Great space. Beautiful setting with amazing infusions of nature and venue. In the heart of West Oakland. Town biz indeed. Make sure you hold your next nonprofit event or special occasion here! read more

What a fascinating place. Aside from the Historic Preservation Park, I attended a conference in a Victorian neighborhood there. While these look like 19th-century homes, they are all spaces for rent. I've never seen anything quite like it. When I walked from my hotel, I was sure I was in the wrong place. I expected a stark hotel and conference center. I didn't expect to see a bunch of homes set up as a neighborhood. After walking around for a bit, I saw the banner for the conference. The interior of the space was darling. It must have once been a home. The wood looked older and well-worn, with very few electrical outlets. There was a large room for the speakers and lunch. I was surprised by the size of the room. Looking from the outside, I wouldn't have conceived there would be a room that large. I understand these are used for business, parties, weddings, and more. It would be fun to rent one of these spaces for something, but I live too far away. I only wish I'd taken pictures of the neighborhood for those who haven't ever seen it before. read more

We got married here and it was absolutely perfect. The venue is quite well priced for the location and we had an amazing time. We did have to provide more or less everything and it ended up being $7,500 after we added additional hours for setup. We appreciated the flexibility and central location of the space. Despite being close to the freeway it is not loud and the fountain is beautiful. Our vendors were able to drive in easily and you can use the small Ginn room to store your stuff. You do need to rent equipment and you can only use their tables and chairs if you have 150 or fewer guests- so factor that in. You can use any caterer which is nice. The only challenge was making initial contact with the staff - I must have sent 5 emails, but I am happy I did because it ended up being great, all worked out though communication was at times spotty. I will remember this place fondly for the rest of my life. read more

Preservation Park - Preservation Park at night - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Oakland, California

Many moons, many suns and many eclipse of the heart ago...I had my wedding here. This park warps you back into the Victorian era where ornate Victorian homes lined the park with an old fashion fountain that stands in the middle of them and you can just hear the horse carriages clomping down the cobble stones. Take a seat on steps of a home and admire the colors and details each and every house. Enjoy the lush greenery, including the palm trees that looked like it lived here forever, like an old married couple. To me, it is the most romantic place to exchange vows. Booking this place was very easy back in the days. My ex-co-worker/friend was a property manager and she was able to help me. All I had to do was pick a date, fill in a contract and leave my deposit (I think it was $500 total to rent the place back then). If you wanted catered food (which we did), you had to choose from their selected vendor list. We picked a dim sum restaurant to cater a light snack of dim sum, tea, and bottled water for our guests. We didn't hold our reception here because we wanted the full shebang Chinese banquet at Hong Kong East Ocean Restaurant in Emeryville. All the guests were very complimentary towards the venue, which I appreciated a lot. Who knew that this tranquil park existed to the west side of Oakland, California. It's definitely a hidden treasure to cherish forever. XOXO, June Bride read more

Preservation Park - Sweeping down the isle (photo by JessieLeake) - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Oakland, California

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A hidden gem! Sixteen Victorian houses inside a small gated community. I learned that only five of them were originally located here but the rest where moved from somewhere and rearranged to resemble a Victorian community. I saw that the wrought iron gate was open so I went in for a leisurely stroll to admire the beauty of these houses. The area is clean and very well maintained. At the end of the row houses was some sort of a culdesac where a giant fountain is strategically located right in the center. There were benches to sit on around the fountain area but I think it's also cool to sit down by the staircases in any of the beautiful houses here. By the way, only vehicles with permits are allowed inside. Another thing that I learned about this place is that the park can be closed for private events. That includes outdoor weddings which I believe, Preservation Park is the perfect place to hold such event. read more

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Convenient parking lot nearby. Appreciate repurposing of vintage housing in this way.

