Cayuga Nature Center

The nature center is a beautiful place to have a wedding. There is an area just outside the lodge for a tent, which is where I had my ceremony. We did dinner and dancing inside. There are also side rooms with live animals including flying squirrels and chinchillas... the guests loved looking at them! The director was fairly accommodating, although I know they're undergoing some changes due to merging with the Museum of the Earth, so there may be some rule changes in the near future. This venue is not appropriate for a party of more than 130 people. We had about 125 and we really had to plan ahead in order to get all the tables and chairs to fit for dinner, and then we had to pack some tables/chairs up in order to have room for dancing. Otherwise, I love the nature center! Oh, and it's about as cheap as it gets for an indoor + outdoor space rental!

I wanted to find a venue with its own classic character, and one with proximity to natural beauty. The nature center was perfect because we could have an outdoor ceremony but also have access to a beautiful old lodge. The lodge has a big main room where we set up a dinner buffet and dancing, and then we had a framed tent (which we rented) in the courtyard where all the dinner tables were. We actually rented the Nature Center for the entire weekend, which was awesome because we could have a rehearsal dinner there on Friday evening and a brunch on Sunday morning. Do understand that the atmosphere at the Nature Center is pretty laid-back and is not a typical wedding venue- the staff is helpful with answering any questions you might have, but otherwise it's mostly up to you to figure out how to make the most of the venue.

I really feel that our selection of the Cayuga Nature Center made our wedding a success in many of the ways that were important to us. Dozens of people told us it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever been to. It was a lovely, relaxed setting and the staff were beyond pleasant to work with.

It's a very pretty forest setting with fields and gardens in the back and a gorge with trails on the property. We had were able to have both the ceremony and reception at the same site. There was also a pretty lodge that overlooked Cayuga Lake. We wanted a family friendly venue and there is an amazing 5-story treehouse on the site and exploratory science rooms in the lodge kids could play in while their parents had adult time. The staff was very accomodating. They gave us free reign on the property and in the lodge to decorate as we please and to take full advantage of the beautiful natural setting. The courtyard was a perfect spot for a tent; it extended the indoor space while still feeling outside with a great view.;The lawn area is on a slope so there is limited choice as to where the ceremony can be located. There are taxidermied animals in the sunroom; some can be moved others are permanent.