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    Preservation Park

    4.5 (83 reviews)
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    Sweeping down the isle (photo by JessieLeake)
    Jenny T.

    Many moons, many suns and many eclipse of the heart ago...I had my wedding here. This park warps you back into the Victorian era where ornate Victorian homes lined the park with an old fashion fountain that stands in the middle of them and you can just hear the horse carriages clomping down the cobble stones. Take a seat on steps of a home and admire the colors and details each and every house. Enjoy the lush greenery, including the palm trees that looked like it lived here forever, like an old married couple. To me, it is the most romantic place to exchange vows. Booking this place was very easy back in the days. My ex-co-worker/friend was a property manager and she was able to help me. All I had to do was pick a date, fill in a contract and leave my deposit (I think it was $500 total to rent the place back then). If you wanted catered food (which we did), you had to choose from their selected vendor list. We picked a dim sum restaurant to cater a light snack of dim sum, tea, and bottled water for our guests. We didn't hold our reception here because we wanted the full shebang Chinese banquet at Hong Kong East Ocean Restaurant in Emeryville. All the guests were very complimentary towards the venue, which I appreciated a lot. Who knew that this tranquil park existed to the west side of Oakland, California. It's definitely a hidden treasure to cherish forever. XOXO, June Bride

    Cris I.

    A hidden gem! Sixteen Victorian houses inside a small gated community. I learned that only five of them were originally located here but the rest where moved from somewhere and rearranged to resemble a Victorian community. I saw that the wrought iron gate was open so I went in for a leisurely stroll to admire the beauty of these houses. The area is clean and very well maintained. At the end of the row houses was some sort of a culdesac where a giant fountain is strategically located right in the center. There were benches to sit on around the fountain area but I think it's also cool to sit down by the staircases in any of the beautiful houses here. By the way, only vehicles with permits are allowed inside. Another thing that I learned about this place is that the park can be closed for private events. That includes outdoor weddings which I believe, Preservation Park is the perfect place to hold such event.

    Rachel M.

    Hosted a work meeting here today and it's a very old but charming venue. I worked with Angelica to set everything up and Wilfredo on day of and they were super helpful and efficient- kudos to them! The rooms, Nile Hall, Robinson Classrooms don't have the usual modern meeting amenities like polycom, projector but we made do. Angelica showed my colleague and I the rest of the rooms during a tour and they definitely transport you back in time. The buildings have been around since the 1900's and it's nice to experience a taste of the past. The WiFi was a little wonky during our meeting but other than that, we had a successful event. Also to make it easier for your attendees, we were able to set up a validation meter for the City Garage, where you can validate your parking anytime before 2:30p. I would love to attend during a wedding or party to see how it transforms! A 1920's Great Gatsby masquerade event would be super fun!

    Entrance
    Ed U.

    You really can't tell if you're supposed to enter this gated area at the western edge of downtown Oakland, but indeed Jamie W. and I did enter when it looked as deserted as a ghost town (photo: http://bit.ly/10c5hkN). Initially it felt like a lost episode of "The Twilight Zone" where we were thrown in a time warp that brought us back to 1885. But this isn't the back lot of Universal Studios, rather a well-maintained collection of sixteen Victorian-era buildings set in a cloistered enclave of two perpendicular blocks. Anchoring this historic neighborhood is a cast-iron fountain with the goddess Diana on top (photos: http://bit.ly/ZJknTe). If you're not here for a wedding, generally the one reason anybody outside of the immediate area visits, it's a quiet and quick stroll since none of the buildings are open to the public, but it exudes an old-fashioned charm nonetheless. They aren't private residences, instead mostly offices for local non-profits. I think Nile Hall is the only one used for private events since it has a stage and large ballroom inside (photo: http://bit.ly/15ioGZX). I only know that because I was there for a wedding many years ago. Not mine. Oh please. But I do remember thinking this was a place frozen in time despite the proximity to the more unsavory parts of the city. And sure enough, it still is.

