Whether Pearl Harbor, the Alamo or the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, places that commemorate our nation’s milestones add an element of inspiration to an event that few other settings can match. Here is a sampling of venues around the country that combine historical and social significance with superb group facilities.
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, St. Louis
St. Louis’ position as a gateway to westward expansion, the place where many 19th century pioneers started their arduous journey over mountains and plains, is dramatically illustrated at this national park on the banks of the Mississippi.
Its centerpiece, the 630-foot-high Gateway Arch, was completed in 1965 and remains the tallest manmade national monument in the U.S. An inside tram takes visitors to the top of the stainless steel structure for views of the city that stretch for 30 miles in all directions on a clear day.
While the Museum of Westward Expansion is now closed for renovation, its visitors center has been relocated to another park site, the Old Courthouse. This historically significant building is where Dred Scott sued to be freed from slavery and Virginia Mott fought for the right for women to vote.
“The Old Courthouse is a wonderful place for cocktail receptions and seated dinners, especially for opening nights when you want to give people a glimpse of local history,” says Julie Krull, director of sales for DMC Destination St. Louis.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum, Boston
To step into the John F. Kennedy Library Presidential Library & Museum is to step back to Camelot, a time of unbridled optimism in America.
This inspiring waterfront structure, with its 115-foot smoked-glass pavilion adorned only with a hanging American flag, captures the charismatic elegance and soaring expectations associated with JFK himself.
The museum is filled with objects from Kennedy’s life, including the tattered flag from PT-109, his famous rocking chair and a replica of his desk in the Oval Office with the same objects on it that were there when he left for Dallas. There are exhibits on the space program and the Peace Corps as well.
The stunning Museum Pavilion, with its sweeping views of Boston Harbor, accommodates dinners for up to 350 and receptions for up to 600. Other spaces include the Library Grounds and Harborside Plaza.
National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, Tenn.
Reopened last year after a major expansion and renovation, the National Civil Rights Museum takes visitors on a journey through the African-American struggle for equality, from slavery up through today.
Visitors can view such iconic elements as a burned-out bus from the Freedom Rides and an original lunch counter from the student sit-ins of the 1960s. The venue is attached to the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.
The museum, which features a state-of-the-art auditorium as well as banquet and conference rooms, welcomes group events and tours.
“With the renovation, the museum has broadened its scope and become one of the important museums in the country,” says Cindy Dupree, director of communications for the Tennessee Dept. of Tourism Development. “Anyone bringing a group to Memphis should consider it.”
The Alamo, San Antonio
Established as a Spanish Colonial mission in 1742, the Alamo is best known as the place where the Texas Army under Sam Houston fought for Texas independence during the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836. Some 2.5 million visitors each year come to see its historical exhibits and stroll through the gardens.
Inside the Alamo complex, catered receptions for groups of up to 200 are accommodated in the Alamo Hall and Patio, while much larger events can take place on a wide plaza in front.
“The Alamo makes a stunning backdrop for events—you really know you’re in San Antonio,” says Micki Moore, national sales manager for Allied PRA San Antonio, a DMC.
Pearl Harbor/Battleship Missouri Memorial, Honolulu
Pearl Harbor draws visitors to multiple sites associated with the fateful day of Dec. 7, 1941.
Among them is the Battleship Missouri Memorial, the 60,000-ton ship where Gen. Douglas MacArthur accepted the Japanese surrender that ended World War II. Its massive flight deck can be the dramatic setting for receptions and dinners.
The Museum of Pacific Aviation offers a huge boost for groups, located in a World War II hangar on Pearl Harbor’s Ford Island and offering interactive flight simulators and a prized collection of vintage aircraft. Groups can use the museum’s Flight Simulator Lab for teambuilding or hold dinners and receptions in the hangar galleries among the historic aircraft.
The 200-seat Pacific Theater is available for lectures, presentations and meetings.