Hosted a work meeting here today and it's a very old but charming venue. I worked with Angelica to set everything up and Wilfredo on day of and they were super helpful and efficient- kudos to them! The rooms, Nile Hall, Robinson Classrooms don't have the usual modern meeting amenities like polycom, projector but we made do. Angelica showed my colleague and I the rest of the rooms during a tour and they definitely transport you back in time. The buildings have been around since the 1900's and it's nice to experience a taste of the past. The WiFi was a little wonky during our meeting but other than that, we had a successful event. Also to make it easier for your attendees, we were able to set up a validation meter for the City Garage, where you can validate your parking anytime before 2:30p. I would love to attend during a wedding or party to see how it transforms! A 1920's Great Gatsby masquerade event would be super fun! read more

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You really can't tell if you're supposed to enter this gated area at the western edge of downtown Oakland, but indeed Jamie W. and I did enter when it looked as deserted as a ghost town (photo: http://bit.ly/10c5hkN). Initially it felt like a lost episode of "The Twilight Zone" where we were thrown in a time warp that brought us back to 1885. But this isn't the back lot of Universal Studios, rather a well-maintained collection of sixteen Victorian-era buildings set in a cloistered enclave of two perpendicular blocks. Anchoring this historic neighborhood is a cast-iron fountain with the goddess Diana on top (photos: http://bit.ly/ZJknTe). If you're not here for a wedding, generally the one reason anybody outside of the immediate area visits, it's a quiet and quick stroll since none of the buildings are open to the public, but it exudes an old-fashioned charm nonetheless. They aren't private residences, instead mostly offices for local non-profits. I think Nile Hall is the only one used for private events since it has a stage and large ballroom inside (photo: http://bit.ly/15ioGZX). I only know that because I was there for a wedding many years ago. Not mine. Oh please. But I do remember thinking this was a place frozen in time despite the proximity to the more unsavory parts of the city. And sure enough, it still is. read more

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Beautiful place. Lots of architecture. Beautiful scenery. Highly recommended for photos

To say our wedding venue was spectacular seems like an understatement. Preservation Park was absolutely the venue that dreams are made of. The staff was like a well oiled machine from the very first contact over a year ago, and they had recommendations for our other vendors that made our wedding perfect, (Miraglia Catering and Event Magic). The park had all of the tables and chairs on site and the staff seamlessly moved them between our wedding ceremony to our reception around the fountain. We had a room on site to get ready in and to leave our things for the night, and the natural light at the park has made for some incredible photos. Listen... everyone has done the wine country, barnyard wedding with the burlap. Preservation Park is an incredibly unique place and they support local small businesses and nonprofits so do your yourself a favor and stop looking for a venue right now. read more

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We were lucky to have had our wedding at Preservation Park on September 25, 2016. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful setting for our wedding in downtown Oakland. This truly is a hidden gem, as many of our guests are Bay Area residents and have never heard of Preservation Park. My great-aunt said it was the most beautiful wedding she has ever attended in her 90+ years of life. The staff at Preservation Park take great pride in the grounds which is very evident in its condition. Our ceremony and reception were both outdoors. We had 210 guests, which is over the capacity for an indoor event, but we had wanted everything outdoors so that worked out for us. One of the great things about having an event here is that you do not need any additional decor. We added market/bistro lights, strung from the lamp posts, which added a nice ambiance after the sun went down. Since California is in a drought, the fountain was not running, but the fountain is stunning in itself, so the water was not missed. (And actually, we were happy it wasn't on because it probably would have been a bit noisy.) We had our ceremony on the bandstand and dinner tables circled the fountains. After the ceremony we opted to have a photo booth and had them set up on the bandstand which worked out great logistically. They also have a bridal suite available, which we reserved as well, which was a great room for the bridal party to hang out before the ceremony and keep our things. OH! And the room is air-conditioned which was CLUTCH! It was 90 degrees on our wedding day, which made for an amazing evening. This was also a great venue because there is so much room for people to spread out. There are benches for people to sit at if they don't want to immediately sit at their table. Also, if you have kids at your event, there is plenty of room for them to run around and play. Jacqueline was great to work with and made everything easy and stress-free. I highly recommend having your wedding or any outdoor event if you want a place with natural beauty and your guests will leave with wonderful memories and beautiful photos! read more

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Victorian style neighborhood in Oakland. Never knew that Preservation Park even existed til my sister took us here. The neighborhood consists of two blocks smack in the heart of downtown Oakland. Don't know if anyone lives here or not. What I do know is that many businesses call this place home. Preservation Park is also a very popular wedding venue. It is easy to see why when you look around this beautiful place. Check it out if you are in Oakland. Not everyday that you can explore a Victorian style neighborhood. read more

