Uncommon Grounds — Minnesota Unique Venues

Hotel ballrooms and conference centers offer a host of services, food, and space that are dependable, reliable, and sometimes … a little predictable. Beige walls and thick carpet in cavernous spaces may work for some events, but for others? Maybe it’s time to color outside the lines? Take a look at these unique Minnesota event venues and consider if the uncommon grounds will create a wonderfully unusual event.

No denying, there’s a kid inside of all of us, even the most button-down business types. And what brings out that childlike joy almost better than anything else? RIDES! So grab your group and go ga-ga at Mall of American | Nickelodeon Universe. Whether it’s team building or a company party, your guests will delight in the Universe of Light show, roll with the Hard Rock Café dance party, thrill to more than 25 rides, all while enjoying snacks, treats, meals, and shopping at any of the Mall’s restaurants and retail establishments.

Wide open spaces, gorgeous gardens, natural habitats, and the inspiring sculptures of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum invite your group to blossom and grow.  Choose from one of several spacious or intimate meeting rooms, classrooms or auditoriums, many with views of the surrounding colorful acreage. Onsite catering offers a delicious number of options featuring organic foods and even some from the Arboretum’s own gardens.  Team building events like the Amazing Race will send your team traipsing the garden paths in search of clues to lead them to a final destination. Tram tours and guided walking tours get your group out of the boardroom and back to nature.

Boasting 2000 square feet of expansive gallery space, your event takes on a picturesque ambience at the Ames Center located in Burnsville, Minnesota. Private evening receptions are sophisticated events when you choose from one of many artful preferred caterers, including Buca di Beppo, Chianti Grill, Crave Catering, and Three Sons Signature Cuisine, to name but a few. Free onsite parking turns this distinctive venue a masterpiece.

Having Culinaire International at either the Walker Art Center or Landmark Center makes for a priceless experience. At the Walker, guests enjoy delicious fare within the light-filled galleries, the café, while playing a rooftop round of Skyline Mini Golf, or just wandering the sculpture gardens. The classic architecture of the Landmark allows for a sophisticated atmosphere with the museum and various galleries in which you can create a memorable experience.

It’s a sure thing your gang is going to love their day at the races. Canterbury Park raises the stakes on fun with a large stable of event spaces including the Expo Center, the Triple Crown Club, Balcony Suites, and even Track Level space. Mouthwatering on-site catering, heart-pounding events, plus table games, simulcast and live racing earns this venue the triple crown.

Sports arenas offer your crew the chance to root for the home team in a venue that’s designed for fun and games. Home to the Saint Paul Saints, CHS Field lets your team test their skills in the batting cages, on the field playing softball, or simply cheering at the ball game.

The National Sports Center in Blaine offers your guests a wide variety of options. It is the world’s largest amateur sports and meeting facility with a 600-acre campus, over 50 soccer fields, eight-sheet ice arena, 18-hole golf course, cycling velodrome, and 100,00 square feet of indoor training and meeting space.

Why not take your team to Marshall and choose from facilities ranging from the new Red Baron Ice Arena + Expo Center to Mattke Field, Marshall Golf Club to SMSU Fitness Center, to name just a few? Expansive facilities offer space for baseball, bowling, golf, hockey, racquetball, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, and much more.

Exotic and entertaining, the Como Park Zoo + Conservatory provide the perfect retreat for your guests. Miles from the concrete jungle of the office, this venue will delight guests with an enjoyable animal experience, picnic grounds, amusement park, nearby lake and of course, the stunning botanical gardens of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory.  

No matter which place or space you choose, any of these colorful Minnesota event venues will make for a vivid and memorable event.