Allegheny County Courthouse

PA, NY, OH, WVA

$1,500 starting price

101-150 guest capacity

This venue can host up to 150 guests

About this vendor

The Allegheny County Courthouse is a National Historic Landmark and the masterpiece of architect Henry Hobson Richardson. Construction began in 1884 and was completed in 1888. Inside, the elegant Grand Staircase features soaring arches and ornate columns, as well as five murals by artist Vincent Nesbert and flags of the states. Outside at the center of the Allegheny County Courthouse is a beautiful courtyard that features a central fountain and four landscaped gardens. The building rises dramatically around the courtyard, giving guests spectacular views of the 229-foot granite bell tower, turrets, arched windows, and steep slate roofs. Whether it’s an intimate elopement on the Grand Staircase or a grand celebration under the stars, the Allegheny County Courthouse provides an unforgettable backdrop for your special event. Capacity for a seated dinner in the courtyard is 150 and 80 for ceremony. We accept reservation requests 18 months in advance of your date. AMMENITIES AND STAFF SUPPORT For private special events, including wedding ceremonies plus receptions, you may rent the grand staircase and courtyard on a weekend or on a weekday evening after 5PM. For after-hours events, we can accommodate up to 150 people for a seated diner in the courtyard, and more for a standing, cocktail-style event. With private, after-hours rentals, we provide: • white garden chairs • (6’) banquet tables • high- or low-top cocktail tables • Venue Coordinator, Building Security, Custodians, Electrician Your food, alcohol, linens, décor, etc. would be supplied by vendors of your choice. ELOPMENTS AND SMALL CEREMONIES To accommodate elopements and simple ceremonies, the Allegheny County Courthouse allows couples to reserve the Grand Staircase and Gallery area inside the courthouse in two-hour increments. Weekday ceremonies may be held during business hours (9AM until 5PM), excluding holidays and pending venue availability. Reservations open one year prior to your desired ceremony date. We’ll set white folding chairs, theater-style, for up to 30 guests. There is no charge for the venue nor for the chairs for this type of ceremony. Please understand that the courthouse is open to the public during free weddings, and we do not provide an officiant nor handle marriage licenses.

Amenities + details

Handicap Accessible

Indoor Event Space

Outdoor Event Space

Reception Area

Covered Outdoors Space

Dressing Room

Liability Insurance

On-Site Accommodations

Wireless Internet

Ceremony Types

Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony

Guest Capacity

Up to 150

Settings

City Hall
Historic Venue
Park

4.6

out of 5.0

9 reviews

Search reviews

11/29/2024 • Kelsey T

I’m really happy that I was able to do my ceremony at the courthouse however when we booked the time slot allotted 2-4 I was informed that nothing else could be scheduled after our ceremony. The woman who booked us said we were able to have time after 4 to take individual photos just knowing that people could potentially walk through and we were fine with that. The day of my wedding me and my bridal party were informed they scheduled someone to have their ceremony at 4 and we had to rush through our ceremony and we didn’t even have time to take all the pictures we wanted. I was told something completely different when booking and then find out on my way to my ceremony? Very unprofessional. My family was rushing to get the decorations and it just wasn’t a moment that should’ve been rushed. Had we known that we would’ve made different arrangements or started earlier.

10/09/2018 • Jessica Y

Highly recommend this location and venue to anyone considering a Pittsburgh wedding. The staff is easy to work with and quick to respond! And the beauty of the courthouse speaks for itself. We're so glad we made the choice to get married here.

9/25/2018 • Samantha L

Absolutely stunning! We got married here in August & Alex was the most amazing person to work with! She made the planning process so easy & stress-free! The venue itself is incredible & made for gorgeous pictures! I would recommend this venue to anyone! Thank you for making our day so special!