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From the Bride: We booked Preservation Park a year and three months in advance. Our first coordinator was Jacqueline Ma and it was so easy to work with her. She was very helpful and clear that she made us believe that we can plan this wedding on our own. Unfortunately, Jacqueline left Preservation Park and we had a bit of a lull with communicating with the replacement. Fortunately, that replacement was only temporary and was replaced with a great one in Angelica Perez. She picked up where Jacqueline left off, and then some. Angelica was so professional and was very forgiving, such as with our late payment, due to the gap in communication. She provided everything that we need and she made sure that our wedding was going to be an epic and memorable one. Preservation Park was a perfect venue for a wedding, along with Event Magic. The Victorian houses, the Federal Building, the fountain, and the trees made the perfect backdrop for our event. The parking lot across the street, which we were able to reserve for a VERY reasonable price have so much room. There were plenty of room for our 260+ guests, 20+ kids to run around without getting bored, 3 food trucks, and a coffee cart in the park. Everyone were at awe at the venue and one of my guests, who also had a great wedding in New Jersey, thought this was the perfect wedding venue. Thank You Preservation Park for providing a great venue for our memorable event. From the Groom: I agree. read more

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All the houses and buildings are renovated Victorian houses from the 1920's that were all located in this gated community. There is just a great ambiance and the fact that all the business done in this area are from non-profit organizations made for a sense of great karma! My husband and I actually got married here on the bandstand area and had the catered buffet along the side street with our tables all around the fountain. It was beautiful! Seriously, the first time I went to PP, I was at a wedding, and I knew then, that this was the place I would choose to get married myself and I did! The grounds are very well kept and if anything I really didn't want to overdecorate the wedding because again it was already breath taking. I know I'm pretty biased but by far, I think this is one of the most beautiful wedding sites anyone could ever hope for. And the best part of working with this venue is to be able to work with Barbara Ackerman, the facilities and event coordinator. Barbara was just awesome! Very friendly, professional and she was so calming, which is exactly what one needs to be around during such a chaotic event planning time. Not only that, but Barbara knows exactly what she's doing, and is able to give advice for how to work this venue to your taste to make events perfect and flawless. I don't know what I would've done without her! If you're debating whether to use this venue for an event like a wedding or party, don't hesitiate! It's worth the money! read more

Preservation Park - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Oakland, California

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Preservation Park was the venue we chose for our wedding, and we definitely would not change it if we had the choice again! The houses, grounds and park are absolutely gorgeous and well taken care of. The houses and colors are absolutely adorable, we felt like we were on a movie set or in Disneyland. So many of our guests were surprised to find a hidden gem tucked away in the middle of Oakland. When we first signed a contract, Barbara was the park coordinator. She retired before our wedding and the new coordinator, Jacqueline was just as great. She was always available by phone or e-mail to answer any questions we had. She met with me a few weeks before to go over the layout of the park and go over how many tables and chairs we would need to rent. She worked with our day of coordinator and caterer to go over all of the details. I was told at this meeting that the fountain would be on for our wedding as was so excited, but when I arrived at the park the fountain wasn't on. We rented out the parking garage directly across the street and this made it very easy for guests. The pricing is affordable compared to many other venues out there. There is a base rental fee and then rental fee for each chair, table, etc. The one thing that came up a few weeks before our wedding that Barbara never mentioned was the chairs that you rent must be moved from the ceremony site to the guest tables, or you must rent two chairs per guest to have them set up beforehand. Thankfully, our caterer stepped in and had their staff move all of the chairs to the guest tables following the ceremony. There is a "bridal" room available, but we did not rent this as there are no chairs or mirrors. It is basically just an empty room in one of the houses. As the venue was the first thing we booked, it made choosing a vintage theme and planning accordingly so easy. It was our perfect day and I wish we could do it all over again! Tons of great photo locations with the great houses in the background and so many beautiful flowers, plants and trees. read more

