Venues/spaces

Venues and spaces

What kind of space do you need for your event? Give some thought to the size of the audience, how they will access the space, what they will do during the event, etc. Event spaces on campus include classrooms, auditoriums and lecture halls, multipurpose rooms within departments, and general reservable space available to community members and groups. In addition to the on-campus spaces listed here, MIT planners may review the room catalog in the event planning section on Atlas.

Non-MIT planners: please note that your company or organization must be sponsored by an MIT department in order to organize an on-campus event. We regret that MIT spaces (with the exception of the MIT Museum) are not available to external groups without sponsorship.

Classrooms

Classrooms (including Kirsch Auditorium) are managed by the Schedules Office, part of the Registrar's Office.

Campus Activities Complex spaces

These include Kresge Auditorium and Kresge Oval, Wong Auditorium, the Stratton Student Center, Memorial Lobby (Building 10), Morss Hall (Building 50), McDermott Court (the Dot, currently closed to reservations due to construction), MIT Chapel, Dertouzous Amphitheater, and public spaces in the Stata Center (Building 32). Please see the CAC Event Planning Guide for a complete list.

Dining spaces

MIT Campus Dining offers multiple reservable spaces, including the Forbes Family Café (Stata Center) and the Flowers Dining Room (Maseeh Hall). More

Samberg Conference Center, Chang Building (E52)

The Samberg Conference Center is located on the sixth and seventh floors of the Chang Building (E52). Reservations are accepted 18 months in advance on a rolling, 540 day basis. Inquiries may be directed to sambergcenter@mit.edu.

MIT Museum

The museum offers a number of options to suit your guest list and event type. The ground floor lobby, with inspired architectural detail, is an ideal event destination, while the second floor has a dedicated event room with state-of-the-art AV equipment, which is ideal for daytime or evening meetings or functions. Or opt to rent the entire museum for an awe-inspiring backdrop to an unforgettable evening. Guests will have access to galleries, art installations, and the dramatic Exchange program space with soaring ceilings and stadium seating.

The museum welcomes both internal and external reservations.

For more information, visit the MIT Museum site or email museumevents@mit.edu.

iHQ reservable and rentable spaces

From 100+ person events to office space for one, MIT iHQ has multiple reservable and rentable spaces (located in E38). Pricing and availability vary. Event and meeting spaces are available to non-MIT organizations with sponsorship from an MIT entity. If you have questions during the reservation process, please contact: ihqevents@mit.edu

Hacker Reactor events venue

Hacker Reactor, MIT’s newest events venue, is part of a comprehensive renovation of the historic Suffolk Building, located at 292 Main Street overlooking the new Kendall Plaza Open Space. MIT Hacker Reactor encompasses the seventh-floor space of MIT InnovationHQ. The space is available to all members of the MIT community for meetings, events, and conferences. With a total of five distinct spaces, the Hacker Reactor offers a variety of meeting room arrangements for groups of up to 120 guests in total. If you have questions, require further information, or would like to schedule a tour, please contact HackerReactor@mit.edu. A representative will reply within 24 hours.

The Nexus, 14S-130 in Hayden Library

The MIT Libraries welcome requests from MIT groups to use their event space (The Nexus, 14S-130 in Hayden Library) for the following types of events: educational, cultural, or community wellness events sponsored by MIT community members that occur during normal open hours and that do not require closing the library to general use. Orientation and instructional events that highlight Libraries’ programs, services, or resources. The Nexus may not be scheduled for meetings.

To view more information about The Nexus, please visit the MIT Libraries website. Scheduling of The Nexus is handled by the Director of Community Engagement (Nina Davis-Millis). Submit your request; questions may be sent to cespaces-lib@mit.edu.

