The Hermitage Museum & Gardens is an outdoor wedding venue in Norfolk, Virginia. The stunning grounds of this location include gardens and a historic home that displays an impressive arts and materials collection. Wedding ceremonies or receptions can be hosted at one of the outdoor locations lush with mature trees, foliage and blooming flowers. The breathtaking view is enhanced due to this venue’s location along the shore of the Lafayette River. An idyllic and enchanting background surrounds you at Hermitage Museum & Gardens.

Facilities and Capacity

This venue offers four outdoor locations for your ceremony or reception, accommodating up to 250 people. Gather your friends and family near the Lafayette River as you share the special moment amid a serene backdrop of the water. The Grotto space offers a unique setting, perfected by a fountain and cherubic statue. Intimate gatherings are ideal for the Rose Garden and various wedding sizes can be hosted near the historical architecture of the 20th-century home. Scattered throughout this venue are moments of shade and natural light created by beautiful trees and a diverse landscape of gardens. Outdoor celebrations can include tents for evening wedding ceremonies and receptions.

Services Offered

The Hermitage Museum & Gardens offers access to the museum for your guests, a petite wedding suite, parking, and indoor and outdoor restrooms. This venue provides a list of preferred vendors for rentals, caterers, lighting, cake and desserts, event coordinators, photo booths, DJs and musicians, photographers, video, event insurance, florists, beauty and attire and transportation.

History

William and Florence Sloane built the house in 1908, originally as a summer home until using it as their primary residence. The house is an arts and crafts-style home enlarged to 42 rooms by 1936. The owners appreciated art and are described as educated collectors who helped to establish the Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences, known now as the Chrysler Museum. Florence and William Sloane’s contribution also extends to beginning the Hermitage Foundation with the purpose of promoting arts and crafts.