Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate

East Bay
View Map
Tell a Friend
Clicking this link will take you to a form that allows you to tell friends and family about Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate.
Oakland Wedding Location
2960 Peralta Oaks Court
Oakland, CA 94605
Contact: Roz Mathews
Phone: 510/615-5562
www.dunsmuir.org
Request a proposal for your event from Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate
if you would mention that you found Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate on the Here Comes The Guide website.

Click thumbnails to enlarge image





View an image montage from Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate
Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate

Special Offers

10% discount on rental fees in the months of January, February & March. Hot dates still available.

Why We Like This Place

Nestled in the East Bay hills, the Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate offers a lovely and secluded setting. Featuring a turn-of-the-century white mansion and a 50-acre expanse of lawn and trees, it evokes the serenity of a bygone era. The mansion was a romantic wedding gift from Alexander Dunsmuir to his bride on the occasion of their marriage in 1899. Its foyer is a formal, softly lit space for an intimate ceremony: The bride can make an impressive entrance as she descends the staircase, and a baby grand piano is always available to provide musical accompaniment.

The nearby Pond Area, with its weeping elms and delicate white gazebo, is the most popular site for ceremonies. Following the service, guests walk through the picturesque grounds to one of the various venues available for receptions.

Indoor receptions are often hosted in the unique and rustic Carriage House. Its quaint seating nooks and mahogany paneling add an old-fashioned quality, and whether you’re planning a wedding banquet, a conference of corporate executives or a western theme party, this place will bring out your creativity. Light cascades into the Garden Pavilion, whose large picture windows look out onto a treelined terrace. It’s a versatile space for ceremonies or receptions, and is particularly well suited for company parties, meetings and seminars. The Open-Air Canopy is an elegant, white canvas-roofed structure that enjoys views of the historic mansion and surrounding landscape in the distance. Designed with soft white draping, a carpeted floor, subdued lighting and a patio area, it’s perfect for receptions or gala events.

The grounds here are private, peaceful and beautiful throughout the year. Although this is one of the most exceptional sites in the Bay Area for a wedding celebration, Dunsmuir Historic Estate is also an excellent choice for other special events, daytime retreats, picnics and business functions.

Capacity

Ceremony

Reception/Special Events

Meetings

Max. Seated Indoors: 150
Max. Seated Outdoors: 4500
Max. Seated Indoors: 299
Max. Seated Outdoors: 4500
Max. Standing Indoors: 299
Max. Standing Outdoors: 4500
Max. Seated: 299



CEREMONY CAPACITY: Several spaces hold 20–150 indoors or 220–4,500 outdoors.

EVENT/RECEPTION & Meeting CAPACITY: The estate can accommodate 100–299 seated or 200–299 standing guests indoors, and up to 4,500 seated or standing outdoors for concerts and large events. The Carriage House holds 150 seated theater-style or 80–100 seated for dining. The Pavilion accommodates 250 seated theater-style, 300 seated for dining or 400 standing guests. Tent space available.

Fees & Deposits

For weddings, a nonrefundable $1,200 deposit reserves your date. Half of the rental balance is payable 6 months prior, the other half is due 30 days prior to the event. Use fees range $2,500–8,500 (depending on guest count) for an 8-hour time block and include a choice of 2 separate sites for the wedding or reception, use of some tables and chairs as well as setup and breakdown. Any additional equipment must be rented through Dunsmuir.

Fees for business functions and meetings vary depending on group size, room setup and equipment; call for specific rates.

Availability

Year-round, daily, 8am–midnight.

Catering

Choose From List

Alcohol

BYO

Sites Uses

Ceremonies
Wedding Receptions
Special Events, Parties
Business Functions/Meetings
Rehearsal Dinners

Services/Amenities

Catering: select from exclusive list
Kitchen Facilities: prep kitchen in Pavilion
Tables & Chairs: some provided
Linens, Silver, etc.: through caterer
Restrooms: wheelchair accessible
Dance Floor: CBA, extra fee
Meeting Equipment: CBA
Bride’s Dressing Area: yes
Parking: on-street or adjacent lot
Accommodations: no guestrooms
Telephone: emergency use only
Outdoor Night Lighting: access only
Outdoor Cooking Facilities: CBA
Cleanup: provided
View: mansion and grounds, pond
Other: mansion photos, $200/hour; mansion tours, $300/hour

Amplified Music

Indoors
Outdoors

Wheelchair Access

Wheelchair Accessible

Site Views

Garden
Lagoon/Pond
Landscaped Grounds
Meadow/Fields

Site Type

Garden
Historic/Landmark Building
Mansion
Park
Banquet/Events Facility
Private Estate

Restrictions

Alcohol: BWC, through caterer only
Smoking: not allowed
Music: amplified OK
Wheelchair Access: yes
Insurance: required
Other: decorations limited; no rice, food or drink in the mansion

View Map
Tell a Friend

Share Dunsmuir Hellman Historic Estate with others:                                                   

Want to search again?

Waterlily Pond, photo by Peter Diggs Photography

Don’t take chances on your wedding!

Certified By The Guide wedding professionalsCertified By The Guide Northern and Southern California wedding vendors have all been highly recommended by tons of brides and fellow wedding professionals. If we don’t consistently hear raves, we don’t put them on our website.

Like it? Save it.

tout_altWishing you could save a list of the places and services that interest you? You can. Register for MyGuide and:
save your favorite locations and services
email several of your favorites at the same time
share your selections with your family and friends
make notes to yourself about each location or service

Rehearsal Dinner?

Here Comes The Guide is a great tool to use to find your rehearsal dinner location! And, Read more about how to personalize your rehearsal dinner.

Wedding Dresses

We’ve selected the best California bridal salons to help you find your wedding dress. And, get great deals on your wedding dress and see entire wedding dress designer collections at California Trunk Shows.

Central Coast Weddings

We have just opened up a whole new section for Central Coast wedding locations and Central Valley ceremony sites. We think this gorgeous region, full of beach wedding locations and winery reception venues is the “next big thing” in destination weddings.

Santa Barbara Weddings

tout_alt Santa Barbara is a stunning region for destination weddings. Its sublime weather is perfect for garden or beach wedding ceremonies, and its chic hotels and restaurants will rock your wedding reception. Most of our beautiful Santa Barbara wedding locations have Virtual Tours, so take a sneak peek right now!