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We had an outdoor wedding in the fountain area in August 2013. Like many of the other reviews, we probably can't rave enough about this place and the staff. We were so impressed with the site and our initial impromptu meeting with Barbara Ackerman, the facilities & event coordinator, we ended up dropping our saved date with another venue in exchange for this one in and couldn't have been more happier with the decision. To any brides & grooms-to-be, here's why we highly recommend the place: Ample Space, Privacy & Security We were excited to get an entire city block/park fully reserved, gated and secured for our wedding. Contrary to our first impression and what some might think from internet photos, the park site is not a residential neighborhood. The renovated Victorians house non-profits and small businesses, none of which operated during our event. We loved getting the whole space for guests. Cost The cost was extremely reasonable for the size and downtown location. We also liked knowing the money we were spending went towards the park and its aim to support worthy Oakland community causes and small businesses. Flexible within Reason We were able to customize the wedding to our own tastes. While the site has prefered vendors they allowed us the option of choosing our own vendors for a reasonable cost and within reasonable limitations. We appreciated that we could be creative with vendors, menu and decor that suited our personalities and budget. Appearance The site is well equipped and is stunning to say the least... Guest complimented us on the fun and 'magical' venue and evening they'd had. They have an indoor event space in case weather isn't favorable. It's downtown, vintage and grand....I can imagine the site can suit an array of wedding styles. It's immaculate and well maintained, from the buildings to the landscape (the entire site looked beautiful during winter and summer months). Looks awesome at night... the city backdrop and the vintage street lamps provided enough lighting so there was no need to hire a lighting company and the park benches and fountain served as additional seating. It was a fun event space where guests could roam around freely. Parking We were able to reserve the parking garage conveniently located across the street for guests Location It's a couple blocks away from Marriot Hotels and BART Transit while Lake Merritt and Jack London Square areas are right down the street. Customer Service: We loved working with Barbara, park staff and all the vendors we had on site (Venga Paella, Tutte Al Forno Wood Fire Pizza Catering, Ellie Grover Photography and DJ Ed from Denon & Doyle) . During meeting various vendors, we came across professionals where everything was treated purely like a business transaction and then those who you could tell really loved their field and enjoyed and had fun with their work. We could tell Barbara Ackerman loved working for P.P. Her enthusiasm was both infectious and engaging. She was always responsive to emails, phone calls, and scheduling meetings and offered a lot of guidance throughout planning. Even our various vendors ggave glowing descriptions of her. The staff at Preservation Park was awesome as well. They had everything set up on time and as planned, ready for guests and vendor arrival. It's a unique, Oakland gem with excellent staff that's managed to stay under the radar for top bay area wedding spots. So lucky to have discovered it for our wedding :) read more

I'm not here to review the historical landmark itself but to review the STAFF that run this place. I really wanted to pick PP as my location for an on-site ceremony and reception. My fiance and I toured the place and it's very lovely. It's a magical place, with not-so- accommodating employees that work here. I've initially asked for a documentation of price but they refuse to give it to those who inquire unless you book an official walk-through with a staff member. What I find funny is that I couldn't even get a solidified date to do a walk-through tour because OMGEEE not a single staff member was replying to my emails. Unforgivable. 1 star to those running this place, but overall 5 stars because this venue is beautiful. read more

Ha, this is kinda funny. Well, fo me anyways. I work here... Coming for the job interview was a trip, walkin from 14th st getting hassled for change and whatever to this little oasis, its still a trip comin to work every day, such a crazy beautiful place, yes I appreciate how lucky I am to not be stuck in the downtown office blocks. It's some flipside to those wonderful non-profit wages we gets. Yeah. But really, come check it out, its quite a place, and they do have some good events now and then. We nearly had our wedding here so consider it for yours too- its really beautiful and the hall is sweet too. I ran into some old lady from eastern europe who comes up here just to enjoy it from fremont- she told me the story about the lady on the fountain statue, kinda cool. JUST DONT TAKE MY DAMN PARKING SPOT. Pleeeease. Peace. Oh yeah, there's been a whole bunch of cars getting rolled on Castro behind the park so be warned if you park there ever- windows getting smashed for whatever is inside.. Stash yo sh!t read more

Preservation Park - Urban Strategies Council - Thornton House - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Oakland, California

We chose Preservation Park after looking through numerous venues around the bay area. We were looking for a location where we could have both the wedding and reception in the same space, a venue that gave us some flexibility in terms of catering and bar, somewhere that didn't require a long travel from the hotel and located in a city that people could go out, as well as something in our budget. Preservation Park fulfilled all of those qualities and truly turned out to be the best venue choice. The main contact person, Barbara Ackerman, is extremely warm and professional. She helps you lay out all of your plans, will work with your caterer, and even gave me a personal call before my wedding. She will truly put your mind at ease. Also, the grounds of the park are immaculate, my guests and the photographer loved the open space and all of the natural beauty. We opted to have both the ceremony and reception outdoors, and it was beautiful, we played on the vintage theme and it came out perfectly. The indoor space can be a little dark and the bathrooms are a little dated, but with a few decorations, no one pays much attention. Oh they are pretty strict about the time you have to set up (about 2 hours) and to clean up (about 1), so that scheduling can get a little tight, but just need to have the right coordinator to pull it off. I loved my wedding at Preservation Park and would recommend it to any bride. read more

