Few venues evoke prestige, scholarship and heritage like the halls of an Ivy League university. From the grandeur of Cornell's Memorial Room to the woodsy, lakeside locale of the Dartmouth Outing Club House, the following seven institutions offer planners unique historical spaces for inspiring agendas. (Note: An eighth member of the Ivy League, Princeton University, is omitted here because the school's venues are not typically available for rent.)
Most campuses require organizations to acquire university sponsorship in some way, and venue availability is determined by school and university-related event schedules; planners are advised to contact desired sites as early as possible.
Brown UniversitySayles Hall
Providence, R.I.
(401) 863-3100
The Romanesque-style Sayles Hall was built in 1881 and houses the world's largest Hutchings-Votey organ. Ornate woodwork and portraits of men and women associated with the university adorn the walls of this prestigious venue, which accommodates up to 350 people for receptions.
Columbia UniversityCasa Italiana
New York, N.Y.
(212) 854-162
Within Columbia's campus sits a neo-Reinaissance-style palazzo known as Casa Italiana. Built in 1927 as the center for the Italian Department, the venue features several meeting spaces, including the third-floor library with wood-paneled walls, antique carpets and leather upholstery, suitable for events of up to 65 people. For larger groups, the Teatro can accommodate up to 197 and is adorned with elegant chandeliers, ornately coffered wooden ceilings and a performance stage. The room is equipped with wireless Internet and is capable of live web broadcasting.
Cornell UniversityWillard Straight Hall
Ithaca, N.Y.
(607) 255-6290
In 1925, Willard Straight Hall opened as Cornell University's student union and has seen its fair share of history, including an African-American student takeover protest in the late 1960s. The hall's Memorial Room, a Gothic Revival space featuring flying buttresses, wood-beamed ceilings and stone carvings, is available for events of up to 299 attendees. The attached Ivy Terrace features views of downtown Ithaca and Cayuga Lake.
Dartmouth UniversityThe Dartmouth Outing Club House
Hanover, N.H.
(603) 646-3749
Set on the banks of Dartmouth's picturesque Occom Pond, the Dartmouth Outing Club House (referred to as the D.O.C. House) was built in 1929 to serve as a clubhouse and ski center. Guests are welcomed into a square-pillared portico before entering the lodge's rustic interiors, with mounted moose, bison and deer busts, historical photographs and working fireplaces. The space includes a back patio overlooking the pond that can seat 16 for dining, while the house in its entirety can accommodate up to 110 seated.
Harvard UniversityAmes Courtroom
Cambridge, Mass.
(617) 495-5521
Occupying
the second floor of Harvard Law School's Austin Hall, which was built
in 1883, the Ames Courtroom once was the university's law library, the
site of mock trials conducted by students and, for a time, the home of
the supreme court of the Navajo Nation. The space features an expansive
fireplace along the back wall, carved wooden ceiling beams and
wood-paneled judges' benches. The space fits 290 and works best for
panel discussions or presentations in a classroom-style setting. The
majority of Harvard's facilities are available only during the summer,
when school is not in session.
University of PennsylvaniaIrvine Auditorium
Philadelphia
(215) 898-9319
Designed
by the first African-American graduate of Penn's School of Architecture
and built in 1927, Irvine Auditorium features several meeting rooms for
rent. Its most magnificent is the 1,260-seat main hall with vaulted
ceilings and an 11,000-pipe organ. Smaller spaces within the facility
can accommodate anywhere from 24 to 122 guests.
For an off-campus
option, the Mask & Wig Clubhouse (bit.ly/maskwig), near the
Pennsylvania Convention Center, offers an historic venue that served as a
church, a stable and a carriage house before its current tenure as a
clubhouse. Painted caricatures and hundreds of beer mugs adorn the dark
wood-paneled walls of the first floor Grille Room that accommodates up
to 100 for a reception. The upstairs Ned Rogers Theater fits up to 200.
Yale UniversityLinsley-Chittenden Hall
New Haven, Conn.
(203) 432-0465
A
cross between Romanesque Revival and Collegiate Gothic architecture,
Yale University's late-18th-century Linsly-Chittenden Hall served as the
main campus library until the 1930s, when it was converted into
classrooms and offices. The 60,000-square-foot facility was renovated in
1998, when it underwent a restoration of its oak-paneled interiors and
brownstone facades. Planners can pick from any of the hall's 17 meeting
rooms, including a 180-seat lecture hall with original Tiffany
stained-glass windows.