The American Swedish Historical Museum
Guest capacity
Up to 230 seated guests
Event Dates between 01.01.26-07.31.2026
Ask about our 2026 Specials: Comp'd Genovese Cocktail Station & Butlered Dessert; June 2026 Saturday reduced rental rate; July Menu discounts; Adjusted menu pricing for September & October 2026.
About this venue
Philly's hidden gem - the ASHM offers a unique and beautiful setting for events. The Museum has indoor and outdoor space that can accommodate up to 230 guests, in addition to easy access and free parking. We work with our exclusive caterer, JAM Catering. They make delicious, delightful food entirely by hand and serve your guests with heartfelt hospitality.
Our event spaces
The American Swedish Historical Museum
Make your next special event a memorable one!
Imagine your wedding in our two-story Grand Hall with its elegant staircase and beautifully painted, vaulted ceiling. Or, if you prefer an outdoor ceremony, you might exchange vows under a leafy tree with the lush park as your backdrop, frame your ceremony in architectural charm under one of the arcades’ graceful arches, or go big-front-and-center in front of the museum’s ornate doors and stately façade. Featuring easy access, free parking, and convenient proximity to center city, the American Swedish Historical Museum is the perfect Philadelphia venue to host any special occasion.
Guest capacity
Up to 230 Seated
Up to 230 Standing
Included in this room:
Rental of the American Swedish Historical Museum includes use of all the museum’s public spaces during your event. Your guests will enjoy browsing our fantastic galleries, which feature original period paintings, furniture, and textiles. There is even a seasonal tent, complete with lighting, fans and heaters, and clear, retractable sides, so that you and your loved ones can dine and dance the night away while enjoying the beauty of the outdoor setting.
The American Swedish Historical Museum
Make your next special event a memorable one!
Imagine your wedding in our two-story Grand Hall with its elegant staircase and beautifully painted, vaulted ceiling. Or, if you prefer an outdoor ceremony, you might exchange vows under a leafy tree with the lush park as your backdrop, frame your ceremony in architectural charm under one of the arcades’ graceful arches, or go big-front-and-center in front of the museum’s ornate doors and stately façade. Featuring easy access, free parking, and convenient proximity to center city, the American Swedish Historical Museum is the perfect Philadelphia venue to host any special occasion.
Guest capacity
Up to 230 Seated
Up to 230 Standing
Included in this room:
Rental of the American Swedish Historical Museum includes use of all the museum’s public spaces during your event. Your guests will enjoy browsing our fantastic galleries, which feature original period paintings, furniture, and textiles. There is even a seasonal tent, complete with lighting, fans and heaters, and clear, retractable sides, so that you and your loved ones can dine and dance the night away while enjoying the beauty of the outdoor setting.
Available services that can be provided by The American Swedish Historical Museum
Services & amenities
- Bar services
- Catering services
- Clean up
- Dance floor
- Dressing room / Bridal Suite
- Event coordinator
- Event rentals
- Event staff
- Liability insurance
- Lighting/Sound
- Pet friendly
- Service staff
- Set up
- Wedding cake services
- Wheelchair accessible
- Wifi
Transportation & access
- Self parking - free
- Wheelchair accessible
Rentals
- Barware
- China
- Flatware
- Glassware
- Lighting
- Linens
- Standard Chairs
Reviews
Write a review4.7 out of 5
7 reviews
amazing venue and food, terrible coms/planning
ASHM is absolutely gorgeous and the day-of went well. We don't regret going with ASHM but there were definitely a lot of frustrations during planning. The resulting mistakes on the day-of were minor but the poor coordination during the lead-up to the wedding was very frustrating and made us so nervous for what the execution would be like. Seemed like the issues we faced were tied to the specific coordinator and rep that we were assigned, and not something that everyone experiences with ASHM/JAM. Pros: - Gorgeous and unique venue, we loved that there were great options for an indoor and outdoor wedding - Day-of catering team was fantastic - JAM has some of the best wedding food I’ve ever had and tons of customization options - Inexpensive compared to a lot of venues and caterers - Loved that they also do decor and florals (through Buttercup) - John was FANTASTIC Cons: - it was pretty frustrating and stressful working with the coordinator and the ASHM rep. The representative showed up 45 minutes late to our virtual tour and just kind of brushed it off, even though we had taken time out of our work days to attend. Coordinator often took more than a week or a week and a half to respond to emails and there were times when we had to follow up like 3 times to get an answer. Although she was super friendly in person and on calls, she became combative and defensive when we followed up about documents she forgot to attach to emails. She regularly sent over old versions of documents we had put together, and when we met with her she didn’t seem like she had read the forms we had filled out (a few times she asked us if we had made decisions yet on topics we had discussed and finalized with her already). The team took a while to send over the booking for a group tasting and by the time they sent it over, it was fully booked so we weren’t able to do that either. A couple of times the coordinator just never sent us some things she said she would look into for us. Maybe she was busy and overwhelmed (or just new?) but it made us really nervous for the day of. - Likely because of the disorganization above, there were some mistakes with the food. One of the three welcome drinks was not correct and was from an old version of the meal document we had created. There were also mistakes on the cake. It wasn’t anything that would ruin the day but we were really excited for the cake we had ordered (red velvet with cream cheese frosting, Swiss dot decoration). I was definitely disappointed when the cake ended up with extra piping on it and the frosting was a vanilla butter cream instead of cream cheese frosting.
Amazing Planning Resources
My wedding is June 7, 2025 and I couldn't be happier that I chose ASHM. JAM Catering has everything down to a science. As a bride that sometimes struggles with details such as table linens and timeline planning, it's been super helpful to have a dedicated planner via the venue. If you are a hands off bride like me, I highly recommend ASHM and JAM Catering so they can deal with the nitty gritty while you focus on having fun!
Historical Charm, Elegant Vibe, Impeccable Service
Working with the JAM team at the American Swedish Historical Museum has been nothing short of incredible! I knew from the beginning that I wanted a non-traditional venue that was still elegant and well-managed, and I found that so quickly with JAM and ASHM. The space is beautiful, historic, and unique, not to mention conveniently located for Philadelphians! I also really value the venue's commitment to preserving the building as a piece of Pennsylvania history and JAM's dedication to sustainability and ethical practices in an industry that often feels so wasteful. Overall, I couldn't recommend them more!
Our Spectacular Winter Wedding
Our event designer Dorothy was absolutely great! She was very communicative, always helpful, and reliable. The American Swedish Historical Museum provided a gorgeous, stunning, breath-taking, fun, and grand venue for our wedding. The unique space and open exhibits allowed our guests to explore during the event, and the heated tent was spacious and wonderful. The museum created a beautiful backdrop of the city. Working alongside JAM Catering and the ASHM staff was easy and fun - they made everything flow seamlessly, and we could not stop getting enough compliments on the venue, food, and drinks.
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