$1,750 starting price
151-200 guest capacity
This venue can host up to 200 guests
About this vendor
Let world-class modern and contemporary art serve as the backdrop to a day unlike any other. The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, located along the lively State Street pedestrian mall, is one of the most sophisticated spaces in Madison, which makes it the ideal spot for wedding ceremonies, receptions, engagement parties, rehearsal dinners, post-wedding brunches, and other celebrations of love.
MMoCA’s Weddings Package includes all museum fees, including security staffing, custodial fees, and vendor load-in/load-out assistance. Couples are welcome to use the Rooftop Sculpture Garden, Lobby, and Lecture Hall as weather and event needs dictate.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
On-Site Accommodations
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Second Wedding
Guest Capacity
- Up to 200
Settings
- Garden
- Historic Venue
- Museum
- Rooftop
Reviews
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4.1
out of 5.015 reviews
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MMoCA is a beautiful venue and we worked with incredible outside vendors to have a fantastic day, however our experience with MMoCA specifically was really unfortunate. Our initial communications with their coordinator were positive. After a couple months from booking we reached out with a couple questions to no response. Our question was related to guest capacity because our contract said 175 limit, but our caterer was shocked to hear that and said they'd never done a group that large in the space, which really made us nervous as we invited 170 (157 came and it was tight). We followed up and were told that person left the position and we would be contacted by a new individual closer to the wedding. We didn't have a POC for many months in between booking and our wedding, but were hopeful that once the new staff came in that it would be okay. Unfortunately, the team that took over were new and seemed to have not worked in the wedding industry before. We totally understand staff turnover and tried to give them the benefit of the doubt when we had trouble getting questions answered during our walk through 2 months prior to the wedding as the new person had only worked there 2 weeks. We have been new at jobs too! However, while our interactions remained cordial, the communication was slow, uncertain, contradictory at times and we never got the sense that they were trying to make a positive experience for us, but rather that we should be lucky we are allowed to use the space. I will spare the details, but our outside wedding coordinator we hired ran into dozens of communication difficulties with the venue and had trouble accessing basic needs in the building due to lack of knowledge or training with staff. We were shielded from many of the issues, but prior to the wedding we asked for the lights to be set to dim, which they were not (fine, not a big deal), but the staff member there didn't know how to turn them down and then the system froze. Another staff member came in on his day off to fix the system, which was nice, but he rather rudely blew me off when I approached him to say thank you. Keep in mind we didn't ask him to arrive, he just showed up. We had also paid for the museum to stay open 1 hour later for our guests, which it was not. Not huge deals, the wedding was great. However, after the wedding, we received a very off-putting email with essentially a pdf report card with ~20 bullet points including minute to minute updates of the weekend. They said we would not receive our deposit back, citing us for so many normal aspects of an event such as vendors arriving 30 minutes earlier than estimated, a small vase of ours breaking on the dance floor and most notably for having food and drink in the lecture hall, which is the path to the bathroom. They said they were not going to return our security deposit because of these issues (and more). We have email confirmation of them telling us we can use the lecture hall freely even suggesting we put cocktail tables in there. I have never sent an email to a business refuting a claim like this before, but I took an hour of my honeymoon to respond to these claims with our concerns. Luckily, they apologized and returned our security deposit. Overall, we understand staff turnover, but were really disappointed with the lack of training/tools for new staff, all of the communication errors and overall lack of warmth in our interactions. We had a great day overall, but unfortunately can't recommend.
The museum is an absolutely stunning space to hold an event, but they recently hired a new Events Manager to replace the previous very likable person, and she is INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT to work or even communicate with. She is very pushy, fails to hide her disdain when you’re speaking to her, and makes you feel like you are a giant inconvenience, even if you aren’t asking for anything other than to use the space carefully and respectfully.
We were originally told that the space upstairs that used to be the Fresco restaurant could be used by our caterer as a kitchen and bar area. When the new Events Manager took over, they stated that that was no longer the case and that we would need to pay $500 extra to use it. This was a shock, as we were only a couple weeks away, but as we were initially only given verbal confirmation we could use that space, there wasn’t much we could do about it. We brushed it off though, and decided we would work around not having that space at the last minute.
