Mansion 1886 hosts corporate meetings, trainings, conferences, awards banquets, galas, fundraisers, weddings and private celebrations for up to 240 guests. The venue is a restored Queen Anne mansion at 904 East Main Street in New Albany, Indiana, minutes from downtown Louisville. Groups can take the whole building or book the mansion rooms alone for up to 50.
Seminars and company events
The ballroom takes up to 240 guests and can be set theater-style, in rounds or as a classroom. The mansion rooms seat up to 50, which suits board meetings, leadership retreats and executive dinners. The spaces are AV-ready and Wi-Fi runs throughout the building during events. The venue lists meetings and trainings, conferences and seminars, networking and client receptions, holiday parties, awards banquets, galas, executive dinners and product launches among its corporate formats. Nonprofits use it for fundraising galas, auctions and donor receptions.
Weddings and receptions
The mansion was built as a wedding gift, and weddings remain central to its calendar: ceremonies, receptions, bridal showers and rehearsal dinners. A private bridal and VIP suite gives the couple or a guest speaker a place to prepare. Tables, chairs, linens and setup come with every rental, and whole-building and weekend mansion-room bookings also include centerpieces from stock. The open-air courtyard is available with whole-building rentals. Milestone birthdays, anniversaries, reunions and holiday gatherings complete the calendar.
Rooms and capacities
The event space covers more than 6,800 square feet. The chandelier-lit ballroom overlooks a mezzanine, and the mansion rooms keep their pocket doors, crystal chandeliers and original woodwork. A market-lit courtyard adds an outdoor area. There is an accessible entrance at the side of the building, and the restrooms on both levels have been renovated. Additional hours can be added to a booking.
Catering
Organizers choose their own caterer, subject to prior approval, or pick one from the venue's preferred vendor list. Caterers work from an on-site prep kitchen with refrigeration, a freezer, water and ice. Bar service is in-house, with packages ranging from non-alcoholic to full bar, and outside alcohol is not permitted.
History and setting
William Culbertson, a wealthy Indiana businessman, had the house built as a wedding gift for his son Samuel, who married Louise Craig in April 1886. The couple lived here until 1896, when Dr. John Hazlewood turned it into an eye clinic and residence. From 1939 it served as a social hall for the Manzanita Tribe of the Improved Order of Red Men, which added a recreation hall in 1950. It became an event venue called Culbertson West in 2004 and took the name Mansion 1886 in 2020. The restoration refinished the ballroom ceiling and kept the original details of a house of more than 16,000 square feet.
Getting there
The mansion sits on East Main Street in New Albany, a short drive across the Ohio River from downtown Louisville, Kentucky. There are 49 parking spaces on site and free street parking nearby, which makes arrivals simple for large groups.
