The best Manhattan venues

The Glasshouse, making its grand entrance in 2021, is like the new kid on the block who's already the class president. With 75,000 square feet of space and room for up to 1,850 guests, it's less of a venue and more of a small village, but with better views and fewer cows. Perched in NYC, it offers 360-degree views of Manhattan, making it the perfect spot to gaze out at the city and ponder life's big questions, like "Where did I park?"

This venue is decked out with outdoor terraces, pre-function spaces, VIP lounges, and enough production infrastructure to make Musk weep with joy. It's the event equivalent of a Swiss army knife – capable of handling just about anything, from an elegant gala to a corporate extravaganza worthy of Kendal Roy.

With its unparalleled setting and expertly delivered services, the Glasshouse stands as a premier choice for those seeking an exceptional event experience in New York City. Its blend of modern elegance and functional design creates a canvas without bounds, where each event is uniquely tailored to exceed expectations.

Hosting an event at the American Museum of Natural History is like throwing a party in a time machine, minus the risk of altering the space-time continuum. Celebrating 150 years as a Manhattan landmark, this venue offers the chance to dine under a 94-foot blue whale or sip cocktails amidst dinosaurs. It's the only place where you can say, "Pass the hors d'oeuvres, and oh, look, a Tyrannosaurus rex."

With settings ranging from the stunning Rose Center for Earth and Space to halls filled with the world's most dynamic dinosaur displays, to the architectural delights of the Glider center, your event will be anything but ordinary. It's perfect for those who want their guests to mingle with ancient fossils and cosmic wonders, making small talk seem significantly more epic.

And it's not just about the grandeur. Hosting your event here supports scientific research and educational programs. So, you can feel good about partying in a museum, knowing that your celebration contributes to something bigger than your event's hashtag. Whether it's a wedding, corporate dinner, or cocktail reception, the Museum transforms your event into a memorable, and educational, extravaganza.

If you’ve ever seen a painting and wished you could step inside it, you’re in luck. The Hall des Lumiéres, a new culture and art center by the creators of the acclaimed “Atelier des Lumiéres” in Paris, marries historic interiors with modern design and technology to create an immersive art experience. 130 projectors are used to display video canvases on the walls and floors, highlighting the work of artists like Gustav Klimt and Wassily Kandinsky and even a recent cosmic presentation by NASA.

Built in 1911 to house the Emigrant Industrial National Savings Bank, the Beaux-Arts style building integrates the original registers, stained glass windows, and sculptures to seamlessly complement the exhibitions. The main level is the former teller hall, and the basement provides access to the historic bank vault, which has been transformed into a mirrored infinity room.

Each floor can accommodate 500 guests, and the projections can be custom-designed to create a multi-sensory experience catered uniquely to your event.

This is your reminder to renew your library card. The New York Public Library is the largest city library in the United States, which means it houses some of the greatest stories ever told – and maybe yours, too.

There are six spaces available to rent in the main building. Astor Hall is the library’s magnificent marble lobby, detailed with intricately carved arches and original candelabra lamps, and can hold 750 standing guests and 250 seated.

The McGraw Rotunda, the gateway to the famed reading rooms, holds 300 standing and 150 seated amongst ornate walnut pilasters and modernist murals depicting the history of the written word. For a more intimate party of up to 100 people, rent out the private Wachenheim Trustees Room and enjoy its warm lighting, mahogany fixtures, and cozy marble fireplace.

All event fees support the Library’s collection, services, and programs.

If you look beyond the influencers and tourists getting photos in the ball pit (a rite of passage for an Instagrammer in the city), the Color Factory is a kaleidoscopic delight. This vibrant Manhattan venue partners with local businesses and artists to celebrate the joy of color and design.

The museum is made up of 11 rooms, each with a theme inspired by the hues of New York City: the blues of the skyline and the Hudson, confetti depicting the changing seasons in Central Park, and the electric neons of street art.

Color Factory is available to rent for up to 200 guests with up to 20,000 square feet of venue space to serve as a canvas for your event. There are flexible catering options and a dedicated event team to help you bring your ideas to life.

