Kohl Mansion

We loved everything about the Kohl Mansion – from the helpfulness of the staff to the sheer beauty of the house and grounds. We had my daughter’s wedding there in November, 2015. It was elegant, spacious, perfect for a reception of 200 guests, dancing in the «green room», cake in the black and white room and dining in the Great Hall with the fireplace. Cocktails outside was lovely and photos on the grand staircase – memorable. We looked at many venues in SF, Marin, the Peninsula and fell in love with Kohl Mansion.
Terri and Diane were wonderful to work with. They were always accommodating and very helpful with suggestions which they knew would work well. Everyone who attended said it was the most beautiful wedding. But most importantly, the bride and groom said it was Perfect!

A beautiful place to have a wedding. I attended a wedding of about 200 total people here and it felt intimate without being overcrowded. The wedding was held outside in the back lawn. It was preceded by cocktails in the back courtyard. There was also an indoor library type room which was also perfect for socializing.
The dinner was held in the large room with the fireplace and large windows. Gorgeous. There was a side room as well as a room with a large dance floor adjacent. This also opened up to the back courtyard so it was a really nice flow of indoor and outdoor.
The rose garden is small but cute. Overall this place has a lot of character and is quite spacious.

We had our wedding on 9÷5÷15 at the Kohl Mansion and I absolutely love this venue.
It was a key point for me to have the ability to have an outdoor ceremony with an indoor reception at the same location. Kohl Mansion provides so many options with their rooms and lawn and patio.
Everything about this venue is gorgeous, which makes it perfect for taking pictures. There’s also a lot of space, so nothing feels overly crowded. I also love that it’s nicely secluded from busy streets and even the residential streets.
Dianne is so on top of things and has so much experience with weddings — it definitely made it easy for us to do our own planning.

My friend held her wedding here and the venue was beautiful. They have a rose garden and the mansion is huge! Its like a haunted school when i walked through because there were empty hallways with lockers lol. Beautiful place and they have their own private parking lot too

I went to my cousin’s wedding as a 10 year old, in a mansion in Hillsborough and was in awe. From that time on, I always pictured an extravagant fairytale wedding at a mansion. So needless to say, I inquired with a tour of Kohl Mansion, and it was between this venue and City Club in San Francisco. KM is tucked away in the hills of a residential area in Burlingame on Mercy Burlingame property. The school is below, and the mansion serves as an administrative office that people can rent out.
I went on two tours with the two different Event Coordinators of the mansion, the first was just me and him, and the second one included his parents. They were both very nice and answered all of our questions. The grounds are exquisite and will fit a large wedding guest count. However, some drawbacks: though they do provide a security guard and it is private property, it’s easy for people to walk to the grounds (I’ve seen it during our our tours & heard this happened during some people’s weddings), the bathrooms aren’t very nice, and aren’t as plentiful as some venues, you also just get the space, chairs are extra. This place is already fairly pricey but I was bothered thinking that chairs were provided (as one of the coordinators told me, then I saw it on the contract later and asked about it, and they were extra) even though they are already on the property. The price you pay at Kohl Mansion, just includes the actual venue rental; they’ll provide the tables for the reception, but everything else, you need to purchase and coordinate on your own or if you’re lucky and can afford one, a wedding planner. Also on the note of the bathrooms, no separate bathroom attached to the room that most brides use as their bridal quarters. At City Club, I had a bathroom in my «bridal quarters» which made it easy for me to lock the door, and strip out of my dress when I had to go (instead of having my BMs hold it up over the toilet). Since it’s on a hill, it can get a little breezy outside.
I’m picky and opinionated, I know. It was a hard choice to choose between the two, because, honestly I wish I could have the best of both venues. If you want a fairy tale wedding in a mansion and need a large space, don’t mind taking care of everything else yourself, and can get past the bathrooms and the rare possibility of some person walking on to the property, then Kohl Mansion may be for you; it just wasn’t for us in the end. I know I’m not selling it very well right now, but it is truly a beautiful venue, and if you are more easy going than me than I can imagine this place being a contender for you.

