ALTA HOUSE EVENT CENTER

Casual, Classic and Affordable!

Newton, IA

Holds ceremonies and receptions

Deals

Custom discountPermanent

Winter Wonderland Package Dec 1 - Feb 28

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Phoebe Gutierrez

MANAGER

Typically responds within 24h

Alta House Event Center hosts quarterly open houses. RSVP Required. To RSVP, please go to the website. We hope to see you soon! Located in Newton, IA, Alta House Event Center is a rural wedding venue. This rustic farmhouse is complemented by all of the modern facilities you have come to rely on. Situated less than an hour from Des Moines, this setting feels like an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Our team is there to support you every step of the way. Owners Dana and Curtis VanGilder purchased this property in 2018 and renovated every aspect of it. They wanted to turn Alta House Event Center into a boutique space for various gatherings and celebrations. It was named for Dana’s grandmother, showing the respect the owners have for honoring their loved ones. The decor of the house is inspired by Dana and Curtis’s parents and grandparents, alongside their Iowa heritage. The main goal for this venue was to design a chic, intimate event space in a convenient location for everyone in the surrounding communities to enjoy. Alta House Event Center welcomes celebrations with up to 250 guests while maintaining an air of spaciousness. Dana and Curtis want to create as much joy as possible for you on your special day. This venue is available for weekend-long wedding events. Starting on Friday afternoon, you are granted access to the great room, upper deck, and the garden patio. A get-ready room in a private apartment is also available for the wedding party to use. The great room and patio are both available to hold your wedding events, depending on whether you have envisioned an indoor or outdoor wedding. The subtle water feature on the patio provides a gentle accompaniment to any ceremony held outside. The house and grounds are ideally appointed for memorable wedding photos, with plenty of trees and landscaping to enjoy. ALTA HOUSE EVENT CENTER is a wedding venue located in Newton, IA.

Woman-owned Business

6+ years in business

Speaks English, Spanish

9 team members

Amenities + details

Amenities

Ceremony Area

Covered Outdoors Space

Dressing Room

Handicap Accessible

Indoor Event Space

On-Site Accommodations

Outdoor Event Space

Reception Area

Wireless Internet

Ceremony Types

Civil Union

Commitment Ceremony

Elopement

Interfaith Ceremony

Non-Religious Ceremony

Religious Ceremony

Second Wedding

Vow Renewal Ceremony

Settings

Backyard

Ballroom

Barn

Farm & Ranch

Estate

Garden

Industrial & Warehouse

Trees

Venue Service Offerings

Bar & Drinks

Bar Rental

Destination Weddings

Destination Wedding Packages

Planning

Rentals & Equipment

Service Staff

Transportation

Shuttle Service

Any questions?

Meet the team

Dana and Curtis VanGilder
Owners
The name Alta House stems from owner, Dana VanGilder’s, Grandma Alta Nelson. Alta was a 6 foot tall Danish farmer’s wife. When choosing a name and home for the event center, the discussion centered around descriptions for a home on a tall hill. The logo designer suggested Alta House without knowing that was Dana’s beloved Grandmother’s name! Choosing the Alta House name also helped to determine the decor’ theme and is an ode to parents, grandparents and their Iowa heritage. It took nearly two years to complete the Alta House reconstruction. Dana and Curtis VanGilder are grateful to all the construction companies and their employees for making their dreams a reality. The goal was to purchase a much needed event center that combines convenience and location with style and charm to serve the Central Iowa communities. Come on over, take a tour and see for yourself… mission accomplished!
Phoebe Adams
Venue Coordinator
Alta House is a newly built property located just 30 minutes East of Des Moines on the edge of Newton, IA. The building was purchased and in November 2018 was moved in two sections across Interstate 80 to its current location. Dana and Curtis VanGilder renovated the entire property to provide a unique, intimate venue for families to meet, relax and celebrate any occasion.

5.0

out of 5.0

11 reviews

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Review Summary

This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.

The Alta House is praised by multiple reviewers for its amazing staff, beautiful space, and helpful amenities, including a Borrow Closet with free decor items. Phoebe, Rachel, and Kristen are highlighted for their exceptional assistance in planning, decorating, and ensuring a stress-free wedding day. The venue's spacious areas, accommodating bridal suite and groom's cabin, and flexibility in decor setup receive high praise, with multiple positive comments on the stunning aesthetics and seamless execution of events. Overall, The Alta House is highly recommended for weddings.

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Sidney M

Highlighted review.

