I was recently here for a wedding and I must say I was very impressed! The wedding took place outside and the gardens are beautiful, well maintained, with a great variety of plants, flowers etc. After the wedding we enjoyed a cocktail hour, so it was nice to be able to explore the different rooms, with drinks, I love that they kept original pieces, the fireplaces had different colored tiles. We enjoyed a delicious dinner upstairs, not sure if it was outside catering or something through the mansion, but it was seriously delicious! After that we danced! I also appreciated being able to cool off near the beautiful fountain. If you are getting married in the near future, consider this venue! read more

See all

Nephew and his lovely bride got married here last night. The place was amazing with rooms upstairs for dinner and downstairs for the event and after party. Easy to find the event staff were very attentive for all the wedding party needs from helping with pictures to malign sure each room was warm or cool enough for each event. read more

Held my wedding here on July 1st, 2023. We were so excited to have the outside ceremony and the mansion as the backdrop. However, Mother Nature has other plans. Seconds before the ceremony the down pour came and the outside ceremony quickly turned to an indoor ceremony. The mansion staff were quick with the change and getting everything set up. Our guest love the mansion and we're blown away by grandeur. I loved it from the first visit and totally recommend it for anyone's event. Thank you Peg and Meagan for all your help. read more

We hosted a celebration of life luncheon and rented a whole floor. It was very clean and accommodating and staff were super helpful and kind from initial questions and booking through the whole event. Bathrooms were also very clean, close and convenient. I strongly recommend and would consider renting here again. read more

I am a wedding DJ and have done multiple weddings here. I just have to say, BEAUTIFUL! The Mansion is gorgeous and the staff is awesome. Heather and Meghan are a pleasure to work with every time! I love this place so much that I sent my friends there for their wedding! They loved it! They booked it! We had their wedding there last night and what an amazing night it was! If you are looking for something a little different, with a lot of class, yet without the pretension, this is the place for you! And its affordable!!! I cannot wait to work here again!!! read more

See all

As a guest at a baby shower held here, I was very impressed. The ambiance was lovely, clean, and inviting. The staff were courteous, the layout was spacious and I'd recommend it for smaller gatherings. The only downside was the parking seemed limited, but I was parked in the north lot, which only had about 15 spaces. There may have been more. read more

Wilder Mansion - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

Great to know that the Wilder Mansion still serves Elmhurst. I stacked the shelves there 64 years ago when it was Elmhurst Public Library, ran the driveway like the wind with Dale McCoy, skated on the pond in winter, got mentored in Algebra on a park bench by Del Meitz, visited the conservatory at Easter to see Wilbert Schmidt's Lilly displays and marveled at the arching Elms on Cottage Hill described by Dr. Marquardt as the "most beautiful street in the world." "Our Town" was a magical place and it's good to hear that much of it is still there. read more

We attended a wedding this weekend at the Wilder Mansion. The mansion is lovely however the woman that was the wilder staff person was a huge disappointment. My daughter and her fiancé visited the manor in the spring and the staff was very cordial. The woman there this weekend had really poor people skills. She totally lost control of the Friday rehearsal. The minister stepped in and we got through it. The mansion was rented from 1:00 until 5:30. We brought decorations for photos. She told the family they had to remove all the decorations before we had taken all our photos. So the bride and groom wasted their money because all the seasonal decorations were removed before the photos. The groom went back for a final check and found the doors locked at 5:15. I was very disappointed in the staff. Too bad, I would not recommend this venue for your wedding. read more

Meagan Dovidio and her staff at Wilder Mansion are some of the best around Chicago. This venue had everything we were looking for-beautiful outdoor ceremony space, eloquent indoor reception space, and centrally located. They work extremely well with several vendors throughout Chicagoland and we were so happy to hear how much vendors raved about the team at Wilder; it made the planning process a breeze! The grounds were exceptionally maintained and the venue itself is pristine-minimal decorations needed. Despite having to change our date in light of COVID, and move forward with a smaller wedding with additional precautions, Meagan ensured that our day would be everything we wanted. We can't say enough good things about Wilder and with how stressful 2020 has become, we were thankful to have worked with Meagan through it all. read more

I had my dream wedding the other day at the Wilder Park and reception at the Wilder Mansion. Meagan was divine. She helped my husband and I create a special, fun, elegant and classy wedding and reception. She answered all of my emails right away and helped answer any and all questions I had( there were a lot). Heather was also a dream! She helped us with the day of and made it such a smooth, fun, flawless day! My guests could not stop raving about the beauty of the park, the conservatory and the mansion. There is a beautiful bridal room where all the girls and I got ready. It has a huge mirror and beauty table to put makeup etc. on. There are so many beautiful details about the mansion. Each room feels like a special, cozy place and there are beautiful windows everywhere. My guests had a wonderful time. I wish I could re-do the whole thing! It was such a great experience thanks to Heather and Meagan. I highly recommend Wilder for your special day. You will be treated with great service and respect. read more