Preservation Park - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Oakland, California

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I had seen pictures of Preservation Park online and it seemed like the perfect option for us. I wanted something where we could have an outdoor ceremony but an inside reception (I don't trust Bay Area weather to ever be nice enough to be outdoors after dark). I also wanted to be in one of the cities since we had a lot of family and friends coming in from out of town. Preservation Park checked all of those boxes, plus it was relatively affordable compared to a lot of the other places I had found online. We went to look at it in person and decided that it was perfect for us. For the most part, working with Preservation Park was really easy. They have a preselected list of caterers, which I actually really liked since I am very unfamiliar with the caterer market in Oakland. They also allowed us to bring in our own alcohol which is a huge cost saver. Preservation Park was also really accommodating with some small requests, such as using the grounds 30 minutes early for pictures. The only thing I would caution on is that over the course of the 13 months between when we signed our contract and when we had our wedding, we had three different venue coordinators. The last time was only a few weeks before our wedding, and some things were not communicated, including what we had already paid for. However, the newest one, Angelica, seems super enthusiastic and was great to work with for those few weeks. The two times I had visited Preservation Park were during the winter. I was so pleasantly surprised when we came for our rehearsal and there were blooming flowers and the fountain was on. It was absolutely gorgeous and I got many compliments on how beautiful the venue was! read more

The event planner informed us three days prior to our wedding date that we would not be able to use the chairs we rented from preservation park inside Nile Hall. We had to move our wedding from outside because of the heavy rain forecasted for our wedding day. Had she told us when committing to preservation park, we would have had a contingency plan for chairs instead of scrambling to find a chair vendor two days before our wedding day. On our wedding day, the facility manager failed to lock the door that was the entrance way for the bride. Everyone who attended the wedding walked right by my bride to be. The facility manager was more concerned about people watching then ensuring everything was flowing smoothly. To make matters worse, our DJ got locked in a gate that is shared with Pres park and the neighboring building. The facility manager told the DJ he couldn't do anything about it and left it on me to take care of during my wedding. After complaining for an hour, he pulled out a pair of cutters and cut the lock. We had to do a lot of work during my wedding because of the shortcomings of Preservation Park's staff. My advice, get an event planner because events don't go smoothly here and you don't want to be working on your wedding day like we did for ours. read more

Love this historic hidden gem in the east bay for hosting any type of special event! Its great location, rustic charm, and Victorian architecture is captivating. Lawrence, the facilities and events coordinator is truly an amazing person and he exemplifies perhaps the best professionalism and hospitality in his field! He is very passionate about the event industry and goes over and beyond in making sure each and every one of his clients has the most seamless experience. read more

An awesome microcosm of Oakland history and some great examples of Victorian architecture. There's a restaurant here, and various other businesses. This is just a great spot to walk through. What would improve it further is a guided tour or more explanations of the buildings. Definitely something to take in if you have some spare time in Downtown Oakland. read more

Preservation Park - Great Victorian - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Oakland, California

I'm reviewing Preservation Park as a tourist, not as someone who has worked there or is attending an event there. Preservation Park has more than a dozen wonderfully restored Victorian houses. You can spend at least an hour here just examining each of them for their unique details. But other than the Victorians and a nice fountain there really isn't much there for a tourist. read more

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Thank you for being a haven among Oakland. The gentle sound of the fountain, wonderful ambiance of old world charm, history of the pristine buildings, cobble stone, wisteria, mature landscape and lamp post lined streets. I cannot say enough about this place- host of non profits by day and magical venue at night. This spot has been wonderfully preserved and kept. The staff takes great pride in the surroundings and it shows. If you ever want a unique wedding/ party venue at a good price, want your money to go to a great cause and want excellent direction and service contact Barbara Ackerman- she is great to work with! read more