    Eichar Photography
    Hallie G.

    To say our wedding venue was spectacular seems like an understatement. Preservation Park was absolutely the venue that dreams are made of. The staff was like a well oiled machine from the very first contact over a year ago, and they had recommendations for our other vendors that made our wedding perfect, (Miraglia Catering and Event Magic). The park had all of the tables and chairs on site and the staff seamlessly moved them between our wedding ceremony to our reception around the fountain. We had a room on site to get ready in and to leave our things for the night, and the natural light at the park has made for some incredible photos. Listen... everyone has done the wine country, barnyard wedding with the burlap. Preservation Park is an incredibly unique place and they support local small businesses and nonprofits so do your yourself a favor and stop looking for a venue right now.

    Walking down the aisle with my Dad!
    Lily Y.

    We were lucky to have had our wedding at Preservation Park on September 25, 2016. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful setting for our wedding in downtown Oakland. This truly is a hidden gem, as many of our guests are Bay Area residents and have never heard of Preservation Park. My great-aunt said it was the most beautiful wedding she has ever attended in her 90+ years of life. The staff at Preservation Park take great pride in the grounds which is very evident in its condition. Our ceremony and reception were both outdoors. We had 210 guests, which is over the capacity for an indoor event, but we had wanted everything outdoors so that worked out for us. One of the great things about having an event here is that you do not need any additional decor. We added market/bistro lights, strung from the lamp posts, which added a nice ambiance after the sun went down. Since California is in a drought, the fountain was not running, but the fountain is stunning in itself, so the water was not missed. (And actually, we were happy it wasn't on because it probably would have been a bit noisy.) We had our ceremony on the bandstand and dinner tables circled the fountains. After the ceremony we opted to have a photo booth and had them set up on the bandstand which worked out great logistically. They also have a bridal suite available, which we reserved as well, which was a great room for the bridal party to hang out before the ceremony and keep our things. OH! And the room is air-conditioned which was CLUTCH! It was 90 degrees on our wedding day, which made for an amazing evening. This was also a great venue because there is so much room for people to spread out. There are benches for people to sit at if they don't want to immediately sit at their table. Also, if you have kids at your event, there is plenty of room for them to run around and play. Jacqueline was great to work with and made everything easy and stress-free. I highly recommend having your wedding or any outdoor event if you want a place with natural beauty and your guests will leave with wonderful memories and beautiful photos!

    Pretty fountain
    PatrickJ T.

    Victorian style neighborhood in Oakland. Never knew that Preservation Park even existed til my sister took us here. The neighborhood consists of two blocks smack in the heart of downtown Oakland. Don't know if anyone lives here or not. What I do know is that many businesses call this place home. Preservation Park is also a very popular wedding venue. It is easy to see why when you look around this beautiful place. Check it out if you are in Oakland. Not everyday that you can explore a Victorian style neighborhood.

    Nino and Joan Wedding July 7, 2018. Photgraphed by Usman B. Photography
    Joan R.

    From the Bride: We booked Preservation Park a year and three months in advance. Our first coordinator was Jacqueline Ma and it was so easy to work with her. She was very helpful and clear that she made us believe that we can plan this wedding on our own. Unfortunately, Jacqueline left Preservation Park and we had a bit of a lull with communicating with the replacement. Fortunately, that replacement was only temporary and was replaced with a great one in Angelica Perez. She picked up where Jacqueline left off, and then some. Angelica was so professional and was very forgiving, such as with our late payment, due to the gap in communication. She provided everything that we need and she made sure that our wedding was going to be an epic and memorable one. Preservation Park was a perfect venue for a wedding, along with Event Magic. The Victorian houses, the Federal Building, the fountain, and the trees made the perfect backdrop for our event. The parking lot across the street, which we were able to reserve for a VERY reasonable price have so much room. There were plenty of room for our 260+ guests, 20+ kids to run around without getting bored, 3 food trucks, and a coffee cart in the park. Everyone were at awe at the venue and one of my guests, who also had a great wedding in New Jersey, thought this was the perfect wedding venue. Thank You Preservation Park for providing a great venue for our memorable event. From the Groom: I agree.

