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Boston Public Library

From: $18,000; For the McKim second floor, $26,000 for the whole building (Friday to Sunday evenings)
Capacity: 330 guests
Style: Historic venue

The McKim Building of 1895 in Copley Square holds weddings in its Renaissance courtyard, the Abbey Room and the grand Bates Hall, which seats 330 for dinner. Evening rentals are booked through the library's special events office.

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The story

A Renaissance palace in Copley Square

The Boston Public Library's McKim Building, completed in 1895, faces Copley Square and is built around a Renaissance-style courtyard. Private events take place in the evening, and the library's own sample layout for weddings uses the courtyard for cocktails, Bates Hall for dinner and the Abbey Room for dancing.

The building has a total capacity of 1,300, and 850 for the second-floor rooms: Bates Hall, the Abbey Room, the Boylston Room and the Elliott Room. Bates Hall seats 330 for dinner. The Abbey Room has a maximum of 150, seating 100, or 70 when there is a dance floor. Capacities depend on the set-up.

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The details

Everything your planner asks first.

Pricing & packages

Price from: $18,000 for the McKim second floor, $26,000 for the whole building (Friday to Sunday evenings)

Capacity & stay

Capacity: Bates Hall 330 seated; Abbey Room 100 seated (70 with dance floor); up to 850 on the second floor

Location & experiences

Region: Massachusetts, United States
Nearest airport: BOS · Boston

Planning & policies

Location: Copley Square, Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Getting there: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) serves the city; the library is steps from Copley Square on the Green Line T
Venue character: A McKim, Mead & White Renaissance Revival landmark (1895) with a marble courtyard, vaulted reading rooms and inscribed facades on Copley Square

Frequently asked

Good to know.

Which spaces within the Boston Public Library are available for private events?

The library's private events offering has historically included the Courtyard, the Abbey Room and other spaces within the McKim Building. Contact the BPL's events team at bpl.org to confirm which spaces are currently available and their individual capacities.

Enquire

Begin the conversation.

Your enquiry comes to us and we pass it on to the people who handle weddings at Boston Public Library. It's free, and your details are only used for this enquiry.