6/22/2021

My husband and I were married at the Alta House May 29th 2021. Upon first arrival we were skeptical but the moment you walk in the door you are transported to a BEAUTIFUL venue. Th...

is place is so impressive. They have an extensive "borrow closet" so say goodbye to spending ungodly amounts of money on decor. Oh, and feel free to decorate this place HOWEVER you want to. Only rule, don't damage anything. This is your blank canvas. On top of all of this, Phoebe and Jessie are amazing. Your contract says they aren't "wedding planners" or "day-of-coordinators", but these women went out of their way to make sure my day was perfect and everything was taken care of. Contacting my vendor when an issue raised its ugly head, and helping decorate with my wonderful family and friends. They were gracious when I didn't fill out their planner, didn't bat an eye, and took the time to pour over my details with me. Schedule a tour, and book this baby. Thank you Phoebe, Jessie, and Dana. From the bottom of my heart.

Response from ALTA HOUSE EVENT CENTER on 06/23/2021

Oh my goodness Sidney and Josh thank you so much for these kind words. It's weddings with ...

people like you and your family, that makes all the hard work worth it! Not only did you transform our venue but you also invited some of the fun, down-to-earth, good-hearted people. That made our Wedding Weekend a breeze and so enjoyable. Thank you for letting us be a part of such an exciting and enjoyable wedding, definitely miss you all already! Love The Alta House Family.

Cole H

8/07/2025

The Alta House was truly the most amazing venue — I couldn’t have asked for a better place to get married. From the moment we toured it, we knew it was something special. The enti...

re space is absolutely gorgeous. The ceremony site, reception hall, dinner area, and bar are all beautifully designed — classy, spacious, and so well thought out that minimal decorating is needed. It’s a venue that truly speaks for itself. There are also so many stunning photo locations, from the pond on the property to little hidden spots all over the venue. The bridal suite was more than spacious enough for all of us to get ready comfortably, and the Carl’s Cabin space for the guys was equally great. One of the biggest perks was their Borrow Closet — they offer a huge variety of décor items to use at no extra cost, including ceremony arches, table runners, vases, signage, card boxes, centerpieces, and more. It saved us so much time and money and really helped bring our vision to life without having to source a ton of things on our own. Now for the staff — Phoebe and Rachel were truly incredible. I cannot say enough good things about them. They were beyond helpful every step of the way. From answering every random question I had, helping us build our timeline and day-of schedule, to literally decorating the entire venue for us — they went above and beyond. Their support made wedding planning feel manageable, and having them there on the big day gave me total peace of mind. They were also so fun and kind to be around and ready to help with anything that came up so we never had to worry. If you’re considering The Alta House — do it. It’s a beautiful space with an amazing team behind it. I would choose it again and again, and I truly cannot recommend it highly enough.

Any questions?

Jadyn O

5/05/2025

It's difficult to know where to start with this venue, staff, and overall experience. I was the sister of the bride & matron of honor this weekend at Alta House. When I was helpin...

g my sister and her now husband find a venue, I put everything I knew about each venue into a spreadsheet. From there, the couple narrowed it down to five venues and my mom took over with calls/emails to each venue. Alta House wasn't really at the top of their list, but the experience my mom had with Dana, the owner, was so positive they decided to tour anyway. Upon arrival, the energy Phoebe had was incredible. She was positive and upbeat and excited to show us all the venue had to offer, and it had a LOT to offer. My notes were extensive - indoor/outdoor space, Carl's Cabin for the groom & his friends, the Bridal apartment, a shuttle van, tables & chairs, parking, RV spots on site, additional cabins on site, space for roughly 200 people, and most notably: a HUGE borrow closet full of free-to-use decor. (List is not inclusive of all amenities... I could keep going). Despite all these incredible features, they aren't the venue's best features. It's corny, but it's true. The best part of this venue is the staff. General shoutouts to the amazing team: Phoebe (manager, planner, sorceress), Rachel (assistant manager/sorceress, decorator), & Kristen (bar manager, decorator)... and so many more.

Samantha S

4/30/2025

We loved getting married at the Alta House. Phoebe and Rachel made everything so smooth and helped us with our timeline. The borrow closet allowed us to not have to buy any decor a...

nd they set up everything the way I requested, taking stress off of us and our family, and saving us so much time. They were so flexible with me changing up my decor style and offered tips and advice on details and vendors. We had such a beautiful day and received so many compliments from family and guests :) get married here!!!!!!!!!!!

Skylar F

4/15/2025

The Alta House provided an amazing wedding for me and my husband. The space looked amazing with all of the details and decorations. There was more than enough space for all of our ...

guests and Phoebe and her staff helped make the night stress free. Definitely recommend the Alta House for the wedding of your dreams!

