About this vendor
Make your wedding day a work of art at The Michener Art Museum!
Located within the walls that originally housed the Bucks County Prison, Michener Art Museum has been transformed into a welcoming center of culture and beauty, providing a dramatic and elegant setting to entertain guests. With a world-class collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist art, the Michener now boasts an award-winning event pavilion.
The art museum has three spaces for indoor and outdoor uncovered celebrations. The all-glass Edgar N. Putman Event Pavilion is a contemporary 2,500-square-foot space with glass walls and natural light. It extends into a 4,500-square-foot courtyard for outdoor ceremonies and receptions. The Pavilion also leads to the Patricia D. Pfundt Sculpture Garden Terrace, which can accommodate a tent. The Grand Entrance Hall, which is next to museum galleries and the garden terrace, is ideal for a cocktail reception. Couples can host up to 200 guests for a seated reception or 160 with dancing.
Catering by Design is the museum’s exclusive caterer. The culinary team can provide a personalized menu inspired by your favorite dishes from around the world. Couples can expect thoughtful, sophisticated, and carefully crafted cuisine. Examples of menu items include sushi, artisan quesadillas, and an international hummus station. Some of their catering services include:
Servers
Stations
Plated
Hors d’oeuvres
Dessert
Cake
Vegetarian
Vegan
Other Facilities
The venue has a bridal suite for your wedding party. On the big day, guests are welcome to explore the galleries. A formal group tour can be arranged. Additional facilities include:
Free parking
Valet parking
Shuttle services
Wheelchair accessible facilities
Other Services
In 1884, the walls surrounding the museum began as the Bucks County Prison. After a century of use, the buildings were torn down, and the space was renovated and turned into a cultural art center. In September 1988, the museum officially opened, and it was named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and supporter of the arts, who envisioned such a museum for the Bucks County region. We have been hosting weddings for 25 years.
Situated in Doylestown, its location makes it a convenient meeting place for families who find themselves dispersed throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. James A. Michener Art Museum is located in Doylestown, about 50 minutes from Philadelphia. It is nine minutes from Doylestown Airport.
James A. Michener Art Museum - PA is a unique museum wedding venue in Doylestown, PA.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Covered Outdoors Space
Liability Insurance
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Settings
- Ballroom
- Garden
- Historic Venue
- Museum
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Cakes & Desserts
- Destination Weddings
- Food & Catering
- Rentals & Equipment
- Tents
Popular with couples like you
Check out our featured vendors.
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
5
out of 5.022 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
My partner and I spent a LOT of time looking at different venue types all around the southeast PA area, looking at wineries, manors, farmhouses etc. However, we were looking for so...
mething very unique and we stumbled upon the Michener Art Museum. After touring the museum and getting shown around by Kelly C. from the venue exclusive cater (Catering by Design, will be reviewed separate from this), we knew we found the right combination of elegancy, uniqueness, and intimacy. The added benefit of having the Mercer Museum next door effectively allowed us to have a Castle AND a museum all on one. Our guests loved being able to tour the exhibits during the evening and the event space was the perfect size for our wedding size of ~100 people. Parking and getting to the venue is a breeze and the staff (who weren’t even part of the wedding) helped out quite a bit the day of. The ambiance of the venue really made our night a special one.
When trying to decide on a wedding venue, my wife and I actually saw the Michener Museum first. We were floored by the large windows, loved the unique museum feel, and found it to ...
be the perfect size for a small-ish wedding. Mixed with its walkability to the rest of Doylestown, it became a no-brainer.
The day-of was even better. The food was excellent, the venue was beautiful, and it even worked comfortably for our wedding count of 85. Thank you, Michener Museum (& Kelly), for the most magical evening of our lives. We’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.
We had an incredible wedding at the Michener Art Museum that was even better than imagined. Kelly C and the Catering By Design Team were very professional and helpful every step of...
the way. I would highly recommend the venue and the team.
We just had our wedding at the Michener last weekend, and it was incredible! We worked with Kelly from Catering by Design all the way through the process, from booking to the final...
details, and she made sure everything went smoothly throughout the day and night of the wedding! Kelly is really great at her job and I would definitely recommend her! Catering by Design was great, and a lot of guests came up to me after the wedding to tell me how much they liked the food. The Michener is a really cool wedding venue. We had our ceremony in the courtyard, the cocktail hour under a tent in a different part of the courtyard, and the reception inside, but guests had access to the museum and courtyard throughout the reception, which a lot of people took advantage of. Would definitely recommend if you are looking for something a little different for your wedding!
