Attended a company christmas party event. Plenty of parking available and valet parking is available. Issue is the availability of male restrooms as only less than a handful of stalls. My male colleagues were in agony while waiting. Main area is spacious. Has a very antique feel. Don't think it be a great place for joyous occasions as this place has a deep violent history and dark atmosphere for night events. read more

Never got to see the place. It was #1 on our list due to location and photos. Had to follow up multiple times. Offered multiple dates we were open for a visit outside of the dates in the screenshot. Then got a short response from someone's phone basically telling us to go take a hike. Nope. Not available for a tour. No other dates offered. No name. Thanks. If this is how they treat you before you even meet them or step foot on the property, imagine when they have your deposit. Sounds like a nightmare and someone should be fired. What a shame and a big revenue loss. I was ready to spend. read more

Kohl Mansion - Amazing response. They could not want your business less. - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Burlingame, California

Our first time designing at this location! Our bride and groom chose this venue for their wedding. Check out our floral design and details that made this ceremony so special! For more information find our company www.fourfortyfourevents.com. To many more beautiful weddings ! read more

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Where should I begin. We got married on October 5th, 2024. Don't get me wrong, I agree with most photographers in regards to how stunning and beautiful the mansion is. But, dealing with management ( Denise) has been the most difficult task on our entire wedding cordinatation. We had been promised the landscape would be fixed, but not only it wasn't fixed, it was still wet, and we had to talk to the management, and they told us that they don't have any staff to take care of the landscape. The response we got from management was " we don't have any staff on site, I don't know what Denise has promised you" in a way that showed they don't give a single crap about you as a host. We kept getting calls from Denise, and we needed to pay more even tho it was mentioned clearly to multiple vendors that we could start the setup time outside of the mansion @9 AM, but we ended up paying the extra time. Denise came up with a made-up state law in regards to our alcohol servings, saying, " ABC license doesn't allow shots, 3 days before the wedding, which was not in the contract. Unfortunately, there are lots of lies on Denise's end. Do yourself a favor and skip this venue. read more

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I went there for a wedding and I loved the venue & it's style. The food that was served was very delicious. They have an artificial pond with lilipads, the building style gives me classic rustic vibes read more

Kohl Mansion - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Burlingame, California

As you've likely already discovered, Kohl Mansion is truly the dream venue for a Christmas themed wedding in the Bay Area! The built-in Christmas decorations gave an idyllic set-up, while still allowing us the flexibility to add custom centerpieces and some décor of our own. It is equal parts grand and cozy, boasting true historic mansion status, while also having a natural layout that feels like it could have been designed for the purpose of being a wedding site. We were blessed enough to have a sunny, wind-free, cloudless, 65-degree day in the middle of December, so we had the bonus of outdoor photos. However, another reason we chose the venue is for the gorgeous indoor ceremony space and many rooms and photo opportunities that would have allowed for amazing photos and experience, even if we had to spend the whole event indoors due to Winter weather. (At many venues, it felt like the indoor ceremony options were "Plan B") We even snuck in a little nod to Clue, as the checkered black and white room, Library, Green Room, and Ballroom couldn't help but prompt us think of this beloved board game! A few things to consider - we did have some challenges with responsiveness from staff throughout the year. The hours for tours, walk-through, rehearsal etc fall in the middle of the workday and sometimes took multiple communication attempts over several weeks to schedule. If ease and convenience are your top priority and you feel more neutral about the "wow factor" of a beautiful venue, choosing an inclusive, more commercialized venue is your most efficient option. However, if you're like us and fall in love with this magical venue and are willing to do a little extra work, you will forget about the ultimately small hassles that come with the planning process when you are taking in the magic on your beautiful day! read more

