About this vendor
Conestoga House and Gardens is a historic wedding venue located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The manor was originally owned by Christian Hershey, of the chocolate family, who built the house in the 1700s. During the 18th century, it served as a tavern for merchants on the Conestoga wagon trade between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. In the mid-19th century it became an inn and hosted numerous travelers throughout the country’s early history. Purchased by James Hale and Louise McClure Steinman in 1927, the property was fully renovated and restored in 1930 by architect Frank J. Everts. Among the venue’s many visitors was the great-nephew of Edgar Allan Poe, who even wrote a short story about its fabled gardens. Today, the estate abounds with natural beauty, where it boasts 3,300 varieties of annual flowers, 160 perennials, 160 rose bushes, and 400 tropical plants. Couples looking to host their wedding in a beautiful location surrounded by a lush landscape will be delighted by Conestoga House and Gardens.
Facilities and Capacity
The three-story Colonial revivalist mansion features 12 bedrooms and 9,688 square feet of event space, allowing soon-to-be-newlyweds to host weddings both intimate and grand. A stroll of the grounds will reveal many scenic sites for outdoor ceremonies and receptions. These include on the lawn next to the pool and in an atmospheric red-brick courtyard. Here, an arch leads into the grotto, which is surrounded by draping green trees that create a secluded and romantic ambience. Couples can tie the knot in this beautiful enclave, set up tables and chairs for dinner, or dance on the small stone dance floor. Inside the manor, a hall with a black-and-white checkered tiled floor, pristine white walls, and a black wood staircase offers a stylish space for nuptials. This room also features shelves filled with candles and tall, arched windows that bathe the floor, and the wedding party, in natural light.
Services Offered
Rental of Conestoga House and Gardens comes with access to the grounds for the big day. The numerous and flexible event spaces can be fully tailored to couples’ desires, combining locations for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. This beautiful estate is a nostalgic, dreamy spot that makes for an unforgettable backdrop to celebrations of love.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Settings
- Estate
- Garden
- Historic Venue
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Reviews
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2.3
out of 5.04 reviews
9/20/2026 William C.
My wife and I attended a wedding at Conestoga House and Gardens yesterday. The Gardens were beautiful. The wait staff was very courteous and professional. The...
parking directions, the person in charge of the parking and access to the parking area itself were horrendous! My wife is confined to a wheelchair. According to the instructions on their website, there was handclapped parking in front of the garages as you go into driveway. we parked the car and proceeded to get my wife situated in the wheelchair. The person that I assumed was the traffic controller approached us and said that we couldn't park there if we didn't have a permit. We explained the situation considerably more polite than she did! We asked where the actual wedding would take place and were told we had to push the wheelchair up the hill over the grass and promptly walked away. We found someone else who told us there was a stone driveway parallel to the one that we were on that would take us up to the top of the hill to the ceremony. We situated my wife in the wheelchair and walked across a grassy area to some steps near the seating area. At which time my grandson and son-in-law carried my wife and the wheelchair down the three steps the chairs. Absolutely no handicap accessibility whatsoever! After the ceremony, we preceded to the cocktail and hors d'oeuvres area. Again, no handicap accessibility! Then, it was on to the dining tables. All the while, struggling with a wheelchair and worrying about my wife over uneven terrain! I thought venues were required by law to provide handicap accessibility in public areas! Please correct me if I'm wrong. What should have been a happy and exciting time, Turned into a completely frustrating and stressful event. There is absolutely no way that I could, in good conscience, recommend this venue!
I got married at Conestoga House and Gardens in October, the location is beautiful and such a hidden gem. The gardens are well taken care of and each area is different. The reason ...
I gave a 2 star review is because communication with the venue/event coordinators was very poor and you have to be diligent at asking questions because they don't offer all their information upfront. I didn't find out until after our contract was signed that they required a "day of" wedding coordinator. Parking was limited to 25 spots total which you had to assign to your guests and 5 of those belonged to vendors only and could not be used for guests. We didn't receive instructions on parking spots and directions until a week before the wedding. They also stated that they would help direct guests with parking on the day of the wedding but a lot of guests mentioned they didn't see anyone. My mom and myself had to drive to the location several times so that our questions could be answered since it was difficult to get a hold of anyone by phone. I didn't meet the event manager until the day of my wedding. The location may be worth the hassle but I strongly recommend getting a wedding coordinator if you choose this location as a wedding venue.
My husband and I are so glad we chose Conestoga House & Gardens for our recent May 26 wedding. Not only are the gardens stunning, but the staff are very helpful and welcoming. Jara...
and her assistant Amanda were always open to answering any questions we had leading up to the wedding day. The grounds staff (especially Vicky and her husband) are knowledgeable about the history, flora, and fauna of Conestoga, and always willing to share this knowledge. Thank you to the Conestoga staff for helping to make our wedding day wonderful!
Conestoga House ans Gaddens was a nightmare to say the least. They contacted me with 2 weeks before my wedding to cancel on me. They never once apologized for this inconvenience. T...
hen, I later read in articles that they had legal trouble with the township and hosting weddings which started long before I arranged my wedding there, and they denied having any wedding scheduled at the moment. They are impossible to communicate with, never answer their phone, and take days to respond to emails. While the grounds are gorgeous, it is NOT WORTH YOUR STRESS! Stay away, they aren’t even allowed to host weddings now so don’t be fooled.
Contact
1608 Marietta Ave, Lancaster, PA
Conestoga House & Gardens