7/12/2018 • Ashley B

Having our wedding at the Courthouse was the highlight of our wedding! Alex and Katie are incredibly kind and helpful (also super responsive to any crazy bride emails!). We originally booked the Grand Staircase for ceremony and the Family courtyard for the reception. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate, so everything was inside. Turns out, it was even better than planned. The courthouse staff is extremely patient and organized, I was constantly impressed. It was a bit hot at times, but they brought out some industrial fans for us. Plus they opened the fountain courtyard for us, and it was perfect for guest pics and our vendors had easy drop off.

6/25/2018 • Heather D

I was the day of coordinator for a wedding ceremony and reception at the courthouse last week, and it was by far the coolest venue ever! They put a whole new spin on the phrase 'courthouse wedding.' The vibe is romantic, urban and historical, and it can be decorated to match your personality. The ceremony on the staircase was breathtaking, and guests were able to explore the courthouse and courtyard with the fountain during cocktail hour and the reception. You can bring in whatever caterer you'd like, and also DIY the bar. Alex and Katie, the venue coordinators I worked with, were ON IT. It's rare I work with a venue who has event managers that are so detail orientated, and you can tell they really care. Between myself, Alex, and Katie, we had every base covered. My clients had the best day ever, and were so happy with how it went. I can't wait to work there again soon!

6/01/2018 • Casey S

Alex is the best ever! She does everything. She takes so much stress off of you! The venue itself is beautiful but other than the main courtyard, the staircase and family courtyard are a bit disjointed. It could be hard to get your guests to move back and forth from the dance floor location to the dinner location in either situation. No matter what it's breath taking and having Alex to work with is worth it!

12/28/2017 • Tim J

We knew, the moment that we saw the Grand Staircase/Lobby area, that the Courthouse was exactly the place we wanted to get married. The Grand Staircase just has such an incredible atmosphere and architectural features -- it was the perfect place to hold our ceremony/cocktail hour. Furthermore, as we were having a December wedding, once we saw pictures of the Christmas tree they put in the courtyard and the garlands on the archways, we were 100% convinced that we wanted to have our wedding there. During our actual wedding day, our photographer found so many beautiful and unique locations to take wedding pictures at. The building just has such incredible character, it serves as the perfect backdrop for a ceremony. However, that was just the tip of the iceberg for what made the Courthouse so perfect. Truly, it was the various staff members that went above and beyond, treating our wedding day like it was as important to them as it obviously was to us. Most impressive of all was the event coordinator, Alex, who was quick to respond to every pestering question I sent to her (often within minutes of me sending her an email). Alex was always incredibly professional, friendly, patient and helpful. Furthermore, my husband and I were a tad clueless about how exactly we wanted the ceremony to go, but Alex provided the ideas and the expertise that resulted in a beautiful ceremony. Finally, Alex and her staff (including Katie who also did a fantastic job), made sure everything was set up and beautifully arranged for the day of the ceremony. Everything ran as smoothly and perfectly as I could have imagined during our wedding day, and I know it was because Alex and Katie were behind the scenes managing everything. One key concern I had when first considering the Courthouse for my ceremony was dealing with the logistics of having a downtown Pittsburgh venue. I thought parking and unloading/delivering alcohol, decorations, AV equipment and food might be difficult. However, this concern was completely unwarranted. Once again Alex and her staff made the process convenient and seamless. They were on the street, waiting in the cold Pittsburgh winter weather with carts to pick up all of our stuff right when we said we'd be stopping by. We were able to pull over our car in front of the courthouse archway and just drop things off the night before the ceremony and they had it all set up and ready to go the next day! TL;DR: If I could give the Courthouse a rating higher than 5 stars, I would. Our wedding day was absolutely perfect, and it was because Alex and the rest of the Courthouse staff went above and beyond to make it that way.

12/27/2016 •

The Allegheny County Courthouse was the perfect place to be married. The Grand Staircase is architecturally stunning, and set the perfect stage for a classic, romantic and elegant ceremony. The string quartet's music radiated throughout the space. Alexandria Delancey was incredible to work with, was responsive and answered all of our questions. While we had an amazing time at our reception, our ceremony on the Grand Staircase was one of the things so many guests commented on and was so special for us as a couple.