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Another of those super interesting hidden mansions that not many know about unless they have been at some sort of party, wedding, or going to school...there! Yes, school, because the building is also a catholic private only girls school with their sports facilities (swimming pool, etc) in campus. The mansion is Tudor style from 1910, if someone had shown me a picture and not tell about the location I would have think it was somewhere in the United Kingdom and someone was waiting for me to get a tea time! The doors were fully open when we visited on Saturday. I did not go there for any particular reason, just browsing 'interesting places nearby' and boom! fantastic surprised. A wedding was taking place at 5 pm and the staff doing flower arrangements and organizing the venue for the attendees let me browse and check everything. Not my type of venue for a wedding as I got more the 'spooky house' feeling from it, but definitively for some classic concert (I read they do that) and costume parties, etc. The gardens are not huge but really nicely tended and there is a labyrinth and roses of several types. A virgin Mary statue give a 'convent-esque' allure to the garden. You can also see the airplanes flying towards the airport and a view of the bay from far away. Very peaceful place. Need to read what happened to the Kohls...they only lived there for 2 years. read more

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As an event producer I cannot say enough great things about the Kohl Mansion! The staff is lovely, attentive and easy to work with. The kitchen is amazing (we offer catering services), the grounds are beautiful and well maintained and the interior is very open with tons of awesome character :-) If you are in need of a unique corporate event venue, or you're looking for a romantic place to get married this place is definitely worth a look! read more

Kohl Mansion - Another indoor space, check out those floors!! - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Burlingame, California

Nice place , this place can definitely fit a lot of people. I like walking the outside but the insides really nice . Yea I like the outside of it. The inside definitely has an amazing ambiance and decor tho. This place looks so nice I kinda wanna marry myself here. read more

Such a beautiful venue. Love the classical art and decor. I definitely recommend for weddings, special events, etc. Staff was friendly, and attentive. read more

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I can't say enough good things about Kohl Mansion as a wedding venue. I had the pleasure of photographing this venue during my couple's recent wedding and the photos turned out absolutely gorgeous. The venue itself is well kept, spacious, and the perfect backdrop for a dreamy wedding day. Every room in the building has so much character, light, and style. My favorite spot on the property is the "green room". Its light wood floors and oversized windows are just breathtaking! I love how there is ample room for couples to transform the property into the wedding of their dreams. I hope to photograph many more weddings at this beautiful property read more

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I love to roam my old neighborhood places and this is an oldie and a goodie. Was on my way to some hiking trails off of Adeline (Mills Canyon) and always love to stop and walk the grounds. Looks like a little construction on the Mansion however the grounds are immaculately green and lush. Especially with all the rain we've had. read more

Kohl Mansion - Kohl Mansion - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Burlingame, California

A very elegant place in Burlingame. I never knew it existed! I made an appointment to view the place with Dianne. She gave me a tour of the place inside and out and answered my questions as well as let me take my photos. Since I'm only looking for a ceremony site, they only have 9:30AM to 12:30 available for ceremony only. The cost is rather expensive: $3500 to $4000. There's a range because at the time, Dianne had mentioned they were in the midst of doing some fee changes. The price includes the standard white plastic Samsonite chairs and long rectangular tables if you need them. If you're only doing a ceremony, you can serve and bring in drinks and light snacks, otherwise you need to go through one of their caterers if you plan on having the reception there as well. You are allowed to put a "soft hold" on your date. When someone else is interested, they will call you for your decision. The grounds are well kept, there's plenty of parking in the front and places for pictures including a rose garden, koi pond and the room (with the couch) inside the mansion. What separated this from Ralston Hall was that although there are two separate rooms, they are unfurnished (Ralston Hall has many small nooks and rooms inside rooms that are furnished). During your wedding you can either makes use of these rooms or you can ask them to close them. I forgot to ask about a Bride/Groom changing area so don't know if they have one... read more

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As a wedding coordinator for this venue, I say the architectural features are nice. 1)Kitchen is spacious for staffing for wedding guest of 180-200 people. 2)however restrooms were limited. 3)The courtyard and fountain areas are beautiful spaces for cocktail and outdoor reception. 4)The bar was great inside next to the staircase. 5)Easels were provided by the venue for welcome signs and framed photo enlargements. 6)There is a locked shed to store decorations if needed. 7) Vendor parking lot back of the kitchen and rose garden is great plus! 8) Bridal room and gentlemen's room are spacious. 9) Coat room available read more

