OAK PARK CONSERVATORY RENTAL INFORMATION FOR WEDDINGS, SPECIAL EVENTS & BIRTHDAY PARTIES The Oak Park Conservatory is owned and operated by the Park District of Oak Park and is one of the top three historical sites in Oak Park drawing up to 40,000 visitors annually. The Conservatory is a unique rental space for a variety of events including birthdays, weddings, baby and wedding showers, family gatherings, meetings, memorials, retirement parties, church services and trunk parties. We offer year-round nature-themed birthday parties for children. For more information on birthday parties go to: www.pdop.org/conservatorybirthdayparties ROOMS AND CAPACITY We can accommodate parties of various sizes depending on your needs. Rubinstein Room: Private party space with attached kitchen facilities. ADA accessible. o Max capacity: 85 guests (without tables & chairs) o Up to 50 guests for a sit-down dinner Rubinstein Garden: Outdoor patio area adjacent to the Rubinstein Room can accommodate additional guests up to 150 people without tables and chairs. Tent rental is recommended for larger events. The Conservatory can supply a list of tent rental companies familiar with our garden. The Rubinstein Garden can accommodate a 20 x 20 tent. Approximate tent capacity with tables and chairs is 50 people Conservatory Lobby: Reception area that connects the Rubinstein room and the Conservatory showrooms. The Conservatory Lobby can be used for a cocktail reception, bar area or buffet. Conservatory Showrooms: There are three indoor greenhouse areas showcasing different types of flora and fauna. Current themes are the Mediterranean Room, Tropical Room and Desert Room. Guests can have private access to these areas after regular business hours. The Mediterranean Room has a central stone patio that is the perfect setting for a small ceremony. Food and drink are not permitted in the Conservatory showrooms. FEES For general rental rates see chart: Oak Park Resident Rates Non-Resident Rates Room Monday-Thursday Friday-Sunday Monday-Thursday Friday-Sunday Rubinstein Room $75/hour $100/hour $115/hour $150/hour Rubinstein Garden $150 flat rate Conservatory Lobby $50 flat rate Conservatory Showrooms $150 flat rate Non-Profit rental bookings are subject to a 10% discount based on availability. Multi booking rentals are welcomed and subject to a discount. Please submit request to the Director of the Conservatory. 1
Evening wedding package: $750 for residents/$950 for non-residents Includes four hours exclusive use of the three conservatory showrooms, Rubinstein room and Rubinstein garden and lobby for up to 85 guests. This package rate is for Friday and Saturday evenings only, after 4pm. Food and alcohol permitted, but not included in fee. Additional wedding options are available upon request to accommodate your needs. Children s birthday parties fees: $250/Resident or $375/Non-Resident for up to 10 party guests. $10 for each additional child, maximum of 20 children. Visit www.pdop.org/conservatorybirthdayparties for more information. DAYS AND TIMES Rentals must be for a minimum of 2 hours and can be made in 15-minute increments. Rentals can be scheduled based on availability from 7am-11pm. A limited amount of chairs and tables are available and are included in the fee. The Conservatory will take care of setting up and taking down tables and chairs prior to your rental time and at the conclusion of your event. We offer six types of room set-ups for you to choose from. Our staff will develop a floor plan for your event based on your total guest count. This will be shared with you prior to your event. All rentals begin and end with the time on the contract. This includes time for you to set up for your event, delivery of any items, clean up and exit of the room. We suggest that you begin the clean-up process at least 30 minutes before your contracted end time. Renters are given exclusive use of the private Rubinstein room but should understand that the accompanying Conservatory restrooms, lobby, showrooms and other amenities will remain open to the public during business hours. Because of this, renters are expected to be considerate of others who may be using the park or facility during their rental. After-hours guests will have private access to all of these areas. Please let the Conservatory know your preference when you make your reservation as well as your total head including any special requests such as: gift tables, buffet tables, head table, etc. 2
PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION Guest parking is available on the street. Please be considerate of our neighbors by not blocking driveways and by leaving quietly. Please remind your guests to obey all parking regulations. ADA accessible parking spaces are available on Garfield Street and entrance ramps are adjacent to them. Train: The nearest CTA stop is the Blue Line, Oak Park stop. Use the East Ave exit from the train station. Bus: PACE bus route 311 serves this area. FOOD AND DRINK All food must be provided by one of our preapproved licensed caterers or can be brought in from a restaurant or store bought. Our list of pre-approved caters can work with you on additional amenities such as tent rental, linens, bartender service and additional décor. Guests cannot cook on the premises, or serve homemade food. The Conservatory staff is happy to provide you with a list of our pre-approved caterers to coordinate your event. Any alcohol service will need to be scheduled through our list of pre-approved caters. Champaign toast service is an additional amenity that can