Imagine sharing an intimate meal with colleagues under dimmed lighting, surrounded by detailed exhibits showcasing the wildlife that have called Wyoming’s portion of the Greater Yellowstone region home for millennia. Or, picture yourself planning a corporate retreat where attendees take in panoramic Montana mountain views in a cozy mansion dating to the early 1900s. These are glimpses into some of the storied Northwest venues that take groups back in time to explore stories of heritage that might be new to them. They’re not just locations, they’re experiences.
Museums, hotels, and mansions are three categories of historic venues for planners to explore, and the region has plenty of them. In addition to their historical pedigrees, these venues also cater to today’s meetings and events that require amenities like audiovisual technologies and catering services—with the added benefit of on-site overnight lodging when gathering at hotels and residences.
Going beyond the traditional ballroom and hosting in more atypical spaces just might intrigue attendees, increasing the likelihood of them returning for the next event and boosting planners’ bottom line year after year. To provide some options, Northwest Meetings + Events highlights four distinctive properties in Alaska, Washington, Wyoming, and Montana with notable event amenities and plenty of historical provenance in which to immerse attendees .
In Tacoma, Washington, the Washington State History Museum houses a collection of permanent and rotating exhibitions that offer a deep dive into the geological and cultural events that shaped the Evergreen State. Also, the museum has the largest model railroad and diorama on permanent exhibition in Washington, showcasing what the state looked like in the 1950s. For small meetings, planners can book the Peter Simpson Board Room, which has a giant arched window that offers views of Mount Rainier on sunny days. The Mount Tahoma Auditorium and Lobby is one of several spots in the museum for larger events, and it seats 200 people. David Becker, the museum’s lead security officer who also oversees facility rentals, says that as a nonprofit, the property is able to keep rental prices reasonable. “Over the years, many [events] have returned,” Becker says. “We also deliver very good customer service.”
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, offers numerous areas for groups to gather among its five on-site museums that share cultural and environmental history of the American frontier. “You’re able to host your meeting or event within an exhibit space,” says Wendy Loeper, custom events and group travel manager for the center. Within the center’s Draper Natural History Museum, a circular room with a three-story ceiling features a map of the Greater Yellowstone region on its tiled floor, and the walls of the space are filled with wildlife exhibits that reflect the area’s ecosystem. Another space called The Hub is at the heart of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Here, groups can hold larger receptions and dinners, with attendees able to meander into any of the nearby exhibits, which are all accessible from The Hub. “We’re not just cut and paste,” Loeper says of the center’s meeting options. “We build the event around your needs.”
Members of the Massachusetts-based Winchester Arms Collectors Association (WACA), have held their annual banquet at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West for over 25 years, says Heather Martin, executive secretary for the organization. The group has used the center’s Coe Auditorium, which seats 158 people, for the WACA president’s yearly address. The association also held a reception in the center’s Cody Firearms Museum to celebrate WACA’s 50th anniversary. The firearms museum resonated with WACA’s gun-collector membership. “They’re very accommodating to us,” Martin says about Loeper and the Buffalo Bill Center staff.
For planners hoping to book a historic venue that also includes overnight accommodations, look to the Somers Mansion in Somers, Montana, just south of Kalispell. The lumber baron John O’Brien built the mansion in 1903 on a hill overlooking the town and Flathead Lake, and, today, the first floor has a ballroom and chef’s kitchen where groups gather for retreats and meetings, and the second and third floors hold eight guest suites. When the mansion’s current owner, Jasmine Baier, bought the place in 2020, she hoped to restore the landmark that had gone through several owners after the O’Briens left over 100 years ago. “I didn’t want it to become a museum,” Baier says. “I wanted it to be an [active], contributing part of the community.” Since taking over the mansion, Baier has hosted several corporate retreats. She enjoys watching people build relationships with other attendees and develop their own routines at the mansion. Baier says, “People really do make themselves at home.”
The Historic Anchorage Hotel in Alaska is another ideal spot for groups. When workers constructed the original hotel over a century ago, the building served as the primary gathering place for residents of Anchorage. Since then, the hotel has had several prominent guests, including Robert Marshall, principal founder of The Wilderness Society (based in Washington, D.C.), and Sydney Laurence, an American Romantic painter who was celebrated for his dramatic Alaskan landscapes. The hotel has 26 rooms available for small groups and features two event spaces: a meeting room best for small get-togethers, and a banquet area that accommodates up to 120 people. Event bookings include audiovisual equipment, as well as professional culinary services.
centerofthewest.org
historicanchoragehotel.com
somersmansion.com
washingtonhistory.org