A beautiful place to have a wedding. I attended a wedding of about 200 total people here and it felt intimate without being overcrowded. The wedding was held outside in the back lawn. It was preceded by cocktails in the back courtyard. There was also an indoor library type room which was also perfect for socializing. The dinner was held in the large room with the fireplace and large windows. Gorgeous. There was a side room as well as a room with a large dance floor adjacent. This also opened up to the back courtyard so it was a really nice flow of indoor and outdoor. The rose garden is small but cute. Overall this place has a lot of character and is quite spacious. read more

Kohl Mansion - Perfect wedding venue! - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Burlingame, California

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We had the most amazing wedding at Kohl Mansion this weekend! We can't believe how much the Great Hall transformed with the uplighting, specialty linens and amazing floral centerpieces. And the black and white room was a guest favorite (perhaps because of all the assorted desserts we had in there), as well as my favorite! It was the perfect day and our hopes and expectations were by far exceeded. We are so happy with the venue, and we received many compliments from our guests. Terri and Dianne are a great tag team. They were so responsive to my emails for the 12 months between booking Kohl Mansion and our wedding day. I could always count on hearing back from one of them within a day, if not within hours! It was a joy to work with them, and I am so grateful. read more

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I feel very blessed to have had my wedding at Kohl Mansion. I fell in love with the venue when I was introduced to it for the first time during a work event. Dianne and Terri were absolutely wonderful to work with and had every bit of patience with me throughout the planning process. The venue allows you to have everything in one place from ceremony to cocktails to an elegant dinner reception. No fuss with guest transportation to/from and makes it easy on everyone. Not to mention the venue is completely private to your group without the worry of bystanders intruding on your special day. The venue is absolutely breathtaking in every way - from the minute you walk in the front doors, to the masculine library, gorgeous architecture in the main space, the green rooms stunning chandelier and breathtaking windows, the black and white checker room's unique charm to the beautifully manicured rose garden. You will feel every bit of special that you deserve at Kohl Mansion!! read more

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My friend is a fantastic jewelry artist and she participates in the yearly holiday boutique here. She always enjoys it and has nice things to say so this year I went along to help her. I've never been here for a wedding so this review is only for the holiday event. The mansion and grounds are lovely and the people hosting the event were very friendly and helpful. The event started at 5pm and ran til 9pm and was quite crowded at times but everyone was in a festive mood so it was pleasant (if a bit hot inside). Vendors consisted of mostly handmade items of varying quality, as well as fudge, cookies, sauces and things of that nature. I particularly liked the vintage china, glass and silverware vendor. Wine was available for $5/glass and the cafeteria was open and serving food, though I didn't try any. It was beautiful to see the mansion all dressed up for the holidays. If you're in the area next year, do be sure to check out the event. read more

We just had our wedding reception @ Kohl Mansion and would like to thank Dianne and Terry for helping us work out all the details. We got engaged back in May 2008, and knew immediately that we wanted to have our reception at Kohl Mansion. We had about 220 guests, so our dinner was outdoors and we utilized the other rooms for our cocktail circle bar and dessert buffet. Our guests have a wonderful time at our reception because of the timeless elegance of the Kohl Mansion. Just remember to book early, since their weekends often get reserved quickly. Also, if you're worried about it being windy, please have Dianne or Terry advise you on that. Weather is unpredictable, but I'm sure there are certain months that are more windy than others. read more

Kohl Mansion - Our puppy joined us for the celebration. - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Burlingame, California

