FAQ

Rental fees ($1,500 for Friday, $1,800 for Saturday, $1,500 for Sunday, $1000 Thursday) include use of tables (round, rectangle, and 10 cocktail tables), black padded chairs, white linens, white table skirts, black pipe and draping in the buffet area (side room), white fabric and icicle lights hanging from ceiling in main hall, one-time set up, tear down, and cleaning. We also provide the following items upon request: podium, screen for projector.

Note: we do not provide catering services, staff for table/water service, or have dishware for your food/drinks outside of our bar service. You will need to coordinate with a caterer and/or rental company for these services.

Fees:

• $100 bar license fee
• $125 bartender service fee
• $50 manager service fee

*All glass wear for the bar use is included when the bar service is requested.

Note: we do not provide catering services or have dishware for your food/drinks outside of our bar service. You will need to coordinate with a caterer or rental company for these services.

Optional Fees:

The Museum  of Visual Materials partners with Ideal Wedding & Events for most rentals. View our pricing sheet for a complete list of additional linens (including napkins) and rentals that can be rented through the Museum.

You are welcome to view the space during our business hours, which are 9:00am-4:00pm Monday-Friday (except for holidays). Please check our online calendar to ensure a private event is not taking place. Our museum is not staffed on nights or weekends outside of events. Any staff present during the night or weekends may not be able to answer question regarding facility rental. Interested renters are encouraged to contact the museum staff during normal business hours or by email. To set up your event at the museum, please contact our Event Coordinator at 605-271-9500 or email.

For a sit-down event, the maximum is 236. Our tables are 5’ round tables with 8 chairs per table. A guest count above 175 will usually take up part of the dance floor space, depending on the area you want for a dance. If tear down is required, the renter is responsible for coordinating assistance. The Museum does not staff a crew to assist with any change-over.

Yes! Depending on guest list, we can have both the ceremony and reception set up at the same time. If your guest list is more than 128 people, we may not be able to set out all of the tables and chairs. If a change-over is required, the renter is responsible for coordinating assistance. The Museum does not staff a crew to assist with any change-over from ceremony to reception.

For a typical wedding event, the head table is along the north wall of the main hall. The entertainment set up is on the northwest corner with the dance floor using the space from the 2 pillars on the west side to the west wall. The buffet area is in the small room to the south of the main hall, and is draped off by black draping as the museum equipment and displays are moved into this room during events. The cake table is the round table in the southeast corner of the main hall. The gifts and punch/coffee table is the northeast corner of the main hall. In the main entry/atrium area, the bar service takes place in our kitchen area at the east end of the building. The entry has a table for a guestbook, place cards, and cocktail tables. If a ceremony is also held in the space, this is usually set-up facing the west wall. You will discuss your layout with the event coordinator during your finalization the week prior to the event. For other ideas on layout, please visit our Wedding & Private Events gallery page.

As we are a LEED certified, green building, we have a few rules and restrictions on what is allowed at the museum. We take pride in this historic building, and we ask that you do your part in following a few simple rules so that others may continue to enjoy the Museum. The following list is not all-inclusive; always check our Rules and Information for Renters page for the most up-to-date information:

