Boston University

Boston University

If you can imagine it, we can create it at Boston University.

Unique Venue Features

  • Runner-Up: Youth Retreats & Camps 
  • Best of Awards - Unique Venues

Event Types Welcomed

  • Adult Social Events
  • Corporate Social Events
  • Expo/Competitions
  • Family Reunions
  • Professional Meeting / Training / Conference / Retreats
  • Wedding Ceremonies
  • Wedding Receptions
  • Youth Parties
  • Youth Retreat/Camps

About

Located in the beautiful city of Boston, Massachusetts, Boston University is the perfect event center to host your next conference, meeting or convention! The university has a wide variety of venue options sure to impress your guests!
To view all of our virtual tours, visit our channel on YouTube.

Boston University has spaces to accommodate various events including:

  • large meetings and conferences
  • corporate trainings or retreats
  • performances and concerts
  • receptions and dinners

Boston University’s incredible staff are committed to providing the finest experience for you and your guests. We deliver:

  • a single point of contact for one-stop planning
  • event coordination, registration and website services
  • individual summer overnight accommodation reservations
  • state-of-the-art A/V services
  • free Wi-Fi and ability to offer webcasting and live stream services

Let us worry about the behind-the-scenes logistics including hotel room blocks, off-site Boston area excursions/events, speaker travel and honorariums, meeting material preparation, on-site staffing, nametags, and so much more! 

Booking your event at Boston University provides convenience for you and your guests. Explore the heart of Boston, only minutes away from campus via public transportation. 

Find Us Online

Meeting & Event Spaces

  • Max Capacity: 6150 guests
  • Largest Theatre Style: 6000
  • Largest Auditorium Seating: 733
  • Largest Arena Seating: 8000
Lecture, Case, and Classroom-Style Rooms
  • Lecture-style rooms are fixed-seat auditoriums. All feature writing surfaces at each seat. Capacities range from 100 and 625 people.
  • Case-style rooms offer fixed seating, most often in a tiered format. Typically they feature continuous desktop writing surfaces. Capacities range from 50 and 100 people.
  • Classroom-style rooms typically feature movable desks with tablet-arms. Capacities range from 25 and 100 people.
The Dahod Family Alumni Center At The Castle
One of Boston University’s most dignified buildings, this recently renovated Tudor Revival mansion now serves as a picturesque location for special events. The Castle can accommodate up to 66 people for a seated dinner and up to 120 people for a standing reception. The first floor features the Great Hall, the Music Room, the Library, the Dining Room, and an outdoor terrace with views of the Charles River. Whether you're hosting a lively wedding reception or an intimate dinner party, The Castle is sure to impress. 
Multi-Functional Rooms
A broad range of facilities including ballrooms, conference rooms, lounges, and dining rooms available to accommodate a variety of events. Capacities vary depending on room set-up.
The Metcalf Trustee Center
Elegance with a view. Located on the ninth floor of One Silber Way, the Metcalf Trustee Center features a classically appointed ballroom with crystal chandeliers and an adjacent cocktail lounge overlooking Boston. A nearby private conference room can serve as a breakout space, bridal lounge, or green room. The venue can hold up to 220 for a banquet or 180 for dinner and dancing. Book your next event at Boston’s best-kept secret for wedding receptions, elegant galas, corporate meetings, or holiday parties. 
The George Sherman Union
Located in the heart of campus, the George Sherman Union (GSU) serves not only as a student center, but also Boston University's premier events facility. With spaces for all types of programming—from large conferences with keynotes and breakout sessions, to banquet dinners and awards ceremonies, to lectures and meetings—the options are endless at the GSU. Featuring 12,000sqft Metcalf Hall, as well as a 260 seat Auditorium and multiple Boardroom style breakouts, the GSU is well-equipped to handle your next booking. 
The Florence & Chafetz Hillel House
This 4-story, 33,000 square foot venue is centrally located on campus along the Charles River on Bay State Road. Hillel House was completed in 2005, and features large windows with sweeping views of the Boston and Cambridge skylines. Flexible layouts across 7 event spaces can accommodate 20-300 guests, with Kosher catering options and handicap accessibility. Consider this location for everything from meetings, conferences, and lectures, to cultural events, bar/bat mitzvahs, and wedding ceremonies.

Food & Beverage Options

Top-of-the-Line Dining Facilities
Boston University Campus Dining Services is consistently rated among the best of the best!
  • USA Today College ranked us at #1 in the nation
  • The Green Restaurant Association has ranked us at four stars, making BU the first university to recieve such accreditation
  • Greatist has ranked us the #19 healthiest college in the US
Features include:
  • Summer conference availability
  • All-you-care-to-eat, diverse cuisines
  • Gluten-Free, vegan, and vegetarian options available
  • Wood-fired brick pizza ovens
  • Made-to-order grill stations
  • Extensive salad bars

Catering options

Catering Services
Boston University is proud to host Catering on the Charles. They provide the highest quality food and service and is pleased to offer diverse catering options for groups of any size.

Our office has experience in planning a variety of events, from box lunches to banquets, and we will be happy to offer ideas and help you plan your menu.

 Please click here for a sample menu.

The Castle
The Castle offers menu packages with either serviced or station options for your wedding or special event.

A limited number of Kosher, vegetarian or other special dietary meals are available upon request.

