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The Firehouse
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1112 Second Street
Old Sacramento, CA 95814
Contact: Special Events Department
Phone: 916/442-4772
www.firehouseoldsac.com
Request a proposal for your event from The Firehouse
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Why We Like This Place
When those scorching Valley days begin—along about May—everyone heads for a favorite oasis. None is cooler, greener, or leafier than the sprawling brick patio at the back of The Firehouse, the Gold Rush era landmark restaurant where Sacramentans have dined, politicked and gotten married for over 40 years.
Built in 1853, it’s located in the heart of the old riverfront historic district and really did house Engine Company No. 3, which stabled its horses in what is now the wine cellar. The Firehouse opened as a restaurant in 1960, with the owners scouring the Central Valley and Sierra foothills for antique furnishings. Recently renovated, it offers seven cool Gilded Era dining and reception areas with twelve-foot ceilings, mahogany wainscoting, ornate mirrors, and massive paintings of grande dames and friskier ladies.
Most popular for weddings is the Courtyard, the al fresco dining area that’s won local awards for “best special occasion” and “best outdoor” dining. Enter through the narrow 19th-century alley at the back of The Firehouse and you really do feel transported to another place and time: The wrought-iron balconies, ivy-covered brick walls, fountains, and canopy of mulberry and Chinese elm trees feel more like New Orleans than Sacramento. With lights laced through the overhanging branches, it’s magic on summer nights.
Guests seated in the Courtyard dine on California nouveau continental cuisine accompanied by selections from the 18,000-bottle wine cellars, the largest in the Valley. Decoration here is simple—perhaps just some flowers. “If you didn’t add anything extra, it’d still be spectacular,” says Mario Ortiz, General Manager, Sommelier and 35-year employee of The Firehouse, though he recalls one outside event planner who created a Wedding in Paris theme with a canvas Eiffel Tower. Bring in a band, orchestra or DJ, and you can dance out here, too.
Larger wedding parties spill over into the adjacent Courtyard Grill, a garden-like room under a Tiffany-style glass dome with a long bar, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a massive fireplace used on cool harvest nights. This space can also be used by itself for small events.
Some weddings and the ubiquitous Capitol fundraisers, receptions and banquets are held in the Golden Eagle Room and adjoining Salon. Or, guests can thread their way past an iron grille door and down a narrow staircase into a pair of small, immaculate banquet rooms known as Wine Cellars I and II.
The Firehouse has long been a draw for politicos and celebrities, with Ronald Reagan holding both of his inaugural dinners here, and Arnold Schwarzenegger a recent guest. It’s become a pilgrimage site for tourists who wander through with cameras, trying to capture the rich mélange of Gold Rush memorabilia, rococo chandeliers, bare brick walls and long, gleaming bars.
Out-of-town visitors will enjoy the ambiance of the building itself, as well as the bustling boardwalks and horse-drawn carriages out front. And its location in the heart of downtown Sacramento makes it easy for everyone to find. So if you want to combine Old World elegance with a rambunctious history lesson and a magical walled garden, The Firehouse has it all.
Capacity
Ceremony |
Reception/Special Events |
Meetings |
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Max. Seated Indoors: 120 Max. Seated Outdoors: 300 |
Max. Seated Indoors: 120 Max. Seated Outdoors: 300 Max. Standing Indoors: 175 Max. Standing Outdoors: 400 |
Max. Seated: 200 |
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Fees & Deposits
A $200–900 deposit is required to reserve your date. The balance is due upon completion of the event. Rental fees range $0–1,500 depending on room rented and day and time rented. Meals range $23–58/person for the dinner menu and weekend day events. Tax, alcohol, and an 18% service charge are additional.
Availability
Year-round, daily. Weekend hours for courtyard use only are 11am–4pm and 6:30pm–midnight.
CateringProvidedAlcoholProvidedBYO w/ Corkage Fee Sites UsesCeremoniesWedding Receptions Special Events, Parties Business Functions/Meetings Rehearsal Dinners Services/AmenitiesCatering: provided, no BYOKitchen Facilities: n/a Tables & Chairs: provided Linens, Silver, etc.: provided Restrooms: wheelchair accessible Dance Floor: CBA Bride's Dressing Area: CBA Meeting Equipment: CBA, extra charge Parking: large lots, valet CBA Accommodations: no guestrooms Telephone: no Outdoor Night Lighting: yes Outdoor Cooking Facilities: BBQ CBA Cleanup: provided View: fountain, garden, landscaped grounds Other: event coordination |
Amplified MusicIndoorsOutdoors w/ Restrictions Wheelchair AccessWheelchair AccessibleSite ViewsFountain/Water FeatureGarden Patio/Courtyard Landscaped Grounds Site TypeRestaurantBanquet/Events Facility RestrictionsAlcohol: provided or BYO with corkage feeSmoking: outside only Music: amplified OK with restrictions Wheelchair Access: yes Insurance: not required |
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916/442-4772
www.firehouseoldsac.com
Email or request a proposal for your event from The Firehouse
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The Firehouse received the “Award of Unique Distinction for 2007” from Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
For 2008, The Firehouse was voted “Best of Sacramento” in 10 categories by Sacramento Magazine.
Additional recent honors—“Best of Award of Excellence” from Wine Spectator Magazine, and 4-Star/Wine Star Award from Sonoma County Winegrape Commission!
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