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Our daughter and her fiance were scheduled to have their wedding reception in late March at Kohl Mansion. We had worked closely with the coordinators leading up to the event. Who would have ever known what we ended up having to deal with ? Once it became obvious that we needed to re-schedule the event because of the Covid-19 outbreak, we had a meeting with Terri and Dianne. These two ladies bent over backwards to make sure our needs were met. They were very professional in their approach and we now have a new date later in the season. Our expectation is that we will have a wonderful event ! Theresa and Kevin Kannengeiser read more

Maybe it would have been nice if we had actually gotten to see this place, but we never did. The Coordinator Terri is a wreck to work with. Her emails were unwelcoming and short. She took forever to get back to me. She would say we could come visit Kohl Mansion on a particular day then when I email back to confirm the date and time, she then says that she got filled up. She is rude and her attitude verges on being pretentious, as if it would be our COMPLETE HONOR and PRIVILEGE to have our ceremony and reception there. After 3 weeks of trying to set up a time to visit the venue, we're DONE. A venue should make you feel welcome and cared for, this place has a big stick up their you know what. read more

Timeless. Elegant. Magical. If those words describe your dream wedding, then you should consider having it at Kohl Mansion. The photos you see here and on their website really do capture the beauty of the mansion and its surrounding grounds. It will definitely cost a pretty penny though. I attended a lovely wedding here a few weekends ago, and the setting was fit for a royal couple. While others have commented on the wind, there was absolutely no wind the day we were there. It was absolutely perfect. In any case, a ceremony and reception would be beautiful indoor or out. Taste Catering provided a dinner buffet, which was amazing. The prime rib was better than any prime rib I've ever had at any restaurant. I'd recommend doing a tasting with them. I've been to the mansion for one of their Fanfare open house events, which is a great way to see the venue set up as it could be for your special day, and a valuable opportunity to meet various preferred vendors you might be able to work with to create your dream wedding. There's one coming up on 8/13, so try to check it out! http://fanfareweddings.com/show_kohl.html read more

I went to my cousin's wedding as a 10 year old, in a mansion in Hillsborough and was in awe. From that time on, I always pictured an extravagant fairytale wedding at a mansion. So needless to say, I inquired with a tour of Kohl Mansion, and it was between this venue and City Club in San Francisco. KM is tucked away in the hills of a residential area in Burlingame on Mercy Burlingame property. The school is below, and the mansion serves as an administrative office that people can rent out. I went on two tours with the two different Event Coordinators of the mansion, the first was just me and him, and the second one included his parents. They were both very nice and answered all of our questions. The grounds are exquisite and will fit a large wedding guest count. However, some drawbacks: though they do provide a security guard and it is private property, it's easy for people to walk to the grounds (I've seen it during our our tours & heard this happened during some people's weddings), the bathrooms aren't very nice, and aren't as plentiful as some venues, you also just get the space, chairs are extra. This place is already fairly pricey but I was bothered thinking that chairs were provided (as one of the coordinators told me, then I saw it on the contract later and asked about it, and they were extra) even though they are already on the property. The price you pay at Kohl Mansion, just includes the actual venue rental; they'll provide the tables for the reception, but everything else, you need to purchase and coordinate on your own or if you're lucky and can afford one, a wedding planner. Also on the note of the bathrooms, no separate bathroom attached to the room that most brides use as their bridal quarters. At City Club, I had a bathroom in my "bridal quarters" which made it easy for me to lock the door, and strip out of my dress when I had to go (instead of having my BMs hold it up over the toilet). Since it's on a hill, it can get a little breezy outside. I'm picky and opinionated, I know. It was a hard choice to choose between the two, because, honestly I wish I could have the best of both venues. If you want a fairy tale wedding in a mansion and need a large space, don't mind taking care of everything else yourself, and can get past the bathrooms and the rare possibility of some person walking on to the property, then Kohl Mansion may be for you; it just wasn't for us in the end. I know I'm not selling it very well right now, but it is truly a beautiful venue, and if you are more easy going than me than I can imagine this place being a contender for you. read more

