The MV Skansonia is Seattle’s premier waterfront venue. Constructed in 1929 by the Skansie Brothers, the Skansonia ferried cars and passengers between Vashon Island and Point Defiance for decades, before finding its permanent docking place on Lake Union and beginning its new career in event hosting.
With its signature center bar, polished wood floors, a large outdoor deck, and a postcard view of the Seattle skyline, the Skansonia is the embodiment of iconic Seattle.
Capacity: Seated Reception | 175 • Standing Reception | 200
Location: north Lake Union, 205 NE Northlake way #6855, Seattle, WA 98105
Style: Waterfront & Historic
Features: Views of Downtown Seattle, Hand Carved Wood Bar, Rustic Ferry Boat Charm
Our event and catering services are routinely recognized as the best in the city
join the many others that have celebrated at The Skansonia
Award winning catering, flawless planning, audio visual, entertainment, florals, transportation, valet and more – we can plan and handle all the details giving you a seamless event.
Award winning catering, flawless planning, audio visual, entertainment, florals, transportation, valet and more – we can plan and handle all the details giving you a seamless event.
In house services including AV, emcees, lighting, floral, transportation and more. Our flexible layouts, and simplified planning allows you to focus on you and your organization’s agenda.
We offer accessible pricing structures to ensure your budget goes toward your programming, not just the room.
Award winning catering will leave a lasting impression on your guests to ensure their hospitality and culinary experience is as wonderful as the organization they are supporting.
The boat is ADA accessible on the first floor, we have a wide ramp leading onto the boat and an ADA accessible bathroom located on the first floor. Upstairs is not ADA accessible but the main wedding action is on the first floor.
We provide a comprehensive range of equipment to ensure your event runs smoothly. This includes everything from tables and chairs to catering equipment.
We have two “Skansonia” marked spots available to use anytime for tours, meetings and rehearsals. We are lucky enough to have access to the private lot from Waterfront Construction, this is only available for customers and guests to use during the evenings and weekends. The lot has up to 17 spots and there is plenty of street parking in the area as well.
We do not currently have AC but we do have a total of 6 ceiling fans that keep the air flowing and being right on the water generally keeps it cooler! For those colder months we have heating inside the boat and we have 3 propane outdoor heaters available to rent if you would like to utilize the outside area.
We do have a rain back up plan (it is Seattle after all!) Incase of rain we can move the ceremony inside on the cocktail hour/dance floor side of the boat. We can usually make this call 3 hours prior to guest arrival so we have enough time to set up the chairs.
We have 1 ADA bathroom and 4 stalls upstairs
We have a strict no open flame policy so only flameless candles are allowed. We have an LED tea light package available to rent in house!
The MV Skansonia stays permanently docked on Lake Union. She has been out of commission for many years and enjoys her retirement permanently docked on Lake Union enjoying the beautiful Seattle skyline!
Absolutely! We love the doggies at the MV Skansonia and they are welcome to join for photos and the ceremony but we do ask that someone takes them home during cocktail hour before food is served.
We would be honored to show you how our venue can be the home of your next event. Book a private tour at your convenience to experience our venue firsthand and imagine your special event with us. We look forward to meeting you!
I am a Washington native, having grown up in a small town about an hour south of Seattle called Lake Tapps. I was either at the lake in the summer or on the ski slopes in the winter.
I graduated college with a marketing degree and no idea how to use it. Thankfully I attended a wedding a month after graduating and saw the catering staff running the show, and thought, wow that looks fun. I asked one of the servers if they were hiring and the rest is history.
I have been in the hospitality industry for my entire adult life. From hotels, to catering, and now venues. I realized early on that my passion is people. Being able to spend every day at work meeting new people and crafting wonderful experiences for them is incredibly fulfilling.
I am a sucker for an all you can eat buffet.
A surprise end of night fireworks show.
Pork Belly Spoons
I don’t really listen to music
Anything in the Bravoverse
A massive dessert display
“Do you think he plans it all out, or just makes it up as he goes along?” Pirates of The Caribbean