Independently scheduled spaces

Many venues across campus are scheduled by individual offices or departments and may be available to members of the MIT community. These rooms include

  • Amdur Room (6-233); capacity 30; call 253-1803 or email
  • Black Student Union (50-105); capacity 50; call 253-5854
  • Brown Room (68-121); capacity 70; email
  • E25 Atrium (outside E25-111 and 121); call 253-4317 or email
  • E25-119 and 121; capacity 20–30; call 253-4418 or email
  • E25-140; 17 chairs; email
  • E25-141; 12 chairs; email
  • E25-401; capacity 40; reservations
  • Emma Rogers Room (10-340); capacity 16–50; email
  • Gilliland Auditorium (66-110); capacity 105; email
  • Grier Room (34-401); reservations
  • Haus Room (36-428) / Allen Room (36-462); capacity 16–50; call 253-2519 or reservations
  • Hulsizer Dining Room (Ashdown House, NW35); capacity 150; email
  • Killian Hall (14W-111); capacity 150; call 253-2906 or email
  • Magasanik Room (68-180/181); capacity 156; email
  • Miller Room (1-114); capacity 20; call 253-5357
  • MITOne Community Room (8-219); email
  • R&D Commons (Stata Center); email
  • SHASS Dean's Office spaces (E51-095, E51-275, 14E-304, 14N-417); capacity 10–50; reservations
  • Spofford Room (1-236); capacity 30; call 253-7101 or email
  • The Thirsty Ear Pub (Ashdown House, NW35); capacity 60 (age 21+); reservations
  • Von Hippel Room (13-2137); capacity 16–40; call 253-6850 or email

Bush Room

The Bush Room (10-105) may be used by MIT departments, offices, or groups for MIT-focused events. Institute Events manages and schedules this space. Inquires may be directed to bushroom@mit.edu. 

Off-campus spaces

Community spaces

Killian Court (including DuPont and Lowell Courts), Eastman Court, Hockfield Court, North Corridor, and the Saxon Court are public spaces intended to be open to all members of the community at all times (with rare, Institute-level exceptions) and are, therefore, not generally available to reserve. If you would like to request one of the outdoor Institute Events spaces, please fill out this form. Consideration for their use may be given for events that cannot be accommodated elsewhere and that do not disturb those at class and at work in the surrounding areas. Killian Court may be considered for large events (2000+ people) that invite, engage, and celebrate the MIT community; please read the guidelines prior to making a request.

Note: Eastman Court will be closed for construction beginning September 30, 2024.

Lobby 7

Building 7 is the iconic main entrance to MIT and special guidelines have been established for the use of its formal, unique lobby. As the primary entry point and thoroughfare for the Main Group, Lobby 7 is generally not reservable, and the space is subject to the Institute’s policy on bulletin boards, poster, and display spaces and rules for campus protests and demonstrations. In addition, solicitation, leafletting, advertising, commercial activity, and political statements or signs are prohibited at all times. On very rare occasions, reservations will be considered for activities that are of broad interest to the community and either celebratory or academic in nature.

Exceptions for Lobby 7 activities may be granted to a department, lab, center, or institute (DLCI) or recognized student group. Requests may be submitted to spacereq@mit.edu with the sponsor’s acknowledgment of the following:

  • Lobby 7 is a public space, thus any proposed activity must be open to all.
  • Floorplans and a safety review may be required.
  • Academic activities must involve all members of a subject and be supervised onsite by the faculty member.
  • Proposals should explain how the activity offers a chance to teach, inform, foster community, or celebrate culture.
  • Proposals must include contact information for the sponsoring DLCI or group, as well as a detailed summary of the activity, how it will be set up and removed, when, and by whom; and if applicable, photographs.

MIT’s Endicott House in Dedham can accomodate small and mid-sized groups for professional meetings and special events.

Public spaces in the Stata Center may be reserved for events.

Kresge Auditorium is available for event rentals.

BCEC

The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center was the site of the MIT150 Next Century Convocation.

Caracas Brass

Caracas Brass performed in Kresge Auditorium during the inauguration of President Reif.