Classic Gatherings Time after Time — Timeless Minnesota Venues for Winter Events

While shiny, new and modern locales can lend a contemporary kick to your gathering, there’s really something to be said for holding your winter event at a venue that is classic, sophisticated and timeless. Spend time at many of these and you’ll notice a sense of history in the architecture, grandeur in the furnishings, and quite simply, culture in the air.

Winter events demand splendor in unforgettable places! Choosing a venue such as the James J. Hill Center with its impressive space, classically furnished rooms and stunning book-lined atrium will meet that demand and then some. If it’s elegance you seek, look no further than the Blaisdell Manor, the Georgian-style mansion that boasts a two-story Grand Ballroom that accommodates up to 300 guests, and is magnificent with ceiling fresco and tiered lighting to adjust the mood. A sense of history pervades the Minnesota Humanities Center in St. Paul. This restored architectural landmark welcomes your guests into a beautiful Atrium with additional meeting and event space throughout, and even garden level overnight accommodations. Or, invite as many as 350 guests to enjoy the spacious surroundings, large dance floor and full banquet facilities available at the Mounds View Event Center.

Even in the winter months, golf and country clubs offer picturesque and refined settings. For many, Rush Creek Golf Club - with its majestic Maple Grove clubhouse and beautiful banquet space overlooking the course - is the definition of exquisite. Still others would point to the excellent cuisine, stunning course views and sprawling banquet facilities at Green Haven Golf Course in historical Anoka as an excellent choice. Then again, why not visit Majestic Oaks Golf Club where vaulted ceilings, fireplaces, dramatic chandeliers and space for up to 450 take an event to beyond magnificent. And while grand is great, simply elegant is lovely too. The Harvest Grill at Bunker Hills offers warm surroundings, fabulous cuisine and a Northern Minnesota resort feel right in the midst of the metro.

For those who want stylish surroundings and mouthwatering menu options, restaurants offer the perfect blend of gourmet choices with gracious surroundings. To that end, Al and Alma’s Supper Club has been a Minnesota favorite since 1956, featuring beautiful lofted ceilings, a cozy lake rock fireplace and large windows that overlook the lake. Built that same year, the Medina Entertainment Center dazzles guests with delicious menu options, top name entertainment, a bowling center and a Grand Ballroom renowned for years as THE place to go dancing. The always popular Mermaid Entertainment and Event Center attracts those looking for all-inclusive options such as several ballrooms, a garden tent, theater, classrooms, bowling alley, restaurants and hotel.

If you’re counting on classy, don’t count out community centers. The days when these locations were just a spot to play basketball are long gone. Instead, they are vibrant places like the Coon Rapids Civic Center with banquet facilities for up to 230, outdoor gazebo and generously-sized dance floor. Or the Maple Grove Community Center with ice arena, aquatic center, skate park and gymnasium. Guests who attend receptions or events at the New Brighten Community Center enjoy seating for up to 240, large dance floor and patio. The Roseville Skating Center offers the ideal space for a unique gathering at the 110,000 square foot ice arena, while the Shoreview Community Center provides large banquet rooms, meeting rooms, an outdoor pavilion and an indoor water park.  

With all the choices available for your winter event, why not go with the tried, the true and the timeless?