This is a beautiful park and space. I attended an event at Niles Hall it was the perfect size for a gathering of people. It's much bigger inside the hall than I had expected. There's also a stage for speakers. It's an easy location to get to and I didn't have a problem finding street parking. I'm not sure how much it costs to rent the site but it's definitely worth seeking out, especially on a nice day. read more

This place is amazing. My husband and I got married here in December of '10. Since it was winter time, we wanted to find a place that we could get married at as well as have the reception without the risk of traveling through unpredictable weather. After an intense search we finally discovered Preservation Park. We were able to get married indoors in one of their houses (with chairs it fit about 90 people) and then we moved down a corridor to an adjacent hall that fit about 120 people. At first I wasn't too sure about the carpeting and drapes (purple and burgundy) but I switched up my colors and since it was a December wedding I used gray and silver which complemented the purple nicely. The plus side to getting married in December is that Preservation Park decorates the park for Christmas after Thanksgiving so there were subtle (not over the top decorations throughout the ceremony room and reception hall. Wreaths and garlands could be seen on outside lamp posts, stair case banisters inside and over the fireplace where the ceremony took place. A nice money saver!!! Speaking of money saving, Preservation Park was one of the less expensive options out there. I couldn't understand why with all the manicured lawns and well preserved houses that fill the park. I expected a price well above our budget. Barbara the event coordinator is the best. She was definitely one of the reasons we booked with them. Very nice and helpful. I would definitely recommend checking this place out for yourself in person. You will be pleasantly surprised. =) read more

Growing up I attended a few church services at Preservation Park, so I was familiar with the beauty of the location. Naturally I thought it would be worth seeing if my fiancé and I could have our wedding there. Clearly that isn't going to happen. I sent two emails and left a voicemail with the event coordinator with no response. I don't know what's going on with their staffing but the lack of any follow up is pretty disappointing and unprofessional. If you don't have the staff to support incoming emails/voicemails perhaps they should have an outgoing message stating that. It's too bad, the place is lovely. read more

We were married at Preservation Park on 6/27/15. We had the ceremony on the bandstand and the reception outside around the fountain. IT. WAS. PERFECT. We actually live just a few blocks away and the first time we stumbled upon the park we knew it was the place. We didn't even look at any other venues. It's gorgeous and unlike any other venue out there. Just the perfect space to create a perfectly magical wedding. On top of that, Barb is pretty much the most wonderful person on earth! Incredibly responsive, organized, helpful with every single detail, and just such a kind, genuine person. I kinda wish we were still planning the wedding so I could still talk to her every day! JK, I really don't wish we were still planning the wedding. But I do miss Barb! A note about the timing: as others have mentioned, yes, they are strict about the timing of the day. You cannot start setting up until 3:00 for a 5:00 guest-arrival time. No, that does not seem like enough time. I was honestly pretty worried about this. But here's the thing -- if you go with one of their preferred caterers, this time constraint is nothing new to them. They know how to make it happen in those two hours. They are professionals, TRUST THEM! And as for decor, just be organized -- I had checklists on clipboards and a few trusted family members who had been briefed (by me) ahead of time on what to set up where -- and they knocked it out with plenty of time to spare. I will say our decor was very simple -- but that's the other amazing thing about Preservation Park: it's so gorgeous on its own that you really don't need many other decorations! So many of our guests were blown away by the beauty of the park; we got so many comments like, "This space is amazing, I had no idea this was here!" I'm really not the type of person to use the word "magical" so much but on such an amazing day, at sunset, with all your loved ones together...there's no other word to describe the feeling of Preservation Park. read more

