Center for Brooklyn History
Select services venue
The venue will provide the space, plus a few extras.
Full wedding (ceremony and reception) pricing
Starting at $4,250
Packages
Prices start at $3,000
Guest capacity
Up to 100 seated guests
About this venue
Your ideal setting for weddings, film shoots, corporate gatherings and more. Founded in 1863, Center for Brooklyn History, formerly Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS) is dedicated to celebrating and preserving the borough’s 400 year history. Located in the heart of historic Brooklyn Heights steps away from the Brooklyn Promenade, the building is a national historic landmark and features timeless architectural details including stained glass windows, soaring ceilings and hand carved woodwork. The building has been renovated with state of the art modern facilities. Whatever your needs, Center for Brooklyn History can tailor a space rental package. Stately columns and soaring ceilings are the focus of the striking first-floor space, while the elegant Othmer Library, a New York City interior landmark, will make your event one for the books!
Our event spaces
Great Hall
Large, ground floor event space.
The Great Hall features soaring wood ceilings, regal columns, and several windows. The versatile event space is ideal for seated dinners, cocktail receptions, and ceremonies.
Guest capacity
Up to 120 Seated
Up to 180 Standing
Square footage
1,960
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Cocktail hour, Rehearsal dinner, Wedding shower, Engagement party, Welcome party, Farewell brunch
Guests often feel this space is
“Surprised and delighted”
Included in this room:
• Dimmers for total lighting customization • Direct load-in entrance with double doors leading to Clinton St. for vendors • Contemporary lighting system with dimmers • Wheelchair lift and elevator available for full accessibility
Room cost
$6,500
Othmer Library
Ornate and classic.
The stunning and timeless Othmer Library, located in our landmark building on Pierrepont Street, is the perfect venue for wedding ceremonies. This event space includes the Giuseppe Fransioli Gallery located at the base of the grand staircase to Othmer.
Guest capacity
30-100 Seated
26-125 Standing
Square footage
817
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Rehearsal dinner, Engagement party, Welcome party, Cocktail hour
Guests often feel this space is
“Surprised and delighted”
Included in this room:
• Interior landmark • Contemporary lighting system with dimmers • Wheelchair accessible via elevator
Room cost
$5,500-$7,500
Great Hall
Large, ground floor event space.
The Great Hall features soaring wood ceilings, regal columns, and several windows. The versatile event space is ideal for seated dinners, cocktail receptions, and ceremonies.
Guest capacity
Up to 120 Seated
Up to 180 Standing
Square footage
1,960
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Cocktail hour, Rehearsal dinner, Wedding shower, Engagement party, Welcome party, Farewell brunch
Guests often feel this space is
“Surprised and delighted”
Included in this room:
• Dimmers for total lighting customization • Direct load-in entrance with double doors leading to Clinton St. for vendors • Contemporary lighting system with dimmers • Wheelchair lift and elevator available for full accessibility
Room cost
$6,500
Othmer Library
Ornate and classic.
The stunning and timeless Othmer Library, located in our landmark building on Pierrepont Street, is the perfect venue for wedding ceremonies. This event space includes the Giuseppe Fransioli Gallery located at the base of the grand staircase to Othmer.
Guest capacity
30-100 Seated
26-125 Standing
Square footage
817
Ideal for
Wedding ceremony, Rehearsal dinner, Engagement party, Welcome party, Cocktail hour
Guests often feel this space is
“Surprised and delighted”
Included in this room:
• Interior landmark • Contemporary lighting system with dimmers • Wheelchair accessible via elevator
Room cost
$5,500-$7,500
Center for Brooklyn History packages
The Othmer Library Ceremonies Only
100 guests
Peak pricing $5,000
Off-peak pricing $3,000-5,000
This is a 3 hour rental, typically running from 5:30PM-8:30PM, within our library space. Some Center for Brooklyn History equipment is available for use. Food and drink are prohibited in the library in this package.
Available services that can be provided by Center for Brooklyn History
Services & amenities
- Bar services
- Catering services
- Clean up
- Dance floor
- Dressing room / Bridal Suite
- Event rentals
- Event staff
- Lighting/Sound
- Service staff
- Set up
- Wheelchair accessible
- Wifi
Transportation & access
- Self parking - free
- Self parking - paid
Rentals
- Barware
- Chiavari Chairs
- China
- Flatware
- Glassware
- Linens
- Standard Chairs
Reviews
Write a review5.0 out of 5
3 reviews
Most Beautiful Wedding Venue Ever!
Our experience with CBH was nothing short of perfect! We had a small 54-person cocktail hour and reception, both in the Othmer Library, and we could not have dreamed of a more perfect space. The overall atmosphere of the library was incredible, and we leaned hard into the old-world feel of the space. Our guests were in awe when they walked in, and the fact that we were able to be involved every step of the way made it so special. CBH works exclusively with Purslane as their caterer, and all communication was done through Purslane, who are also amazing and make fabulous food. (We had many raving guests.) They also help arrange all the rentals, create the run of show, and ensure the night is running along as planned, which it did! A few things we weren't expecting: - The library itself is on the smaller side, so if you want to have dinner and dancing there, you're looking at 60 people tops. This worked out fine for us with plenty of room for a dance floor, but we did have to significantly cut our guest list. - Since the building is a historical landmark, no food or drink that could stain (red sauce, red wine, coffee, etc.) was allowed. This never bothered us, and none of our guests even noticed since we had a fully stocked bar and incredibly delicious food. - We were required to hire a professional day-of coordinator. This was not part of our budget, so be prepared if it's not in yours either. We ended up working with Mostest since they were the least expensive service we could find, and they were amazing. It turned out to be so useful to have our DOC there, so we're happy this rule was imposed, as it led to a seamless night! - The library set up a new exhibit a few weeks before our wedding in the Fransioli Gallery where we were to have our cocktail hour, and we did not know what it would constitute until a few weeks out. We ended up deciding the contents of the exhibit weren't very well suited to a wedding, and CBH/Purslane were incredibly accommodating, offering to put up pipe and drape or move the cocktail hour. We chose to move it to be in the Othmer and were so happy with that decision. Overall, CBH is a 10/10! Our wedding felt like a dream, and anything we had to sacrifice was far outweighed by the stunning space. We would highly recommend CBH as a venue if you're looking for a more intimate night with immaculate vibes!
Highly recommend this venue
We had our wedding at BHS (100 guests, cocktail hour in the staircase lobby, ceremony in the library and reception at great hall) in June 2019. We did not need much decorations other than flowers because the landmarked interior spaces with woods and tiles already made the space look so majestic. Every guest we spoke to mentioned how beautiful the building was, inside and out. Randi, the venue manager at BHS, was always very helpful and responsive. Three notch florals (flowers) and Manna catering (kosher catering) that Randi recommended also turned out to be the best vendors we could hope for.
Naturally Delicious Catering & Events
As a preferred caterer at the Brooklyn Historical Society we work there very often and we love the professionalism of the team. The venue is very well maintained. It features an amazing library with a timeless decor, a beautiful entrance and more. The different spaces are great and can accommodate different event formats. The beautiful decor makes it a pleasure to work there! We've worked here for years which also makes it very easy for us to handle the venue requirements and ensure a seamless planning process for our clients. As we are located a few blocks away, it's very easy for us to handle the logistics there. The Brooklyn Historical Society team is very flexible and professional, the staff is friendly and accommodating. It's always a pleasure for us to come by for a walk through with our client and say hi to Randi and her Team!
Vendors required by Center for Brooklyn History
Preferred vendors of Center for Brooklyn History
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