Unique Durham Venues Appeal to Planners
Durham is abundantly supplied with alternative and unique meeting & event venues—perfect for board meetings, social occasions, and even hands-on learning experiences. Some add the nuance of special cuisine, while others incorporate a theme (like history, sports, or science).
First among Durham’s alternative venues are convention & conference facilities without guest rooms. These include Milestones Meeting & Banquet Facilities at Northgate Mall and the Charles Hamner Conference Center at the NC Biotechnology Center.
Another example, the Durham Armory (part of the Durham Civic Center Complex), may be reserved through the City of Durham.
The Durham Armory is an especially unusual meeting venue, from both architectural and historical perspectives.
Constructed by the Depression-era WPA on the site of the old City Market (circa 1910) using the former market’s roofing tiles, the Durham Armory was dedicated for use on Veteran’s Day, 1937.
According to local historian Jim Wise, the structure incorporated part of a Durham meat market, and its tall, now-decorative arches were then open-air archways. The building’s brickwork and corner towers, as well as its early function as a National Guard headquarters, give it a medieval and military mystique.
From the elegant Doris Duke Center at Sarah P. Duke Gardens to Durham’s State Historic Sites to the Museum of Life and Science and its Magic Wings Butterfly House, Durham’s unique meeting venues can meet almost any need.
In addition to a select group of Durham’s private clubs, nearly 30 Durham restaurants—most of them Resident Favorites or serving Celebrated Cuisine—offer space for meetings & events. These alternative venues are perfect for banquets, whether stand-alone or planned in conjunction with another occasion.
With its wide range of traditional and alternative facilities, Durham can host 80–85% of the nation’s one million conventions and meetings. Moreover, all of Durham’s top-notch venues are within a day’s drive or an hour’s flight from half of the nation’s population.
DCVB provides detailed inventories of Durham’s meeting venues and capacities both on the Web and in the Official Durham Meeting & Event Planners Guide.
Meeting planners and Durham residents can search all of Durham’s facilities online by name, capacity, type, and location. Click here to run a customized search now.
Last updated 6/04