At one point, she advised that we need to decide over a week in advance if we wish to use the rooftop or the indoor space, despite our contract implying that we had until the day of to determine if the weather was conducive to being outside. Later, when speaking to our DJ, she admitted to him that she only gave us that arbitrary deadline because we were “indecisive” and “wishy-washy” - we just hoped to wait to see how the weather was as we got closer to the event. In any case, gossiping about your clients seems a bit unprofessional, but we decided not to let it get under our skin.
Moments like these were cropping up before the event, but it was at the event where things came to a head. The Events Manager was coming up to our wedding planner, parents and aunts as they were setting up tables and chairs and shoving them rudely while barking at them. We were well aware that they had an exhibit on display and needed for the general public to be able to get through for the first 2 hours of our event, but no matter how much space we gave them and how we crammed the tables and chairs, she would grab them forcefully and yank them out of the way while glaring like we were children. On a side note, it would probably be best if they don’t offer to host events while the museum is open to the public. We knew that was going to be happening beforehand, but they made it sound like it would be no big deal to work the space around our setup, and then it became obvious that just our presence was an issue.
I think it’s perfectly fine to politely advise people on things and to tell them no when something isn’t workable, it’s the disdain she showed when she did that was so off putting. By the time the dance started, the lights which had been off for the whole dinner were turned back on, and the event staff insisted they could not be turned off again because of some issue with their lighting system. It made for three awkward dance hours, but honestly, we were just relieved that she wasn’t there any longer.
Ultimately, if you do rent this space, you should know that the museum will be open for the first few hours of any event you hold, that you need to get EVERYTHING in writing, and that the Events Manager is not happy with you or anything you do. Book at your own risk. We highly do NOT recommend this venue.
Lack of professionalism of woman in charge was very disappointing. She reneged on contract agreements and was extremely rude during the wedding and reception: rude to guests which was uncalled for and unwarranted.
The MMoCA was a fantastic place to have a wedding! We had both the ceremony and reception at this location - ceremony on the rooftop in the statue garden, and reception downstairs in the big, glass-walled lobby area. The statue garden is gorgeous - it has flower gardens, a view over State Street, and two different ways you can set up your aisle. We had a cocktail hour inside the restaurant/bar area that's also on the rooftop, then downstairs for dinner and dancing. The photographer took all of her family/bride photos on the glass stairs, which are very sleek and dramatic-looking. We had a lot of fun dancing in the lobby, with disco lights inside and folks walking by and staring outside. The only downside of this lobby area is that the acoustics are a bit echoey, so you might have some trouble understanding any speeches unless you get the whole crowd to be quiet.
Side note - if you're planning on doing an indoor reception here, I'd say it comfortably fits about 100 guests. We had originally planned to do a rooftop reception after flipping the rooftop ceremony area, but the weather pushed us inside, so I'm glad we had the lobby as a backup. It actually turned out perfectly!
Bob was a great contact - responsive, friendly, able to meet with us and show us around. He helped us find a good catering company that knew the layout and was also fantastic. On the day of, he also was actively on-site helping, and he guided me (the bride) into position to come out to the aisle without my husband-to-be seeing me.
Very awesome venue; highly recommend!
We had planned to have an outdoor wedding in a park and use the park's pavilion in case it rained. But we weren't prepared for a once in a century flood to swamp the park under feet of water just weeks before our wedding.
It was a desperate situation to be in during wedding season, so we couldn't have been more thankful to MMoCA for being over backwards to make space for us on such short notice. The building itself is gorgeous, and the glass stairs in particular sparkled and shone with the DJ's lighting while our guests danced the night away. It was the most beautiful venue I've ever been to, and I'm so happy we were able to celebrate there. It also ended up being much less expensive than other less-appealing venues. Our guests mentioned enjoyed the art, as well. Overall this was definitely the best experience I've ever had with a venue of any kind, and I would recommend it as my first choice for anyone looking to have a wedding in Madison.
We had our ceremony only service on the rooftop at the Madison’s Museum of Contemporary Art. The ceremony space is absolutely stunning. The staff is so accommodating and responsive no matter if you need a lot or a little assistance. Looking back on our day and our photos we could not imagine our downtown Madison wedding to have had a better backdrop. If you are looking for a ceremony space that is unique and naturally beautiful I can not recommend the Fresco rooftop at MMoCA enough!
