Ainsworth House & Gardens can host weddings, board meetings, company retreats, recognition events and private celebrations for up to 125 guests, with the whole property reserved for each event. The venue centers on the Capt. John C. Ainsworth House, built in 1851, at 19130 Lot Whitcomb Drive in Oregon City, Oregon.
Seminars and company events
The venue rents by the hour for corporate use, with exclusive access to the property during the booking. A board meeting or a retreat comes with tables, chairs, linens and table decor set up by the team, a cordless microphone and sound system, free Wi-Fi with high-speed internet, and coffee and tea service. A 75-inch display can be rented for video presentations. For recognition gatherings or a team lunch, the gardens give a break from a meeting room, and the team can introduce organisers to its preferred vendors. Tours of the property can be arranged before booking.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are the main activity. A wedding booking includes seven hours of exclusive use of the property, a day-of coordinator, one hour for a rehearsal, tables, chairs and linens, a list of preferred vendors, and free parking and Wi-Fi. Couples get ready in two changing rooms in the main house, the Garden Suite and the Captain's Parlor. The venue also hosts elopements and celebrations of life.
Rooms and capacities
The property holds up to 125 guests across more than 4,000 square feet of buildings, with indoor and outdoor options all year. Outdoor settings include the Pine Tree Garden, beneath a ponderosa pine that has stood for close to two centuries, the Front Lawn and The Grove, set in two acres of gardens. Indoors, the Fireside Room and the Reception Facility take dinners and receptions, and The House serves for portraits and preparation.
Catering
There is no on-site catering. Four vetted caterers work regularly at the venue and a preferred list is available on request. Outside caterers can also be used, subject to the venue's requirements, so organisers keep control over the menu.
History and setting
The house was built in 1851 for Captain John C. Ainsworth, a steamboat captain on the Willamette and Columbia rivers, and is older than the State of Oregon itself, admitted in 1859. It is a Greek Revival building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The two acres of gardens around it give the venue its outdoor ceremony and reception sites.
Getting there
Oregon City lies about 15 miles south of downtown Portland, at the end of the historic Oregon Trail. On-site parking is free for guests. Portland International Airport is the main airport for guests flying in, and Amtrak Cascades trains stop at Oregon City station.