My husband and I had our wedding ceremony and reception at Preservation Park. From inquiring about the space to the days just after the wedding, the Preservation Park staff was attentive and hospitable. The Event Coordinator, Barbara Ackerman, was always such a pleasure to work with. She was honest about the space and what the venue was capable of providing us. In all honesty, she was a pleasure to work with throughout the wedding planning process. I have to admit that I came across Preservation Park online many times before I actually visited the venue. The photos online just did not seem to do the venue any justice. I made an appointment with Barbara to get a tour of the grounds on a whim, and I have to say that it was honestly the perfect spontaneous visit that I had made. Preservation Park is the definition of a hidden gem because if you look around the neighborhood you would never guess that there's a beautiful event space tucked away on Martin Luther King & 12th Street. But when you get there and walk around the grounds, you realize that you are somewhere special. And, it gives you a sense of nostalgia for Oakland even if you don't know what you're being nostalgic for. My husband and I looked at several spaces throughout Berkeley and Oakland, but none seemed to have what we were looking for. Compared to the rates that these other venues had, Preservation Park cost just as much but with 5x more space. We wanted to have a venue that could beautifully host our 175 guests for a ceremony and reception, and can also give them space to walk around outside if they felt that they needed a breather from the chaos of the wedding celebration. We considered having both the ceremony and reception outside around the fountain, but decided that we wanted to maximize how we used the property by having an outdoor ceremony and indoor reception. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful. Preservation Park has enough chairs to set-up outside on the grass area in front of the Bandstand for a ceremony. The bandstand has sound capabilities that you can rent from them. The procession began from the homes. Picture opps likle crazy! Beautifully set-up Bandstand, guests looking sharp, and the fountain in the center of the street topped it off. It was just a picture perfect experience, that's all I can really say. There is so much beauty to Preservation Park that there is very little need to decorate it. Preservation Park has flowers, luscious greenery, and charming homes to paint the landscape...why cover it up with decorations? Right after the ceremony, there was space for our guests to walk around the fountain and enjoy the cocktail hour that we had planned. We choose Royal Raspberry Catering from the Preservation Park Preferred Vendor List, which was an AWESOME CHOICE. Our guests really enjoyed the convenience of the ceremony and reception being on-site. They had a chance to take their own photos in front of the historic homes and around the imported fountain. A huge plus was that Preservation Park has an option to rent out the ENTIRE parking structure just across the street for your event. Seriously, it was a LIFESAVER. The small parlor to the right of the Ginn House entrance as my Bridal Suite. The Large Parlor in the Ginn House is where the bar was tucked away in a corner on the left while the length of the room was used as a double-sided buffet. Perfect to keep the line moving. The Preservation Park Site Supervisor, Alex, was there overseeing that any wedding crashers were guided off-property, and made sure that all electrical and other things were running smoothly. The reception was set-up for 160 guests and a dance floor. My husband and I were at a sweetheart table on the stage. Behind us was a screen that we used for a slideshow. Nile Hall had all of the capabilities that are DJ/EMCEE needed to have all of his DJ equipment set-up and a 10-piece uplighting set-up. However, the music shut down twice in the dancing our for a brief moment; still not sure if that was because of the DJ or the venue. Preservation Park does not have a full kitchen. It has a hot box and some space to lay out plates. This was not a problem for our catering company as they had all the equipment needed. Overall, Preservation Park is wonderful. It's beautiful and had everything that we wanted. Barbara was great at explaining things. She consistently sent me documents and diagrams updating me on what she had discussed with my Event Coordinator. Barbara even called me the following Monday to be sure that the event went smoothly, which I believe is true hospitality. If you are thinking about hosting your wedding or event at Preservation Park, just book it already! If you're hesitant about even visiting, I strongly encourage you to at least visit to walk through the property to get an idea of vibe that it gives you or set-up an appointment with Barbara to get the full tour. read more

Preservation Park - Bridal Party on Preservation Park Way. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Oakland, California

Oakland, why are you trying to steal my heart? You know I'm committed to SF and have been there for several years. Ever since I started working in Oakland, slowly but surely I've started to explore the city. Little parks are one of my favorite things about SF, and I'm discovering that Oakland has them, too. Preservation Park is by far my favorite place in my work-neighborhood. It's a quaint, calm street with restored houses that could easily serve as a set for a Victorian-era BBC series. Most of the buildings appear to be empty or private. Some serve as office space for non-profits. My favorite one is in the corner, which houses the friendliest and happiest Brazilian cafe ever, but that's a story for another review. Whether you buy or bring your lunch, this is the perfect place to eat and enjoy the sunshine. I might still be married to SF, but I'm more than happy to entertain Oakland's entreaties. read more

My husband and I got married here in Sep'11 this place is really spectacular. We got a lot of compliments from the guests about the venue. We did our ceremony and reception outdoor. The scenery is really romantic and cozy. The price is really reasonable. Barbara helped us organize seats and tables ahead of time. She was a great help and was a pleasure to plan with. Everything went really smooth. Our wedding turned out perfect!!! We were so lucky to find this venue!! read more

