up at the museum, their "plan B" was beautiful and the staff perfectly executed the transition from the ceremony to the reception. THANK YOU!
Response from Chicago History Museum
No amount of rain can stop you, Danielle! Congratulations and thank you so much!
Taylar M
5.0
The Chicago History Museum brought our dream wedding to life! The team at the venue was incredible to work with, responsive and thoughtful in every regard. Being able to open an ex...
hibit to our guests during cocktail hour made our evening perfect and unique. We couldn't have imagined our reception anywhere else; the space is beautiful and one of a kind.
Response from Chicago History Museum
Thank you so much, Taylar!
Laura H
5.0
When it came to finding the perfect wedding venue, we knew the Chicago History Museum was it from the moment we walked in. Even my husband was blown away by the uniqueness of the s...
pace and how elegant it felt. But it was Lorelei, the event coordinator that sold us most of all. From our first meeting, we knew she was someone special and would go to the ends of the Earth to make sure we had our perfect wedding. And that she did.
Our wedding was originally scheduled for October 2020, but was postponed to June 2021 due to COVID. Even after we moved the date, Lorelei continued to communicate with us throughout the planning process so we felt like we were always top of mind. As the day got closer, she went above and beyond to help us navigate the ever changing COVID regulations, while also making sure we weren't sacrificing the elements of the day that were most important to us. She was always transparent and honest when dealing with pandemic related challenges, so we knew we could trust her to have our best interests in mind.
The food and the bar options were key factors for us when picking a venue and CHM did not disappoint! All of the caterers that they work with are top-notch and picking just one was one of the hardest planning decisions we had to make. We ended up going with Food For Thought and couldn't be happier with how the food turned out. The bar packages are handled by CHM, so Lorelei worked with us to ensure we got everything we wanted and was able to accommodate all of our special requests. People still talk about the fact we had Casamigos at our wedding :)
We will forever be grateful to Lorelei and her team at CHM for making our wedding day everything we hoped for and more!
Response from Chicago History Museum
You're the best, Laura! Thank you!
Want to book a visit?
Start the convo
*=Required
Use this secure form to reach out and share your wedding vision.
Wedding vendors in Chicago
Chicago History Museum
Why use The Knot to message vendors?
Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure. Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place. Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go. For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.