Accommodations

  • Total Number of Overnight Guests: 2500
  • Number of Overnight Rooms: 3,000
  • Wi-Fi Guest Room Cost : Free
Overnight Room Attributes
  • Air-conditioned rooms available
  • Iron
  • Linens Provided
  • Kitchen Available
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Shampoo
  • Soap
  • Television
  • Towels
  • WiFi

 

Dormitories
Traditional dormitories feature mostly double-occupancy rooms sharing communal bath facilities; there are limited numbers of single- and triple-occupancy rooms on each floor. All rooms are non-air-conditioned. This type of facility is best suited for youth groups, in which case each floor is gender-specific.
Suites
Suite-style accommodations consist of two to three double-occupancy rooms sharing a private bathroom. All suite-style residence halls are air-conditioned. This type of facility is suitable for youth groups and adult groups on a budget.
Apartments
Our premier housing complex has air-conditioned apartments reserved for adult conferences. Each features four to six single-occupancy bedrooms sharing one or two private bathrooms and a living area; apartments have a kitchen.

Featured Amenities

  • Accessible Facilities
  • Air Conditioning Air Conditioning
  • Bus - Shuttle, Public Bus Access Bus
  • Eco-Friendly
  • Fitness Center Fitness Center
  • In-House Catering
  • Linens
  • Near Public Transit
  • Outdoor Space
  • Overnight Rooms
  • Paid Parking
  • Running Trails
  • Sports Facilities
  • Taxi
  • Theater Seating
  • WiFi

Venue Location + Transportation

Address

 
Events & Conferences,
925 Commonwealth Avenue,
Boston, Massachusetts 02215

Transportation

  • BusBus
  • LyftLyft
  • MetroMetro
  • SubwaySubway
  • TaxiTaxi
  • TrainTrain
  • UberUber

Nearby Airport

  • Logan International - 20 minutes

Nearby International Airport

  • Logan International - 20 minutes

Parking

  • Onsite Parking: Yes

Things to Know

Catering

  • Must Use In-house Catering: Yes
  • Cultural Catering Available: Yes
  • Food and Beverage Onsite: Yes

Technology

Boston University offers virtual and hybrid event capabilities in addition to free Wi-Fi, and self-service A/V equipment with technical support available.

  • Guest Wi-Fi: Free
  • Onsite Tech Support: Yes
  • Wi-Fi in meeting space: Yes
  • Equipment Available On-Site:
    • Projector Screen
    • Laptops
    • Microphones
    • Sound System
    • Custom Lighting

Venue Policies

  • Alcohol Consumption: Yes
  • Eco Friendly: Yes
  • ADA Accessible: Yes

Testimonials

“The staff really went the extra mile to accommodate the needs of our group. Our program would not have been the success that it was without the partnership of BU.” 
Travis A. - HCTec Partners
“Boston University has been Boston Ballet School’s summer home for the past ten(+) years and has provided exceptional residential service for more than 3,000 ballet students over that time. The Events & Conferences team are highly professional, easy to work with and go above and beyond to meet the unique needs of our program. They are our partners in consistently delivering an outstanding experience for our students!”
Luke S. - Boston Ballet School
"Boston University is a long term partner that works tirelessly to help us deliver the best possible experience for our students. In addition to top notch housing and meeting facilities, they provide exceptionally detailed and responsive support before, during, and after our program."
Rich M. - Kaplan
"I have worked with BU Events & Conferences for over 25 years and have always received outstanding service and results. Their staff is always professional, courteous, and helpful. They take care of all of the small details that make these events successful. Cannon Financial Institute is proud to be a long time partner and looks forward to continuing our relationship well into the future."
Andy C. - Cannon Financial Institute
"Of all the locations we considered, BU Events and Conferences provided the most affordable price and the staff worked closely with us to ensure the most successful experience imaginable. We will be coming back!"
Craig P. - The Navigators
"We look forward to holding our Summer Institutes at Boston University each summer. The facilities, staff, and location are perfect for our needs and make our job easy. Our attendees have had enriching and valuable experiences both inside and out of the classroom."  
Natalie S. - Council for Advancement and Support of Education
"We have offered our executive development program at Boston University for the past 17 years. Every summer we bring some 350 senior managers to campus for three-weeks. They reside on campus and take their classes and meals in BU facilities. The Events and Conferences staff work closely with us and do an excellent job making sure we get everything we need to make our program a success."  
Tony N. - Police Executive Research Forum
"We have enjoyed a decade long partnership with the BU Conferences & Events staff with no plans to look elsewhere for our summer programs. Their team is incredibly professional, responsive and delightful to work with, and their space is excellently managed, providing our attendees an enviable location to enjoy all that Boston has to offer."
Liz V. - The Association of Boarding Schools
“Working with the team at Boston University was an exceptional experience for us and our customers. The facilities were world-class and their team were professional, caring and helpful. To them, nothing was impossible. They truly exceeded our expectations!”
Padraic M. - Riverdance Summer School

Services

Event Coordination
The Events & Conferences team will assist you every step of the way to ensure that your experience on our campus is a positive one.
Specifically, our unique offerings include:
  • One staff member as point of contact from initial booking through completion
  • Complete logistics service/event coordination
  • Registration services
  • Event website development
  • Individualized payment system options, so each guest can pay for their own accommodations 
Parking
Summer conferences can make arrangements for overnight parking, and commuter parking is available throughout the year. Most lots are $12-17 pay-on-entry.
Fitness Center
Boston University’s Fitness and Recreation Center is a world class facility.
Exclusive daily and weekly membership rates are offered to conference guests over 18 years of age.
The Sailing Pavilion
We offer options for sailors of all stripes to use our facilities on the Charles River. 

Technology

AV Media
Boston University offers professional audio/visual presentation, computer display, sound reinforcement, and audio recording services.
Internet Access
Skilled staff members are available to complement your campus presentation.
Free wi-fi is available on our Guest network.