Top Boone Venues

• Spaces for 200-400 Guests
• 1 Barn
• 1 Meeting Space
• 2 Venues with Activities

Seven Oaks Recreation is a family-owned, 150-acre property set in the Des Moines River Valley near Boone, Iowa, offering a full-service event venue alongside year-round outdoor recreation. The Lodge at Seven Oaks serves as the primary event space, featuring sixteen-foot vaulted ceilings and a natural knotty pine interior that accommodates up to 215 guests for weddings, receptions, corporate retreats, family reunions, and birthday parties. Three ceremony locations — including outdoor options across the grounds — give couples and event planners flexibility in how they use the property. The Lodge includes an on-site dressing suite with three hair and makeup stations, a full bar serving craft and domestic beers, wine, and spirits through the Coal Creek Lounge, and a staff team covering bartenders, bussers, and a dedicated events coordinator. All-day access from 8 a.m. to midnight, setup-day-before availability, and inclusive setup and cleanup are part of every package. Outside catering is welcome at no additional kitchen fee. The venue operates April through October.

• Spaces for 325 Guests

Camp Hantesa is a Camp Fire facility set on wooded grounds adjacent to Ledges State Park in Boone, Iowa, surrounded by hills, stone outcroppings, and views of the Des Moines River. The property is available for private event rentals year-round and offers a range of indoor spaces suited to groups of various sizes. The centerpiece for larger gatherings is Clayton Lodge, described as one of the largest venues in Boone County, with a full-service kitchen, a dining hall with tables and chairs, restrooms, breakout rooms, and reserved parking — well suited to weddings, banquets, retreats, and conferences. Smaller lodges on the property provide accommodations for overnight retreats, team-building programs, and group gatherings. For event inquiries and rental bookings, the venue's events team can be reached directly at the Camp Hantesa office.

• Spaces for 50-350 Guests
• 2 Outdoor Spaces
• 1 Event Space
• 3 Gardens

The Iowa Arboretum & Gardens is a community-supported public garden set on landscaped grounds in Madrid, Iowa, offering outdoor and indoor event spaces for weddings, receptions, corporate gatherings, showers, and anniversaries. Surrounded by botanical gardens, tree groves, native prairie trails, and interactive natural spaces, the arboretum provides a distinctive natural backdrop that sets it apart from traditional banquet venues. The Hughes Education Center serves as the primary indoor event space, accommodating up to 175 guests with 22 sixty-inch round tables, large windows overlooking the grounds, and access to a full catering kitchen, wireless internet, and audio equipment. Outdoor ceremony areas seat up to 200 guests, with a sound system available and four hours of pre-ceremony access included. For intimate gatherings, the Treehouse Venue offers a micro-wedding setting for up to 50 guests. Dance floor rental is available as an add-on for receptions.

• Spaces for 40-500 Guests
• 3 Ballrooms
• 8 Museums
• 8 Total Spaces

The Memorial Union has served as the heart of Iowa State University's campus in Ames, Iowa since its founding as a living memorial to Iowa State students who gave their lives in military service. Today it draws approximately 1.3 million visitors annually and functions as the central gathering place for students, faculty, and the broader community — from student organization meetings to weddings, conferences, lectures, concerts, and art events. The building's historic architecture, including Gold Star Hall, stained glass windows, zodiac imagery, and a grand fountain courtyard, gives the venue a sense of permanence and character that few campus spaces can match. ISU Catering holds an exclusive catering contract within the Memorial Union, ensuring coordinated food service for every event. A dedicated event management team handles logistics for student organizations, university departments, and public clients alike. The MU offers more than a dozen customizable and fixed-setup rooms across multiple floors, ranging from intimate boardrooms to the 4,860-square-foot Durham Great Hall, which seats up to 500 in theater configuration. Outdoor terraces on the building's south side provide additional space for open-air gatherings. A/V equipment is available in all major spaces, and the venue's experienced wedding team — reachable at weddings@iastate.edu — coordinates receptions and ceremonies throughout the facility.

• Spaces for 450 Guests

• Spaces for 120-275 Guests
• 1 Country Club

Ames Golf & Country Club has been a gathering place for the Ames, Iowa community since 1911, when the club opened with a nine-hole course, a clubhouse, and a swimming pool. Today, the club spans 164 acres north of Ames and hosts weddings, receptions, birthday parties, and private celebrations throughout the year. The Greenview Room is the club's dedicated event space, accommodating up to 120 guests for seated dinners or 180 for cocktail receptions. The room looks out over the golf course and opens onto a walk-out deck, with a full bar available on-site. The broader facility — renovated in 2018 — includes an 18-hole championship course, a heated pool, tennis and pickleball courts, and a Trackman golf simulator, making it a natural fit for group outings and multi-activity events. The club's culinary team supports private dinners, wine tastings, holiday celebrations, and custom menus led by Head Chef Tyler Christie.

• Spaces for 320 Guests