weather in Burlingame is always perfect. that was what i thought as i was making my way to Kohl Mansion...reminiscing of my days of residing in the Penninsula. the ceremony was blessed with a serene blue sky and warmth from rays of the sun. the positioning of the seating area seemed to only enhance all of the elements and the view of the surrounding landscape is just enchanting. http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/7hHXrwjK3140ojE4bf8CZA/l the estate is remarkably preserved and walking from the study to the patio to the grand hall you can feel the history and imagine how special the architects felt at it's groundbreaking in 1912. http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/rtym46TN6gHQ2NBXOzZY9w/l throughout the evening i found myself being swept away to explore more of the manor, walking outside in the perfect moonlight...i glanced through the patio door to see the bride and groom with eyes locked on each other. http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/0NXRsm-IVZf0cMuEDQbhSg/l this place is all love. read more

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I visited Kohl mansion about a week ago to consider it for my wedding site. I arranged a meeting time with Terry, who was very friendly and laid back. She might not be to good with emails because I still haven't gotten a reply from 3-4 weeks ago! Once I got her on the phone though, she was very pleasant and helpful. The mansion is really nice once you pull up to it. The entrance is a little small for my taste.The great hall was nice with high, vaulted ceilings. I didn't like the wood in the mansion though because it looked really old and not polished. The library was really dated and had a really "old" feel to it. There were two nice rooms off of the main hall that would make good photographs. I think you can hold a ceremony in one of them. My fiance and I decided to pass up the Kohl, but they did have a pretty courtyard to hold the ceremony if you like the outdoor space. However, for $11K, we want something more elegrant and grand. Bently and City Hall charges about the same and they're WAY nicer, in my opinion. read more

My husband and I were married here last year and the wedding was absolutely beautiful. All of our vendors were fantastic and most were preferred vendors from the Kohl Mansion list. The location is great because it is near the San Francisco airport and several hotels, which is nice for guests. It was great for us to have our wedding and reception at one place, so the guests didn't have to drive anywhere in between. We were able to serve dinner on the patio and then do dancing inside the ballroom, which is totally beautiful, and this helped our event flow well. Things I think are necessary for this venue (for an event at night): great lighting (we used Enhanced Lighting and they were awesome) and lots of candles. A big plus is that you can bring in your own alcohol and do not have to pay a corkage fee or anything, which was great. Our event was beautiful and over a year later, we're still receiving compliments! If you want a memorable event, this is the place! read more

Due to my work, I went to to many mansions and exclusive wedding venues. Kohl mansion is one of a very popular wedding venues. The place is very charming and could complement and give a good character to your wedding and event. But due to the size of the mansion itself. I think you should limit the number of your guest to about 100- 150 guests and that should be the perfect number in my opinion - especially for sit down - indoor reception. (Besides the limitation of the restroom). I love its architecture and surroundings. The only thing that makes me drop one star off is the restroom. To go to the restroom, you have to walk to another building which attached with this mansion then you will realized that you are walking through a high school. This building is filled with the classrooms and nothing wrong with that except if you set your event to be real upscale all the way. Having your guests going to the restrooms that next to the classroom is kind of hold back the upscale theme a bit. Otherwise, this is a very beautiful place to have your wedding or/and event. read more

Kohl Mansion is definitely beautiful! You see those amazing images, but seeing it in person is just that much more amazing. The surrounding grounds are beautiful. I attended Kohl Mansion for a May wedding and was surprised at the narrow streets that led me to an amazing facility. I was a tad confused if I was going the right way to the venue since it looked like I was creeping into someone's home driving super slow down the narrow roads up the hill towards Kohl Mansion. However pulling in, I saw the huge mansion on the right with ample parking on the left. From the ceremony, to the cocktail hour, ceremony to dancing, if you're looking for character, Kohl Mansion has it. Each room has it's own character, from the main dining room, to the green room to the black and white room. It's so pretty! The only downside that I was not too happy about was the restrooms. There were 2-3 single stalls available. It's not nearly enough when you have a party of 150+. Often times I was standing in line waiting for the next person to come out. Definitely wish that they had more stalls available because single stalls did not work well! It was often a game of dodging and eyeing the line to see when it died down to run over and use it before a line formed again. read more

