USS MIDWAY MUSEUM
ADDRESS: 910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101
WEB SITE: www.midway.org
EXHIBITS & EVENTS: This floating museum resides in an aircraft carrier that served between 1945 and 1991.
EVENT AREAS: The 4-acre flight deck, 50 feet above San Diego Bay, can accommodate 3,500 people. The hangar deck has a capacity of 2,000 guests.
MAIN FRAME: The museum's air wing allows guests to explore such planes as a SH-3 Seaking and a H-46 Sea Knight helicopter.
GAZE-WORTHY: A Strike Fighter 360-degree simulator allows wannabe pilots to roll, somersault, spin and loop.
THE JOHN AND MABLE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART
ADDRESS: 5401 Bayshore Road, Sarasota, FL 34243
WEB SITE: www.ringling.org
EXHIBITS & EVENTS: The legacy of John Ringling — circus entrepreneur, art collector and financier — and his wife Mable is this 66-acre estate with an art museum, palatial mansion and historic grounds.
EVENT AREAS: The museum's courtyard measures 48,000 square feet and features fountains and a replica of Michelangelo's David. Other event areas include the Tibbals Learning Center, the Belivedere Tower and the Circus Museum's 5,100-square-foot backyard.
MAIN FRAME: The art museum's 21 galleries house masterpieces by El Greco, Tintoretto and Titian.
GAZE-WORTHY: The estate's event department notes that couples are choosing to wed on a weekday, rather than the more traditional Saturday. Also, more wedding parties are enhancing their receptions with personal touches such as handmade linen and fun fast food served after the cake.
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
ADDRESS: 220 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611
WEB SITE: www.mcachicago.org
EXHIBITS & EVENTS: With 2,345 objects dating from 1945 to the present, MCA's collection focuses on surrealism, minimalism, conceptual photography, and work by Chicago-based artists. Up to 1,200 guests can be accommodated inside the museum.
EVENT AREAS: The Kanterz Meeting Center has space for up to 100 guests at a reception. Other event areas at the museum include a 300-seat theater. The museum's Kern Terrace offers views of Lake Michigan and the sculpture garden.
MAIN FRAME: The galleries can be opened for guests during events, allowing access to exhibitions such as “Alexander Calder in Focus” and “Mapping the Self,” which run until April and March, respectively.
GAZE-WORTHY: The MCA Loft once served as a pie factory but is now an event venue with downtown views, high ceilings and 19,000 square feet of space.
