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Thoreau Center
4.6 ★★★★★ 47 Google reviews · Garden wedding venue in Des Moines, Iowa
Versatile space offering a garden, a kitchen and hardwood floors, along with friendly service.
Plan your tour
- Catering in-house catering & bar — confirm the policy (and any fees) before you book your caterer
- Today see hours ·
- Phone +1 515-279-7312
- Website thethoreaucenter.com — most venues book tours right on their site
Hours
| Monday | 8 am–10 pm |
| Tuesday | 8 am–10 pm |
| Wednesday | 8 am–10 pm |
| Thursday | 8 am–10 pm |
| Friday | 8 am–10 pm |
| Saturday | 8 am–10 pm |
| Sunday | 8 am–10 pm |
The setting
“Nice place if you have a medium to small gathering you like to rent it out beautiful historic place”
Amenities couples mention
“Handicap accessible and tons of parking.”
What couples say again and again
“Nice place if you have a medium to small gathering you like to rent it out beautiful historic place”
From the reviews
Wonderful location for an intimate gathering. Our REALTOR, Angela McKenzie, held her small wedding reception here. The charm and character is unmatched. You can bring in your own caterer and bar. I would highly recommend this special event location.
I photographed an intimate wedding reception here, and loved this space as a venue and neighborhood event center! Definitely consider it for your event needs. Beautiful in the fall, especially!
We had our wedding reception at the Thoreau Center and it was the perfect space for our event.
Wonderful place for my dads 90th birthday party! Beautiful setting. Host were very nice and helpful with our plans!! Highly recommend
Getting married at Thoreau Center
Thoreau Center comes up for weddings — confirmed on their own site. Two things make the tour worth it. First, see the garden at the time of day and season you'd actually get married — a garden that glows at golden hour in June can look very different at noon in March, so ask what's in bloom for your date and walk the path your guests take from parking to ceremony to reception. Second, bring your real questions: the rain plan (where does the ceremony move, and does it hold everyone?), shade and bugs for a summer afternoon, the catering and bar policy, the music curfew, and exactly what's included — tables, chairs, setup, and teardown are where quotes quietly diverge. Popular garden dates book 12–18 months out, so if the tour feels right, ask what's open in your season before you leave.
Corporate events & private parties at Thoreau Center
Reviews and the venue's own info mention corporate events, retreats, or private parties at Thoreau Center — garden venues often have real weekday availability since weddings claim the weekends. A quick call answers the three things that matter: weekday and off-season rates, whether the space works for your headcount and A/V needs, and what catering is allowed. If your event lands on a Friday or Saturday in wedding season, ask early.
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