When I saw this venue, I knew it was the perfect place for our wedding! Since we were holding the ceremony at the same place as the reception, I wanted someplace special and beautiful and the Wilder Mansion did not disappoint. Our guests raved about the Mansion, saying it was one of the most amazing places they have ever seen. The Wilder coordinators, Meagan and Heather were so helpful. Their service went above and beyond my expectations. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect wedding and they helped make that happen. read more

We had our wedding here in July 2011, and it was exactly what we hoped for. The entire experience was absolutely wonderful. Our point person, Meghan, was so helpful and responded to all of my emails very promptly, and let me visit the Mansion a few times, once with my photographer so he could see the place and test out some shots. Our wedding rehearsal went very smoothly, and this is where we met our day-of-coordinator, Heather. She was wonderful and very professional, and made sure we had thought of everything. When we booked the venue in the Spring of 2010 and the prices were very reasonable. We booked a Sunday to take advantage of that discount. They helped recommend caterers who we loved (we went with My Chef). Our guests RAVED about the Mansion, and it was definitely beautiful and unique and we had the best day of our lives. Our guests had a great time as well! Thank you to everyone who helped make our day so special! read more

We had our wedding at Wilder on May 17th, and honestly, we couldn't have asked for more from start to finish with the Wilder team. We worked with Meghan from the very start, and she was fantastic! She answered all of our questions, and in a puntual manner (we heard back within a 24 hour period) and beyond doing her job, she gave us plenty of advice and helped us to calm down when we were having issues with every vendor. she made me feel like at least that aspect of my wedding was controlled and I didn't have anything to worry about there. Heather on the day before the wedding and the day of was wonderful as well. She made sure the day went as smooth as possible and we really appreciated that as we were super stressed the week of the wedding. Between the two of them and Kelly who works in the gardens, everything went perfectly. The mansion itself is beautiful and so spacious. We forgot over time how much space there really was (booked venue in September 2012, married this May). The bridal suite is huge and was plenty of space for my girls to get ready on the wedding day. the separation of the room was beneficial to us as we had many older guests who did not want to be on the dance floor with the band and could carry on with their conversations without being too disturbed. also, so many places for people to relax when their feet are getting tired from dancing. many of our guests utilized the parlor with the fireplace for this. I cannot recommend Wilder enough. Thank you ladies for all your help over the last year and a half! read more

The old Elmhurst library has new life as a reception hall. Great place and so glad that Elmhurst elders were so wise. Went to the Holiday Market (free day) today. Hopefully this event will grow. read more

I had my mother's wake/visitation at the WIlder Mansion in Jan 2012. It was the first wake in the mansion since the original German owners over 100 years ago. Heather and Meagan were so helpful in our time of grief. It was a wonderful celebration of my mother's life in Elmhurst for over 45 years. All of the visitors that came loved the mansion and the caters (CHOW of Elmhurst) were great. Everyone will remember my mother and it was a great closure for all of the family and friends. I plan to have my wedding here too! My mother used to take me to the Wilder Library in the 1950s and 1960s. I have always loved the place. I just attended a fund raiser at the Mansion. My Chef provided great food and the staff was so good! Take my suggestion and use this facility for your function. read more

We fell in love with Drury Lane for our Reception Venue before we had a Ceremony Venue in mind. Being a graduate of Elmhurst College, I remembered Wilder Mansion although truthfully had never been inside. We decided to check it out to see what it was like, and the minute we walked in my wife and I were sure we had found our space. When having a fall-winter wedding not in a church, it is hard to find a venue that is unique. Oftentimes brides and grooms end up in a ballroom for their ceremony and for their reception and we knew that was not what we wanted. Well we hit gold with Wilder. It provided the perfect locale for our ceremony, and when the weather decided not to cooperate and literally rained on our parade (the entire day) the inside provided just as perfect a back drop for pictures as the outside would have. We worked with a couple different folks leading up to the big day - Meagan, Heather, and Krysten - and they all were incredibly wonderful. So helpful and accommodating. It really helped ease our minds. Our day of coordinator, who also oversaw our rehearsal, was a little brash and left something to be desired. Looking back, I wish we had requested a sit down with her ahead of the rehearsal, I think we could have gotten to know each other and had an opportunity to really go over all the details and arrangements. Without that, we felt a little disconnected and at times rushed, and there were some miscommunications along the way. All in all we were very pleased with the venue and the planning process and our ceremony went off without a hitch. We would definitely recommend Wilder Mansion as the back drop to any bride and groom looking for a memorable indoor ceremony that is not in a church. read more

The Wilder Mansion is a renovated home built in the late 1800s. The building is divided up into rooms upstairs and down. This makes it an unorthodox choice for a huge event, but the space is really perfect in my opinion. There are larger areas and small areas with comfy seating. It makes for a great mix of areas for any social event. My work hosted a large (100+) person event here, and it was fantastic. The building was spotless and well lit, and the period details repaired perfectly. The staff were friendly, gracious, and helpful. The mansion is a unique and interesting venue, and a great place to hold an event. read more