I recently visited the Kohl Mansion for a friends wedding. The venue is a beautiful venue nestled in the quaint Burlingame Hills. The architecture of the venue and surrounding landscaping are stunning. The defining room of the Kohl Mansion is the dining area complete with a intricately decorated room with a 40 foot plus vaulted ceiling.The venue can hold up to 200+ guests and comes stocked with a full kitchen staff. If you can afford the rental fee it's the perfect place to reserve for various extravagant events and it's highly instagrammable. read more

I haven't been to Kohl Mansion in 13 years and finally went here today for a wedding, I forgot what a special place this is. Everything was lovely- well kept grounds, plenty of space for guests to wander around (without getting lost), ceremony area that comfortably seated 150 guests, separate dining area, separate mini black/white ballroom to cut the cake... just perfect. The bride/groom party also took plenty of pictures for several hours prior to the ceremony. On top of that, all the holiday decorations were out which added even more warmth to this event... if you are searching for a special venue I definitely recommend looking into Kohl Mansion. read more

My wife and I had our wedding here in September of 2010. The women that set up the events there, Dianne and Terri, are wonderful. The venue is stunning. The flow between indoor and outdoor is seamless and perfect. This venue accommodates every guest's needs; the quiet, less social people chilled in the library and the partiers danced in the main room. The bar was outside. The food had its own room. There's a room we used strictly for cake cutting. Our wedding was very casual with no assigned seating and people ate all over the grounds as there are walls and benches to sit on everywhere, including the rose garden. It's safe to say that every inch of the inside and outside of this venue was enjoyed by our wedding guests. If you want the beauty and flow of the location of your wedding to be a major part of your day and enjoyed as its own entity, this place is perfect. read more

My wife and I had a fantastic wedding experience at Kohl last weekend. If you are lucky enough to get a perfect weather day (which we magically did) and if you understand that you are booking at a unique, pricey venue that really doesn't need your business then you should be at least as happy as we were. My sense is that Kohl has no problem filling up its dates with weddings and other events, and the service, approach, pricing and occasional inflexibility reflect this reality. Whether you deal with Terri or Dianne, the service and responsiveness is perfectly fine. Some people will hit it off with Terri, while a slightly higher percentage of people will like Dianne a bit better. Both Terri and Dianne took a personal interest in making sure that our event was successful. As others have mentioned, communication is not always instant or perfect, but everything seemed to get done. Keep in mind that even in late May, the wind and weather can be unpredictable. Our Friday rehearsal featured high winds, cold temperatures and left us with a general sense that our indoor Plan B might come into play. When we showed up on Saturday, it was beautiful and stayed beautiful well into the evening. We owe a big chunk of the "wow" factor of our wedding to winning the weather lottery. If you can't take advantage of the beautiful outdoor setting for your ceremony and cocktail hour, it's definitely not ideal. In terms of party size, we had 150 people. While Kohl claims to be able to accommodate larger parties, I wouldn't recommend going much larger without giving some detailed thought to the layout of the great hall and other spaces. Even with 150, we had a couple of tables pushing out to the edges of the room. Overall this size of wedding worked out almost perfectly. Also, keep in mind that your wedding will most likely be a multi-room affair - with dancing and dining taking place in separate rooms. Personally, I liked the arrangement, but if you're envisioning a classic ballroom setup with tables surrounding a dance floor, this probably isn't the place unless you scale down to 100 people. To sum up, Kohl has some unique benefits and drawbacks, but if the weather is great and your vendors deliver, you could really have an amazing wedding here. Our guests definitely had a great time and so did we! read more

We came here for a wedding, and were impressed by the beautiful building and landscaping. Check out the photos of other yelpers to judge for yourself, or do a Google search. read more

The website pictures and set up our marvelous And the calendar that can show you that the date is available for booking is wonderful too, however phone numbers that are available to contact them have full mailboxes. There is no email apparently or any other way to contact them so it's impossible to book. read more