be provided for your event at the Oak Park Conservatory. The Oak Park Conservatory can provide a licensed bartender for a one drink toast at your event for an additional fee. Alcohol to be provided by the renter. All alcohol not consumed during the Champaign toast must be secured in the Director of Conservatory s office to be picked up the next business day after the event. Kitchen use is included in the rental fee and includes the available space within the refrigerator/freezer, countertop, microwave (if available), stovetop, oven, and sink. Stovetops and ovens should only be used to reheat food. As with the rest of the facility, the kitchen must be left in the same condition it was found prior to rental. Renters will need to provide their own plates, utensils, cups, etc. We encourage the use of recyclable material. Tablecloths, centerpieces and other decorations are permitted and not included in fee. Please discuss your decoration plans and the restrictions with the rental consultant/cater prior to the event. FOOD AND ALCOHOL ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THE CONSERVATORY SHOWROOMS. MUSIC Amplified music is only allowed inside the Conservatory with the doors closed. Volume is at the discretion of the Conservatory staff. All music must end 30 minutes prior to the end of your contract. No exceptions. Live performers are permitted in the Conservatory. Please discuss your music needs and the restrictions with the rental consultant prior to the event. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES All activities taking place in Park District facilities, even private rentals, are required to meet Park District guidelines and follow Park District Code (and specifically Chapter 2 Rules and Regulations Governing Uses of the Park Facilities which can be found online at www.pdop.org). NO smoking NO indoor or outdoor grilling NO loud music NO candles or open flames 3
NO fundraising or commercial activity (accepting donations, charging admission, sale of any items, running a fee-based class, program, or event. etc.) NO improperly supervised youth activities NO gambling or any other illegal activities MAKING A RESERVATION Contact our rental consultants The Conservatory staff recognizes that every event is unique. To begin planning your special event, call during business hours, 10am - 4pm, Tuesday through Sunday, (708) 725-2400. POINT OF CONTACT The Conservatory requires that the person making the reservation is the only point of contact for the facility staff. This insures that all of the decisions, arrangements and concerns are handled as efficiently as possible. This facility does not contract with vendors on behalf of the renter. All vendors (food, linen rental, tent rental, etc.) are the responsibility of the renter. PAYMENT Check or credit cards (Visa, Master Card, Discover) are accepted. The Conservatory requires a $100 damage deposit, paid in full, at time of reservation to book your rental. To qualify for the resident rate an individual or organization must show proof that they reside in Oak Park. Acceptable proof includes two of the forms of identification below: Driver s license or state ID with an Oak Park address,telephone (not cell phone) or other utility bill, vehicle registration card, voter registration card, Village of Oak Park vehicle sticker receipt, or lease or mortgage statement. To qualify for the non-profit rate, organizations must have and submit documentation demonstrating 501(c)(3) status with the IRS. Without this paperwork, renters will automatically be charged Non-Resident Private Rental Rates. The monies for damage deposit and rental fees must be in the renter s name (i.e. from a checking account or credit card belonging to the renter or organization listed on the contract). Contact our rental consultants for non-profit rates. Rental fees are due 30 days prior to the event. If payment is not received by this date, the reservation will be cancelled and a $25 cancellation fee will be deducted from the damage deposit. A refund for the deposit will be issued approximately 3 weeks after the conclusion of the rental minus any costs for damages, additional staff time required for clean-up, or other miscellaneous charges (although deposits paid by credit card are generally processed faster). Any renter that arrives or stays beyond the scheduled time will be charged an additional amount at 1.5 times the hourly rate. The option of staying later than the scheduled time is subject to the availability of both the facility and the staff. 4
CHANGES If you need to make changes or cancel your reservation, please contact our rental consultants (708) 725-2400. If changes are needed within 30 days of the event, (extending time or adding items) those additional fees must be paid before the change will be confirmed. Once the changes have been made, a written confirmation will be sent via e-mail from the Park District. Cancellations (or reductions in the hours of a rental) must be made at least 30 days prior to the rental in order to receive a full refund of fees, minus $25 cancellation fee (which will be deducted from the deposit). Any cancellations made less than 30 days before the start of the rental will be refunded according to the following schedule: Date of Cancellation Renter Receives At least 30 days in advance 100% of deposit + 100% of rental fee minus $25 cancellation fee 15-29 days in advance 100% of deposit + 50% of rental fee 7-14 days in advance 100% of deposit + 25% of rental fee Less than 7 days in advance Deposit is returned, but full rental fee is kept 5