The Venue

With its majestic three-story ceiling and twin grand staircases, the Historic Pool creates an immersive experience for you and your guests. Host a romantic wedding ceremony on the lower level, inside what was once the world's largest indoor swimming pool. While your guests enjoy cocktail hour in one of our other stunning locations, the Pool transforms into the perfect reception to suit your vision and style—be it vintage, modern, casual, or extravagant. With incredible versatility, the only limit to this stunning venue is your imagination.

After your wedding ceremony, take the party upstairs to the Mezzanine. The second level above the Historic Pool provides the perfect space for cocktails or dinner service. Guests are able to view the venue from a completely different perspective throughout the evening—without ever being too far from the action on the dance floor! There are several areas where you can set up your sweetheart table, food stations, guest book table, or memory table. When you are ready for your cake cutting and speeches, the Mezzanine also provides a unique viewing perspective for these special moments.

Located just off of the Historic Pool's second-floor Mezzanine is the spacious Outdoor Terrace. Most often used during cocktail hour, the Terrace is the perfect location for guests to enjoy a little bit of Florida sunshine before dancing the night away inside the Historic Pool. Are you looking for an outdoor location to host your wedding ceremony? The secluded Outdoor Terrace allows you to take advantage of the incredible exterior architecture of the Lightner Museum. When it comes time to ride off into the sunset, the staircase of the Outdoor Terrace is the ideal place to stage your Grand Exit.

With sparkling crystal chandeliers, intricate mosaic tile flooring, and eight majestic arched windows, the Grand Lobby of the Lightner Museum is a showstopping event space. Perfect for cocktail hour, the Grand Lobby looks out onto three manicured private courtyards. The central courtyard, with its charming stone bridge over a rippling Koi pond, makes a beautiful entryway for guest arrival.

*If you are hosting your wedding ceremony off-site, the Grand Lobby can be added on as your cocktail hour for an additional fee.

Included in your rental of the Lightner Museum is access to our two elegantly appointed private suites, the Maria Jefferson Lounge and Otto Lightner Lounge. With easy access to the Historic Pool and Mezzanine, the suites are the perfect locations to do final preparations before you say "I do." The gents can challenge each other to a game of darts or foosball, or relax on the ultra-plush sectional while they catch a game on the big screen TV. The ladies can make sure to do all of those last-minute hair and makeup touch-ups, slip on their gorgeous gowns, and sip on champagne while taking photos.