Beautiful venue! There are so many beautiful options for wedding photography. The green garden on the side is so cute. It can be a little windy thought. But it was gorgeous up until 4PM last night. After 4PM it started to get cooler and windy. Overall, amazing venue! read more

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Kohl Mansion easily took our wrap party for Rise of the Guardians to a whole new level. I can't even begin to describe the decor in each of the rooms. I felt transported to different dimensions when I walked throughout the grounds. It beckoned existential thought. Each room was professionally themed with colors, furniture, food and drink. It got a little crowded, but it felt cozy when appropriate and spacious when your personal space demanded it. How they achieved that is a mystery to me. There was simply way too many things to describe about the mansion that I experienced that night. Unfortunately, that experience lasted merely a few hours. It would probably never be replicated again for others to see and feel as I had that evening. read more

Attended a bridal faire here one evening. It was a lot of fun. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and well kept. My sister also had her wedding pictures taken at this site. The location of the mansion is in the hills a bit. The roads are just a little swervy and narrow. In the day this facility is also a school of some sort. You should drive slow when in the area. Its a bit pricey to rent out the place. If you have the cash...its a good place to have a wedding. read more

Just came from a wedding here. When your GPS says, "You have arrived" make that sharp right turn into the gated opening and drive right in. This place was great for a small wedding and dinner of about 80 guests. The scenery was lush and the lilly-pad fountain was a nice touch. the center area has lights on strings and has a fire escape that is a great place for overhead photos of the festivities. There is a hedged rose garden in the back and a side green lawn area. the main hall held8 tables and along head table comfortably. if you are in the mood for a cozy intimate celebration, this was a great place to be. read more

I came to Kohl Mansion this past Sunday to check it out in person as a possible wedding venue. I found Kohl mansion years ago while wondering what venues in the Bay Area would accommodate an outdoor ceremony for over 250 guests. Just curious about rental prices, I had sent in for an informational packet. The rental fee was around 10k (this was back in 2005?) so I quickly dismissed the venue when actually considering places after we got engaged. So, back to 2008, I was very saddened by all of the other options given to us for outdoor ceremonies. (If you see my review of the faculty club, you'll see what I mean). I decided to look back into Kohl mansion (which was my dream spot years ago) to just see what the rental fee is now and how much caterers charge. Well, I did some research and it looks like a wedding here COULD be possible for our budget. I'm not sure as to what we're doing yet, but I'm so glad I have one more option (albeit more expensive) than a strip of grass next to students playing hacky sack. Oh yeah, I did notice it was a bit windy when I checked out the spot around 2:30pm, hopefully it's not that bad in the summer! read more

Was very excited to make my first visit here, ever, as the guest of a wedding. If you ever wished you could get married at Filoli -- but you know, you can't -- Kohl Mansion may be worth investigating as an option. Sure you won't have the crazy-gorgeous gardens available at Filoli, but you DO get the stately appearance of the building, the pretty surroundings, a large lawn area that allows plenty of space for your ceremony, and an "away-from-it-all" feeling that allows you to have a "destination" wedding in your own backyard (that is, if your backyard is in the Bay Area). I can't tell how much of the food and service was in the hands of Kohl Mansion operators as opposed to outside vendors (and I assume, like many venues, they have a list of preferred vendors), but everything ran smoothly, and it seemed that there was sufficient space for everyone and everything. One thing I'd ask: IMPROVE THE SIGNAGE. It's hard to know where to turn as you're coming up Adeline. Parking is OK, seems sufficient for an event's needs. Of course, you can hold events here other than weddings - do check the website for details, policies, etc. And apparently, there are other times it's open to the public, such as Music at Kohl, so you can visit without being the guest of a private event. Overall a lovely venue,especially if you want a stately or historical setting. Check it out. (Shout out to those who know: why yes. Yes, I did end up reviewing this venue!) read more