    The Dreaded Critic S.

    All the houses and buildings are renovated Victorian houses from the 1920's that were all located in this gated community. There is just a great ambiance and the fact that all the business done in this area are from non-profit organizations made for a sense of great karma! My husband and I actually got married here on the bandstand area and had the catered buffet along the side street with our tables all around the fountain. It was beautiful! Seriously, the first time I went to PP, I was at a wedding, and I knew then, that this was the place I would choose to get married myself and I did! The grounds are very well kept and if anything I really didn't want to overdecorate the wedding because again it was already breath taking. I know I'm pretty biased but by far, I think this is one of the most beautiful wedding sites anyone could ever hope for. And the best part of working with this venue is to be able to work with Barbara Ackerman, the facilities and event coordinator. Barbara was just awesome! Very friendly, professional and she was so calming, which is exactly what one needs to be around during such a chaotic event planning time. Not only that, but Barbara knows exactly what she's doing, and is able to give advice for how to work this venue to your taste to make events perfect and flawless. I don't know what I would've done without her! If you're debating whether to use this venue for an event like a wedding or party, don't hesitiate! It's worth the money!

    Cassie L.

    Preservation Park was the venue we chose for our wedding, and we definitely would not change it if we had the choice again! The houses, grounds and park are absolutely gorgeous and well taken care of. The houses and colors are absolutely adorable, we felt like we were on a movie set or in Disneyland. So many of our guests were surprised to find a hidden gem tucked away in the middle of Oakland. When we first signed a contract, Barbara was the park coordinator. She retired before our wedding and the new coordinator, Jacqueline was just as great. She was always available by phone or e-mail to answer any questions we had. She met with me a few weeks before to go over the layout of the park and go over how many tables and chairs we would need to rent. She worked with our day of coordinator and caterer to go over all of the details. I was told at this meeting that the fountain would be on for our wedding as was so excited, but when I arrived at the park the fountain wasn't on. We rented out the parking garage directly across the street and this made it very easy for guests. The pricing is affordable compared to many other venues out there. There is a base rental fee and then rental fee for each chair, table, etc. The one thing that came up a few weeks before our wedding that Barbara never mentioned was the chairs that you rent must be moved from the ceremony site to the guest tables, or you must rent two chairs per guest to have them set up beforehand. Thankfully, our caterer stepped in and had their staff move all of the chairs to the guest tables following the ceremony. There is a "bridal" room available, but we did not rent this as there are no chairs or mirrors. It is basically just an empty room in one of the houses. As the venue was the first thing we booked, it made choosing a vintage theme and planning accordingly so easy. It was our perfect day and I wish we could do it all over again! Tons of great photo locations with the great houses in the background and so many beautiful flowers, plants and trees.

    Urban Strategies Council - Thornton House
    Steve S.

    Ha, this is kinda funny. Well, fo me anyways. I work here... Coming for the job interview was a trip, walkin from 14th st getting hassled for change and whatever to this little oasis, its still a trip comin to work every day, such a crazy beautiful place, yes I appreciate how lucky I am to not be stuck in the downtown office blocks. It's some flipside to those wonderful non-profit wages we gets. Yeah. But really, come check it out, its quite a place, and they do have some good events now and then. We nearly had our wedding here so consider it for yours too- its really beautiful and the hall is sweet too. I ran into some old lady from eastern europe who comes up here just to enjoy it from fremont- she told me the story about the lady on the fountain statue, kinda cool. JUST DONT TAKE MY DAMN PARKING SPOT. Pleeeease. Peace. Oh yeah, there's been a whole bunch of cars getting rolled on Castro behind the park so be warned if you park there ever- windows getting smashed for whatever is inside.. Stash yo sh!t

    Nyeri O.