Since its opening in 1884, The Hotel Chelsea has welcomed numerous artists, writers, and thinkers who have used its dollhouse-like interiors as inspiration for works that shaped America’s bohemian cultural landscape. In recent years, the hotel has been renovated, adding an element of luxury while still retaining the spirit that welcomed guests like Leonard Cohen, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Stanley Kubrick, and Andy Warhol, among others.

The event spaces retain restored elements that honor the history of the hotel, with original murals, crown molding, and fixtures. The Bard Room is ideal for larger celebrations of up to 100 guests, with a private entrance and a built-in bar. The Tea Room, set inside the original General Manager’s office, is located just off the lobby and features a long banquet table ideal for private dining or daytime meetings with 20 attendees. Other spaces include the Cervantes Room (max. 10) in the famed Spanish restaurant El Quijote (which has a capacity of 60 for a full buyout), the Piano Room (max. 75), and the Parisian-inspired Petit Café (max. 32).

If you want a quintessentially New York venue, Manhatta should be at the top of your list. What it lacks in a single letter is made up for by its sweeping FiDi views, bright and elegant interiors, and locally-influenced design – all set 60 floors above Manhattan. The cocktail list has signatures named after NYC neighborhoods like the Chinatown (plum wine, crispy duck, shiitake, cinnamon) and the Brooklyn (cherry blossom rye, maraschino, cherry bark, vanilla) along with a signature Manhattan cocktail. The food has untraditional twists on classic dishes, like adding salted blueberries to a lobster carpaccio or topping peaches and burrata with almond miso.

The private events spaces are flexible and built for celebrating, whether it’s a cocktail reception, a wedding, or an off-site meeting. You can rent the entire floor for up to 200 seated and 625 standing, enjoy a private dining room for 25, have a small conference in the Liberty, Hudson, or Harbor Rooms (max. 32 seated), or throw a celebration in the Bay Room (max. 500 standing) or the intimate Roebling Room (max. 100 standing). The options are endless – and so is the skyline.

This elevated venue towers above Upper Manhattan, with 13,000 sq. ft of divisible space within the connected Radio Hotel. The venue includes a full kitchen, a built-in bar, on-site parking, and all-inclusive planning packages. Neutral decor, chic modular furniture, and panoramic city views from Central Park to Midtown make this a flexible and modern event venue for corporate and social celebrations alike. Two 1,350 sq. ft. outdoor spaces are available year-round, with one featuring a retractable roof.

Above the Heights can accommodate up to 500 guests, and partitions can be added for breakout rooms or smaller gatherings. Located in Washington Heights, it offers easy access to the Harlem River, the George Washington Bridge, and Central Park.

This list wouldn’t be complete without a Manhattan staple – the rooftop. 230 Fifth is New York’s largest all-season rooftop venue, complete with umbrellas, heaters, and enclosed igloos for every weather scenario. With classic and simple decor, the highlight of this space is the view, which features the Empire State and the Crysler buildings among the skyscrapers of the Flatiron District.

There are four different spaces available to rent. 230 Fifth can accompany up to 1200 guests in the outdoor space and 300 in the indoor Penthouse lounge (perfect for those afraid of heights). Both are equipped with two full-service bars, and the smaller Hard Bar is available for more intimate, private gatherings of up to 85 people.

If the walls of Webster Hall could talk, they’d tell stories about labor union rallies, cultural anarchists, hedonist soirees, and wild rockstars. Upon construction in 1886, it was advertised as a “hall for hire”, where groups could rent rooms or the entire building for a variety of functions. Despite its more recent fame as an iconic East Village music haven, it has stood the test of time as an ideal venue for large-scale events.

The recently renovated interior has maintained its original dark Renaissance vibe with a wrap-around balcony overlooking the ballroom space and gold details in the woodwork. Still, much of it has been modernized for functionality, like the new Ritz Lounge, which has a bar and vinyl seating for a more intimate, quieter reception space. The ballroom has enhanced acoustics, amplifying what was already some of the best audio/visual in the city.

Webster Hall can host up to 1600 guests standing, 700 theatre-style, and 200 seated – leaving plenty of room to dance.