This place is simply gorgeous! We had our wedding at the Michener and used Catering By Design, the designated caterer, at the venue. We worked with Kelly, who is absolutely incredi...
ble. Booking with her was the best thing we did! We loved the Michener from the second we saw it on our tour with Kelly. It was different from all the other weddings we've been to and many of our friends and family were very impressed. Our guests couldn't stop telling us how great the venue was throughout the night. We agree! It is a hidden gem that we got lucky more people did not know about. It is so different from the other wedding factories you go to, plus it is affordable! My husband and I still can't get over just how reasonable everything at CBD was especially for the quality of food and service we received. We can't be happier with our experience at the Michener. It was truly the best day ever. Thank you guys!
The staff at Catering by Design and The Michener went above and beyond for our wedding. Everything turned out perfectly thanks to Melissa and Kelly’s hard work. The Michener is an ...
amazing venue in Doylestown and matched our vibe beautifully. I’d absolutely recommend having your wedding there!
As soon as my husband and I went to tour Michener we were sold on having our wedding there. The space is absolutely gorgeous! We loved the outdoor and indoor space and that we were...
able to utilize it all for our early fall wedding. The venue is so unique and guests loved exploring the exhibits during our reception. The exclusive caterer at Michener (Catering By Design) went above and beyond on delicious food, amazing staff, and coordination to help make our wedding day run smoothly. When we had to postpone our wedding date due to COVID, Michener and CBD were beyond accommodating and made the process so seamless and reduced our stress around the situation. They truly care about all their couples and we feel so lucky to have had such an incredible venue and experience for our wedding day!
We loved the Michener Museum. Lindsay was super easy to work with, especially dealing with a wedding during the pandemic. It offers beautiful outdoor and indoor options. It rained ...
the afternoon of our wedding and Lindsay and her team moved the ceremony indoors at the last second with no issues. The venue itself is beautiful and doesn't need many flowers to make it picturesque.
We had a wedding here in October of 2020. We were very fortunate that it occurred during the one week that Wolf’s restrictions were thrown out in court, so we didn’t face the 25 ga...
thering restriction. However, all throughout the pandemic both the museum and caterers worked with us to let us understand what was happening. They worked really hard when it came down to it to make it the most normal feeling celebration it could be, and for a good chunk of it we all forgot that there was a pandemic occurring. Lindsay was our event planner, and she really was amazing leading up to and day of the wedding. If you go with this place, you will not need to hire a wedding planner or day of coordinator - Lindsay did it all!
The venue itself is so beautiful and truly does not require a lot of decor added. The pricing for rental and catering here is completely reasonable and on the affordable side. The food was amazing, and the staff was so thoughtful of everyone. I can’t say enough good things!
If you’re considering the Michener Museum for your wedding, my best advice would be to go for it! We got married there in October of 2019 and I loved every step of the process— fro...
m working with the helpful and kind Lindsay, to tasting the delicious food by Catering by Design and finally to the absolutely perfect venue on the big day. It’s beautiful and unique. My guests loved dancing the night away in the glass reception space, and the stone wall is an amazing backdrop for photos.
We worked with Lindsay from Catering By Design, and were completely blown away by how wonderful she and her team were. We had the added difficulty of planning a wedding from across...
the country, but even with 3000 miles of distance, Lindsay went above and beyond to make the day absolutely perfect. She was so kind and understanding, and just so welcoming. We are so grateful to her for guiding us through the day. Thank you!
Additionally, I want to give a shout out to the team at Garnish. I was pretty much the least prepared bride ever in terms of decor, and had only a vague idea of what I wanted, plus two photos I had found on pinterest. The Garnish team took those two photos and the few things I had mentioned in one phone call, and put together such staggeringly beautiful decor. It was absolutely beautiful, and somehow exactly what I wanted, even though I hadn't been able to describe it.
We had absolutely the best time at our wedding; I could go on and on about the food, the service, the venue, and the people who made it possible. I can't recommend it highly enough!
I want to thank Terri Fair from Catering By Design for coordinating our August 2018 wedding. She is professional, efficient, and driven. As we (the couple) were planning the even...
t from a distance, in-person meetings were infrequent. Terri was flexible in accommodating our schedule and helped us to stay on-task with making big decisions about the event and arranging vendors. She exceeded our expectations on the wedding day by keeping the event running flawlessly and on schedule. If there were any problems, we never knew about them; Terri handled everything. The cocktail and reception areas were beautifully arranged. The food was fabulous - flavorful, and served to each table member simultaneously so that no individual was left waiting for their meal. And the staff were attentive and friendly. The venue is absolutely gorgeous and accommodated our ~170 guests while allowing room for an active dance floor. Without reservation, we recommend securing a date for your wedding here.