While I do think my wedding was beautiful and the day was wonderful I would not recommend using Wilder Mansion. We wanted a simple, local wedding and didn't want to spend a fortune but it is really just not possible in this venue. The price for the preferred caterers was truly shocking. My best piece of advice would be to get quotes from the preferred caterers before you book this place. For the price we paid we could have had the wedding at other venues that were more beautiful and had amenities like refrigeration and kitchens. I really just wanted a simple day and simple event and I truly wish I had just gone with our first venue choice which we had decided was too expensive. It is a pretty building but not a good place for wedding. Get the entire cost before you do anything. As nothing could have ruined my wedding day, I sit now and wish I had just done it differently so I didn't have the expense and frustration of Wilder Mansion and I could have just focused on enjoying our day. read more

Had our wedding in Wilder Park & reception in Wilder Mansion in late May 2012.The wedding coordinators, Meagan & Heather, and their intern, were great. We booked a year and a half early so were able to lock in cheaper rates as well as a Sunday discount. We worked with Meagan until the wedding rehearsal and with Heather afterwards. They were very professional and flexible in working with us. Some benefits about having a wedding and reception at Wilder Park and Mansion: there is no travel for guests between ceremony & reception, they have a good variety of caterers which you must select from, there is a sound system in the mansion so you may be able to do without a DJ (we used an IPod & had one of our groomsmen serve as emcee), there is a small conservatory on site which makes for good pictures, the outdoor ceremony in the park is covered by a tent and can fit well over 100 people, you can use both floors or just the first floor (either way there won't be another event in the mansion during your event), and it's near downtown Elmhurst & Elmhurst College which is a very nice area. We don't have any regrets in choosing Wilder Park and Mansion for our wedding. read more

Threw a reception gathering at the Wilder and couldn't be happier. The mansion staff were very great at helping out with things, and even made sure we were aware of things we didnt know we had to be aware of! The staff was amazing, and the place was very clean. All our guests were very impressed with the facility. We used both floors and used the upstairs for food, while downstairs was lounging and dancing. Everyone commented on how it was very nice to have multiple litte areas that were tucked away to chat and mingle instead one large huge banquet hall room. I would definitely use this place for another party! read more

I attended the Holiday Market. I found very nice jewelry and handmade scarves. The "Miss Dottie's pound cake is excellent. The Wilder Mansion is a beautiful place. I loved all the wood floors and moldings in the mansion. read more

Went to a Yelp even here and it's a very beautiful house! There are many rooms, none of which are too spacious. The upstairs just kept going and going. When I thought I had been in every room, there was another! The front outside was very nice with benches and a fountain. It was perfect for the type of event I attended, with many vendors! read more

Just hosted a Bridal Shower at the Mansion, great people to work with like Meagan and Heather made this a breeze! Great time!

We had our wedding at the Mansion last weekend....we loved the building and most especially we loved the staff. They were so attentive and helped us every step of the way. Two hours before the guests arrived we decided to move the wedding outside..Megan said no problem and she helped us relocate the entire ceremony. I can not recommend Wilder Mansion enough. Five Stars!! Great job Megan. read more

Renovated and run by the Elmhurst Park district this turn of the last century mansion is beautiful and intimate. The interior has a light and airy spring feel about it. My wife and I had our wedding here and everyone loved it. The staff was kind, flexible, understanding, and helpful during the (often stressful) planning. (Thank you Megan and Heather!) It doesn't hold a lot of people on one floor but you can rent out two floors and some outdoor space if you need it but if you have a huge wedding it probably wouldn't suit you. The smaller rooms made for better interaction between our guests I think though. and they all said they loved it. My bride and I got married right out in front of the mansion during what turned out to be a good weather day. If it had rained we would've moved to the inside of it. They had a PA system and some other features as well. we had a blast and our DJ and caterer got around in there just fine. great communication. Reasonable price for the style and elegance of what you're getting. I would recommend them without hesitation. read more

We absolutely loved having our wedding at Wilder Mansion! What a beautiful and unique venue. We wanted something a little more memorable and personal than a hotel banquet, and couldn't wait to go see Wilder Mansion. As soon as we saw it, we fell in love and cancelled all our other appointments to go see other venues. We got married in the garden, which is so beautiful, even in October, the flowers are still in bloom! Then, we had cocktails, dinner, and dancing inside the mansion. It created a great flow moving from the garden to the first floor to the 2nd floor back to the first floor. Our guests loved it. The best part of the mansion is working with their wonderful staff. We worked most closely with Meagan and Heather, but also worked with Katie and Brian. All 4 are wonderful and made sure all details were taken care of. If you're looking for an intimate, naturally beautiful venue with a wonderful staff, I would definitely recommend Wilder Mansion! read more