Brianne B

2/15/2025

There is not enough words to describe how perfect this venue is. Phoebe helped with everything from planning to decorating to serving and having us for several meetings to get ever...

ything perfect. She has laid out documents and planners to make sure planning was done stress free. Rachel helped make sure the ceremony ran smoothly and the rest of the decor was laid out perfectly. Every single staff member was so kind and helpful. Our wedding day went so smoothly from the ceremony to dinner to the reception and it was the best day ever. Every room in the venue is so gorgeous and I love that there was a spot for the guys to get ready as well as a bridal suite. We got so many compliments about how beautiful the venue was. Most of our decor came from the borrow closet which is a huge money/life saver. Most of our decor was set up when we got there we just added in some small personalizations. The bar was open to any requests we had and the bar staff was absolutely amazing as well. I will forever be so grateful for chose the Alta house. I would recommend this venue to anyone.

Typhanie S

1/08/2025

We had to cancel our first venue and so we thought it was a long shot to get a new venue 5 months before the day! We were so stressed, but when we met with Phoebe she put our minds...

at ease. She has such a bright and bubbly personality. The venue was beautiful! It has a bridal suite and it has a groom's cabin both have sleeping options for your wedding party! They have a huge borrowed closet to help plan your day! They met with me so many times because I was a mess haha. They never led on that they were tired of me and they always made me feel special. They were so incredible to work with and they made our day so amazing! We got the wedding weekend package so we decorated on Friday had the wedding on Saturday and then organized and packed up on Sunday. The Alta house crew stayed up super late tearing all the decorations down and making our Sunday so easy! Phoebe, Maria, Rachel, and Kristen were so incredible! They simply helped make the day it was!

Megan W

5/07/2024

Such a great experience! Phoebe goes above and beyond to make sure your day is everything you want. We had the best day and the venue is gorgeous!

Sarah C

5/24/2021

I honestly cannot say enough good things about this venue! Phoebe and Jessie were SO helpful during the whole process. I was able to visit the venue several times and Phoebe helped...

me put together my center pieces about a month before to help the weekend go smoothly. She was always ready to answer any questions I had throughout the year of planning. We got the weekend wedding package and it was so nice to have the venue for the whole weekend and to have carl's cabin and the bridal salon. There were some unexpected changes about a week before the wedding but they were handled by Phoebe and the other staff very smoothly. Phoebe and Jesse were also so helpful during the wedding weekend, so easy to get along with and overall very nice, funny, bubbly and resourceful. I would highly recommend this venue and staff and would have my wedding there again. The guests also really enjoyed the venue! Also, the shuttle they provided for our hotel guests was great, and we had a small issue with our caterer being late and Phoebe handled it right away.

Response from ALTA HOUSE EVENT CENTER on 05/24/2021

Sarah and Zack, where do we even start! It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of one of...

the biggest days of your life! Seeing the both of you up on our ceremony stage saying your vows brought us to tears! Every single one of your family members on both sides where so easy to get along with, made us feel like family to. Thank you for trusting the Alta House Event Center for your #weddingweekend it was and honor and a privilege- Alta House Crew

Hannah R

12/08/2020

We had our wedding at Alta House on October 30th, and I cannot sing their praises enough. We booked them before everything was finished (the patio area, sound system, lighting, etc...

.), and we were delighted that everything was finished on time and turned out even better than we imagined. Jill and Phoebe went above and beyond before our day and during, and were so supportive and creative and an absolute joy to work with. I 100% recommend booking with Alta House if you want a beautiful basically all-inclusive venue, conveniently stocked with decor and other items for your use, and a very helpful staff. It was an amazing experience to have our perfect day at Alta House.

Response from ALTA HOUSE EVENT CENTER on 12/08/2020

Hannah we were so blessed to be a part of your beautiful day. We enjoyed getting to know ...

you and Lucas and your lovely families. It was a celebration of love we'll always remember. Thank you for your kind words! Jill

Brittany M

5/17/2020

Great people to work with! Very friendly and helpful! Beautiful space!

Response from ALTA HOUSE EVENT CENTER on 05/18/2020

Brittany, We are so honored you and Ben chose our venue. We couldn't be more excited to ...

work with you to make your Wedding Weekend SUPER Special!

Service area & Contact info

1600 E 36th St. S, Newton, IA

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(641) 792-2582

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ALTA HOUSE EVENT CENTER

Phoebe Gutierrez

Manager

Typically responds within 24h

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ALTA HOUSE EVENT CENTER

About this venue

Review Summary

Service area & Contact info

Wedding vendors in Newton

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