We loved working with Lindsay, she helped us through of the little details. The museum is a stunning, unique, and gorgeous venue. The food was absolutely delicious and the servic...
e could not have been better. Our guests never had to wait on long lines at the bar for drinks and the staff were so friendly. All our guests were blown away by how special and beautiful our wedding was. I give the museum and the team at Catering by Design my highest recommendation and if we could go back in time to pick a venue, we would definitely still choose the Michener.
We had our wedding at the Michener in September. It was amazing, the venue is so unique and absolutely spectacular at night. We were so happy with catering by design. The food was ...
amazing and the cake was delicious. The whole planning process was made so much easier by working with Lindsay from CBD. She was amazing and made the whole process so much easier. We were able to make it exactly what we wanted. The day of the wedding, my mother put together the center pieces and the staff was very helpful. We also used the florist from CBD and she was so easy to work with for the bouquets.
I had read so many horror stories prior to planning the wedding and none of them came true. Working with CBD and the Michener staff was a pleasure.
I want to thank Terri Fair from Catering by Design for her attention to detail and support during the planning of Sarah and Dane's wedding. I was very happy with the organization o...
f the entire process. Food was great, guests were happy. Everything turned out better than expected! Terri handled all of the details seamlessly! The Michener Art Museum was a fabulous venue. The outside courtyard was perfect for the ceremony and cocktail hour. The inside ballroom was beautiful and dramatic when lit up in the evening. At the end of the evening, all of our belongings were packed up and loaded into my car.
I had my wedding at the Michener Art Museum just last month and I couldn't have asked for a more romantic venue for my big day! Our guests are still talking about the venue, galler...
ies, and food. I used their in-house vendor, Catering by Design, for catering, decor, and florals. They were very easy to work with and were able to execute my vision flawlessly. The food was amazing and the catering staff was a extremely courteous. And receiving a one-year membership to the museum a week after the wedding was a nice touch.
The staff's ability to be flexible was limited due to the constraints of the art museum (e.g. no plants are allowed to be walked through the galleries and my wedding party was shushed by museum staff a number of times during photos in the museum galleries). That would be my primary complaint. Despite that, I would still HIGHLY recommend this venue to anyone looking for a unique venue.
This venue was an amazing place to have our wedding! The thing that sold my husband on this venue was the pavilion where the reception was held. It has has the appearance of an App...
le store, modern, clean, and classic. The ceremony was held in their courtyard with a stone wall backdrop. The guests then moved seamlessly to where the cocktail hour was in the sculpture terrace. The museum also lets the guests wander around throughout the night, so guests can enjoy the works of art they carry. There are some minor limitations when it comes to decorations, but since it is a museum by day, it makes sense. It is such a beautiful and modern venue, that it isn't necessary to cover it up anyways! Lastly, the museum works exclusively with Catering By Design. We worked with Terri from CBD and Garnish (their florists) who made the whole process so easy and less stressful knowing that they have everything under control!
What a beautiful and unique venue. Everyone in my family can't stop talking about how fun and different the wedding was. To have the galleries open was such a special thing for us ...
and our guests. Great food and great atmosphere.
We were so glad that our wedding could take place in such a beautiful space while also supporting the wonderful Michener Museum. Our guests loved having the opportunity to explore ...
the galleries and enjoy the cocktail hour in the sculpture garden! The pavilion is incredible as well. The glass and hardwood floors are so beautiful and can be adapted to fit within many tastes and styles - it truly serves as a blank canvas to make your vision a reality. It was a "turn-key space" in every sense and really enabled us to focus our time and efforts on all of the other little details of the wedding.
We fell in love with the James A. Michener Art Museum at first glance and knew it would be a perfect spot for our wedding - so picturesque, so elegant. We had the most magical day ...
of our lives there on August 16. Everything was just perfect! We were lucky with good weather and had an outdoor ceremony, and then the team at JAM transformed the impressive "glass box" pavilion into just what we had imagined. Craig was our planner, and he was wonderful, communicative and helpful. And there are so many great photo ops...it's an art museum afterall! Would highly recommend to any bride and groom. :)
We had our wedding at the James A. Michener Art Museum at the end of September. The venue itself is stunning and doesn't need a lot of additional decoration.
This venue is absolutely phenomenal! The space is very large, and the new event pavilion is spectacular! We had our ceremony in the outside terrace, the cocktail hour in the sculpt...
ure garden, and our reception in the event pavilion. You don't need to be over the top with your decor in this space ... the venue is enough decor in itself!! The large stone wall is uplit at night and sets the perfect atmosphere. The staff at the museum were kind and welcoming, and helped our guests around the venue. I would highly recommend the James A. Michener Art Museum for a fantastic wedding!
Contact
138 S. Pine Street, Doylestown, PA
James A. Michener Art Museum - PA