The Barnes Foundation, a 90-year-old art museum, opened its new 93,000-square-foot home on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in May. The Court event space seats 250 under soaring ceilings, and the adjacent, partially covered terrace accommodates 175 for receptions. Also on site: a 150-seat auditorium and a 50-seat café.
Photo: Courtesy of Barnes Foundation
One of the largest independent event venues in Philadelphia, the 17,000-square-foot Vie opened in late 2011. The 600-seat space is a flexible ballroom that can be rearranged for smaller groups or hold as many as 1,000 for a reception. Video walls allow for logos or image projections around the room; there is also an adjacent garden space.
Photo: Phil Kramer
Directly in front of Logan Square’s Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Sister Cities Park opened in May. The site includes a pavilion surrounded by a children’s garden and play area, a boat pond, and a fountain. The park is available for public or private events, with a maximum reception capacity of 750. Groups can also set off smaller areas, and tenting is possible.
Photo: Courtesy of Sister Cities Park
The Rodin Museum reopened to the public in July following a comprehensive, four-year renovation that restored the original interior and exterior designs by Philadelphia architect Paul Cret and garden designer Jacques Grébe. The museum can seat 60 for dinner or hold 80 for a reception.
Photo: Courtesy of the Rodin Museum
A boutique, 16-seat kitchen and classroom facility, Cook opened in Rittenhouse Square in late 2011. Groups can book the space for a chef dinner to watch a pro prepare a four-course meal. Groups can also book private lessons, or reserve the kitchen to cook a meal.
Photo: Don Pearse Photographers