Our wedding was so unique and beautiful, and much of that is thanks to the MMoCA! The glass stair well is a gorgeous back drop for photos, the rooftop is a one of a kind place to hold a ceremony, and the food at Fresco is to die for. The wedding liaisons at the MMoCA were very helpful in planning, and were there to help on the wedding day which was nice. They were great to work with when we had rain during dinner and had to come up with a different plan. Thank you for the best day ever MMoCA!
The staff at MMoCA and Fresco were wonderful. We had both spaces rented and planned for a rooftop event, with a cocktail reception in the lobby of the museum. Due to cold weather, we ended up with the ceremony and cocktail hour on the roof and in Fresco, and the reception in the museum lobby. Wouldn't change a thing, everything ended up being perfect. Special thanks to Ali and the Fresco staff. Ali did all the event planning and ran the show...we never had any issues thanks to her. The staff was awesome, food was great, drinks were stiff!
Bob and the MMoCA team were so great to work with. We had our ceremony on the rooftop sculpture garden and it created a beautiful, intimate atmosphere. Bob was very responsive to emails and even allowed us to move our ceremony time back a couple of hours due to some changes. The sculpture garden felt private, while still being able to take in the beautiful Capitol building views. We didn't have any catering for our ceremony but the A Fresco team (Ali) was also wonderful to work with and made the day-of schedule go smoothly. We would definitely recommend this venue!
MMoCA was the perfect wedding venue! We loved that it offered a beautiful outdoor space and that we were able to host both the ceremony and reception there. It's modern, upscale vibe was just what we were going for and the weather backup option(s) were appealing as well - although, thankfully, we didn't need them! The planning process was relatively smooth and both MMoCA and Fresco were very accommodating and pleasant to work with.
Everything was executed to perfection the day-of and went like clockwork. We could not be happier with our wedding experience at MMoCA!!
Everything was amazing!
Communication was good to great throughout the planning process between Bob of MMoCA, Ali the event coordinator at Fresco, and our vendors when necessary.
Pricing is extremely reasonable for what you are getting - the biggest cost is exclusive catering through Fresco, however, the presentation and coordination of the food and drink that they provide is well worth it.
Our set up was a little crazy but the team rolled with the punches and made it feel easy for my husband and me, which was such a gift. Everyone in attendance said it was the best wedding, venue, and food selection they had ever been to. The evening ran smoothly and was nicely coordinated without us having to worry about our timeline.
The bartenders did a great job keeping up with the pace, recommending drinks, and keeping up with the pace of the evening.
Ali made everything run so seamlessly and the transitions were flawless. I could not be happier we had the opportunity to work with her and this venue.
My husband and I couldn’t be happier with our experience! The location was great, and allowed our guests to have plenty of options for places to hang out between the ceremony ending and our reception starting (reception was at a different location). The staff was very responsive and helped answer any and all questions. The rooftop itself is absolutely beautiful. While we were lucky enough to have good weather, the indoor backup options made things way less stressful when rain began to appear on the forecast the week of our wedding. Overall, fantastic experience!
I could not be happier with my experience at MMOCA. Everyone was very helpful and accomadating to my needs for my wedding. It looked beautiful and they had a great indoor option for us if it rained. Alison was so helpful and calm for my ceremony and kept everything on track. I recommend this venue to anyone looking for a true Madison wedding!
Our wedding at MMoCA was perfect! The staff was attentive and friendly and everything went so smoothly. No stress at all! Due to weather, we had to move the wedding inside into the lobby, and it was still just as amazing.
MMoCA's saving grace is how perfect the day of the wedding was. Up until that day, I wished I'd have gone with a different venue.
Communication is bad with the coordinators. I would go literal weeks without an answer to simple questions that I'd emailed. Phone calls weren't returned. In the 18 months we were engaged, the venue went through 3 different wedding coordinators, including a change the week before the wedding! The catering manager ran a tight ship but was spotty with communication as well. I didn't worry, though, because I was impressed with the in-person interactions and I know she's spread pretty thin.
Thankfully, the day-of was perfect. They had plenty of staff to set up, serve food, tear down, and guest-herd. I don't think I did anything the day of the wedding. The best thing about this venue is that you will be the only event in your time frame, so you'll pretty much have the whole building to yourself. And it's BEAUTIFUL. The food was amazing. Most of the guests commented that it was the best food they've ever had at a wedding, as well as the best scenery.
Contact
227 State St, Madison, WI
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art's photos