    We chose Preservation Park after looking through numerous venues around the bay area. We were looking for a location where we could have both the wedding and reception in the same space, a venue that gave us some flexibility in terms of catering and bar, somewhere that didn't require a long travel from the hotel and located in a city that people could go out, as well as something in our budget. Preservation Park fulfilled all of those qualities and truly turned out to be the best venue choice. The main contact person, Barbara Ackerman, is extremely warm and professional. She helps you lay out all of your plans, will work with your caterer, and even gave me a personal call before my wedding. She will truly put your mind at ease. Also, the grounds of the park are immaculate, my guests and the photographer loved the open space and all of the natural beauty. We opted to have both the ceremony and reception outdoors, and it was beautiful, we played on the vintage theme and it came out perfectly. The indoor space can be a little dark and the bathrooms are a little dated, but with a few decorations, no one pays much attention. Oh they are pretty strict about the time you have to set up (about 2 hours) and to clean up (about 1), so that scheduling can get a little tight, but just need to have the right coordinator to pull it off. I loved my wedding at Preservation Park and would recommend it to any bride.

    Great Victorian

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    Convenient parking lot nearby. Appreciate repurposing of vintage housing in this way.

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    Beautiful place. Lots of architecture. Beautiful scenery. Highly recommended for photos

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    Review Highlights - Preservation Park

    We had about 150 guests, and had the ceremony outside at the bandstand and the reception inside Nile Hall.

    Mentioned in 11 reviews

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    ShotClock Studios

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    We came across this hidden gem of a space on a whim, while looking for a venue to host of our kids'…read morejoint birthday parties. The space is absolutely beautiful and a great blank canvas that doesn't need much decorating because it's got what some elders may call "good bones". The owners are really easy to work with and great at outlining all the details up front, so that you know what you are getting. And for the price, it's totally worth it! The space comes with tons of bells and whistles that you would normally pay extra for. That includes a sound system (for a DJ or you can use their Bluetooth and play your own music), light system, industrial fridge, microwave, a built-in selfie or Photo booth green wall, industrial trash cans, tables, and chairs galore. There's also free and plentiful parking located out back, which was a great built-in perk. There are so many things we loved about this space, including the barn door leading to a cute back patio. Great for creating indoor/outdoor space for guests. Ours used it to watch the trains going by, which was a big hit for the kids. The front of the venue is situated right near a loading dock/overhang area, which came decked out with lights and was perfect for our Piñata. There's also space adjacent the loading dock that worked perfectly for a jumper. We really enjoyed renting this space, and our guests absolutely loved it as well. It's the best space for any type of party or event, and worth every penny.

    Was great while it lasted! Easy to book, accommodating, nice venue! Best wishes as you move…read moreforward and continue to serve the Bay Area!

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    (9 reviews)

    This venue is phenomenal and holds a special place in my heart. Chris helped me set up a surprise…read moreproposal here for my now-fiancé and it went exactly as I'd imagined. The space itself is beautiful -- high ceilings with great skylights, beautiful brick wall on one side, and every media capability you can think of including customizable lighting, sound, and 2 projectors. But as much as the venue was amazing, what really made the day magical was Chris. From my very first conversation with him I could tell that he was going to do everything in his power to make the proposal as perfect as possible. He provided every option, made great suggestions, and went above and beyond for me. I can truly say that I would not be engaged if it wasn't for Chris. I cannot thank him enough.

    I highly recommend this venue! We rented it for a wedding reception of 125 people and start to…read morefinish had a great experience with the 1544 Events team. I have nothing negative to say- the space was beautiful, displayed artwork was beautiful, the bartenders, day-of staff, security guard were all so helpful and friendly to not only me as the bride but to ALL of our guests. We got a ton of compliments all night about what a cool space it was and that it was a perfect choice for our party. We worked closest with Stacy and she was phenomenal! She helped us throughout the year of planning and went above and beyond on numerous occasions to make sure our needs were met. We are so happy we chose this venue for our special day!!!

    Preservation Park - venues - Updated May 2026

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