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Note: Preservation Park is an AMAZING, GORGEOUS space for events, meetings, etc. That, itself, is 5 stars. If you are PLANNING an event here, then it's a bit more challenging. They had recent staff turnover and during the transition, I was getting ZERO replies to my emails and almost switched venues at the last minute. However, in the knick of time, a very helpful staff member was hired and I think they will gradually improve. In the meantime, they are incredibly overworked and understaffed. I would caution if you are holding a new event here - start planning early, and you may even want to visit the staff in person to get more clear responses to your inquiries. I hope to change my rating in future if they improve the service. For the record, the new staff are GREAT, they are just still learning the ropes I think and I have a feeling, it's the management from higher up that is dropping the ball. I would rent this place again because it's affordable and all inclusive- they have a LOT of supplies on site so you don't have to rent/order stuff yourself (such as rolling wall boars, easels and flip charts, chairs, tables, etc, microphones, projection screen, etc). read more

Preservation Park is a little slice of Pleasantville smack dab in the heart of Downtown Oakland. Although I was attending a training there it was easy to feel as if any second a horse and carriage would come down the street or that ladies and gentlemen of a bygone era would step out of these majestic homes to attend their daily business. Sadly many of these homes have been gutted to create offices, a large lecture hall and a cafe. Parking is limited to the large lot across the street that charges $12/day or if you are more thifty the Civic Center BART is a straight 3 block walk away right past the Federal Building. Its a great place to just picnic at, having a wedding or even pop the question in a nice slice of historic Oakland. read more

Gorgeous little "neighborhood" of lovely victorian era houses. A few were here originally and others were moved. Most are in wonderful condition. My job rented a large room for a staff retreat and it was very comfortable and staff was helpful with anything we needed. I organize a local sketching group and we came here one weekend and drew the houses. It was great fun and there were many benches to sit on. Everyone had a lovely time. read more

this review is solely as a potential wedding venue -- the outdoor area is really, really nice. surrounded by cute Victorian buildings and the pretty glass bridge connecting the two skyscrapers off in the distance, it was a contender for me. however, we never were able to check out Nile Hall (as a reception option), and as the buildings actually house private businesses I think I read there were some restrictions on picture taking. Also we wanted a sit-down dinner but with more than 100 guests buffet style was the only option, with guests getting food at Ginn House then walking back to Nile Hall for seating and dancing. Not the worst but my fiance was not fond of that arrangement. read more

This is gorgeous - I was invited to 1st Fridays too - and it was a white party. It was a lovely stroll around, with beautiful people. There is a stage area, beautiful houses, ample bathrooms and a centerpiece fountain. Oakland weather is so much better that SF and it was a beautiful historic setting for people to promenade. TIP - if there is a large event here - you may want to park on the street, getting out of the garage across the street can be challenging. read more

https://www.cailichung.com/single-post/2018/05/15/Stephanie-Jon-Wedding-Preservation-Park I photographed a wedding here and I can't get over this venue. It is so unique and gorgeous. In the middle of Oakland, it's super convenient for everyone. Yet it has such a cute and intimate feel. The buildings are beautiful and everyone had such a good time here read more

Wow, Preservation Park was absolutely amazing for our wedding. My wife and I got married at PP on 10/3/15. It was amazing. We had a Saturday evening/night wedding. Our ceremony was on the bandstand and the reception was around the fountain. The park is so beautiful and really was an amazing place to get married. All of our guests commented about what a good choice we made for our venue. The easiest part of my planning my wedding was working with Barbara. It was easy to book and plan. She responded to my emails and answered all my questions within a day, which made things easier on me because we did not have a wedding planner. Alejandro was the day of coordinator. The tables and chairs were set up exactly how they were suppose to be on time. I talked to him less then 2 minutes the day of our wedding, which was great because I didn't have to worry about anything related to the venue. I would highly recommend Preservation Park to anyone looking for venue for their wedding. read more

Great place for a wedding. It's right in downtown Oakland and very transit accessible, but it feels like you have your own magical little town. My wife and I wanted our wedding to feel like a block party, so Preservation Park was exactly what we needed! Also a great venue to have food trucks, and it has plenty of space for kids to run around, if you have kids at your wedding or event. Overall, a magical spot. read more

Preservation Park - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Oakland, California