• Outside coolers or alcohol is not allowed. We cannot have hard alcohol on the premises. The renter or caterer is able to bring in coffee, punch, or juice (Museum sells beverages in cans and bottles).
• Disposable dishware is not allowed, with the exception of recyclable keg cups (included with a keg purchase), recyclable punch, and recyclable cake plates (5 inches or small). Styrofoam is not allowed. It is the renter’s responsibility to ensure the caterer understands our policy.
• Linen napkins must be used for sit down meals. These can be rented through the museum ($0.40 per napkin, unfolded) or another rental service. Disposable cocktail napkins are only allowed at the bar or if you are only providing hors d'oeuvres/appetizers (no sit down meal) for your event.
• The following items/decorations are not allowed: confetti, popcorn, fireworks (including sparklers, rice, sand, birdseed, Silly String, glitter, tape, glue, nails, pins, spray paint, spray of any kind, Play Dough, or animals (including fish). You cannot staple, nail or glue anything to our building or equipment. If something needs to be hung, we recommend using zip-ties, twist ties, wire, or fabric.
• Candles are only allowed if the flame is surrounded by a glass receptacle at least two (2) inches over the flame.
• The white fabric and icicle lights hanging from the ceiling are free to use, but will not be removed for any event.
• Artwork will not be removed from the walls. The featured artist is changed every two (2) months. We cannot guarantee a certain type of art will be hung during your event.
• Liability Insurance of $500,000 must be provided to the Museum ten (10) days before the event by the renters. This can usually be obtained by contacting your homeowner’s insurance agent. Catering and entertainment must provide $1,000,000 of coverage for liability. For more information, check our Rules and Information for Renters page.

Unfortunately, due to our small space, we do not have extra cooler space for items like cakes, ice cream, ice rings, etc. However, at the end of the night, we are usually able to accommodate some leftover food from your catering into one of our coolers in the basement. If you want to take this home, just let our Event Manager know and she can get it for you. Otherwise, we are happy to call St. Francis House to have it donated to them.

Each event varies, but what we see most often are hosted kegs, boxed wine (served out of decanters), or drink tickets. With drink tickets, they can be handed out by the host/hostess to each person as they enter the reception or placed at each place setting. Drink tickets are valued at the price of the redeemed beverage. Our bartender will total the redeemed tickets at the end of the night and charge you the price of the item selected. We will invoice you for this the week after your event, along with the remainder of your rental fee and any other rentals. For the most up to date prices, see our Rules and Information for Renters page.

Typically, a full keg will provide 140 glasses ($400 for Domestic and $450 minimum for Specialty), a box of wine will provide 24 glasses ($75/box), and a bottle of champagne will provide 8 glasses ($12/bottle). If you are unsure about how many kegs you may need, you can order a reserve keg. If it is not used, you will only be charged $25 for restocking.

We will finalize with you two weeks before the event. This ensures time to place orders for napkins and drinks.

You are able to come in during your set-up/decoration scheduled time when our building is staffed. The rental fee is for 12 hours (between 8:00 am and midnight). The typical time for set-up is 8:00am – 12:00pm for a Friday or Saturday event, but this will vary by client and will be discussed during your finalization meeting. Renters may call the Museum 30 days in advance of the scheduled date to hold the museum for decorating if the space is available for a fee of $75. The set-up time for this extra day is 12:00pm – 4:00pm during business hours. We cannot allow anyone to stay or enter outside of these times (i.e. cannot lock-up when done). All rentals and decorations need to be cleared out the night of the event to allow our staff to come in to change over the space.

Your vendors are able to come in during your set-up/decoration scheduled time or the scheduled time for doors when our building is staffed. You are responsible for communicating the scheduled access time with your vendors. The typical time for this for a Saturday event is 8:00am – 12:00pm and 4:00pm, but this will vary by client and will be discussed during your finalization meeting. We cannot allow vendors to stay or enter outside of these times (i.e. they cannot lock-up when they are done). All vendors and decorations need to be cleared out the night of the event to allow our staff to come in to change over the space.

There is parking available on the north, south, and west sides of the building, but as a Downtown building, parking is never guaranteed. Public parking is not metered on the evenings and weekends. The large parking lots to the north and south of the Museum are available after 5:30pm on Fridays and on the weekends. 

Cancellation can only happen by written notice to the Museum Director by the contact/signed renter of the event space. The initial deposit is nonrefundable. If an event is cancelled within six (6) months of the scheduled date, the renter will be obligated to pay an additional cancellation fee of $200. If an event is cancelled within three (3) months of the scheduled date, the renter will be obligated to pay an additional cancellation fee of $400. If an event is cancelled within seven (7) days prior to the scheduled date, the renter will be obligated to pay the full amount of the rental fee.