Kohl Mansion is definitely beautiful! You see those amazing images, but seeing it in person is just that much more amazing. The surrounding grounds are beautiful.
I attended Kohl Mansion for a May wedding and was surprised at the narrow streets that led me to an amazing facility. I was a tad confused if I was going the right way to the venue since it looked like I was creeping into someone’s home driving super slow down the narrow roads up the hill towards Kohl Mansion. However pulling in, I saw the huge mansion on the right with ample parking on the left.
From the ceremony, to the cocktail hour, ceremony to dancing, if you’re looking for character, Kohl Mansion has it. Each room has it’s own character, from the main dining room, to the green room to the black and white room. It’s so pretty!
The only downside that I was not too happy about was the restrooms. There were 2 – 3 single stalls available. It’s not nearly enough when you have a party of 150+. Often times I was standing in line waiting for the next person to come out. Definitely wish that they had more stalls available because single stalls did not work well! It was often a game of dodging and eyeing the line to see when it died down to run over and use it before a line formed again.

We had the most amazing wedding at Kohl Mansion this weekend! We can’t believe how much the Great Hall transformed with the uplighting, specialty linens and amazing floral centerpieces. And the black and white room was a guest favorite (perhaps because of all the assorted desserts we had in there), as well as my favorite! It was the perfect day and our hopes and expectations were by far exceeded. We are so happy with the venue, and we received many compliments from our guests.
Terri and Dianne are a great tag team. They were so responsive to my emails for the 12 months between booking Kohl Mansion and our wedding day. I could always count on hearing back from one of them within a day, if not within hours! It was a joy to work with them, and I am so grateful.

What a beautiful venue! Came here for a charity event, and the Mercy Sisters are just a wonderful group of women. It was a beautiful venue — fit for a nice gala or wedding, definitely. Did not have the chance to venture outside, but the outside gardens were beautiful! The food was tasty too. There were plenty of rooms that could be tailored to suit your needs, such as a «cocktail room.» The Mansion is very well-​maintained and it did not have a «creepy» feel, which I sometimes get when I walk into old buildings. I’m not sure what prices look like, but this is definitely worth checking out for your next event!

Attended a friends wedding here and the venue is just beyond beautiful. This place is classy, romantic, and simply gorgeous place and was lucky to be a guest! Also, by having her wedding here made it so convenient… ceremony outside and reception all in one place.

My wife and I had a fantastic wedding experience at Kohl last weekend. If you are lucky enough to get a perfect weather day (which we magically did) and if you understand that you are booking at a unique, pricey venue that really doesn’t need your business then you should be at least as happy as we were.
My sense is that Kohl has no problem filling up its dates with weddings and other events, and the service, approach, pricing and occasional inflexibility reflect this reality. Whether you deal with Terri or Dianne, the service and responsiveness is perfectly fine. Some people will hit it off with Terri, while a slightly higher percentage of people will like Dianne a bit better. Both Terri and Dianne took a personal interest in making sure that our event was successful. As others have mentioned, communication is not always instant or perfect, but everything seemed to get done.
Keep in mind that even in late May, the wind and weather can be unpredictable. Our Friday rehearsal featured high winds, cold temperatures and left us with a general sense that our indoor Plan B might come into play. When we showed up on Saturday, it was beautiful and stayed beautiful well into the evening. We owe a big chunk of the «wow» factor of our wedding to winning the weather lottery. If you can’t take advantage of the beautiful outdoor setting for your ceremony and cocktail hour, it’s definitely not ideal.
In terms of party size, we had 150 people. While Kohl claims to be able to accommodate larger parties, I wouldn’t recommend going much larger without giving some detailed thought to the layout of the great hall and other spaces. Even with 150, we had a couple of tables pushing out to the edges of the room. Overall this size of wedding worked out almost perfectly.
Also, keep in mind that your wedding will most likely be a multi-​room affair — with dancing and dining taking place in separate rooms. Personally, I liked the arrangement, but if you’re envisioning a classic ballroom setup with tables surrounding a dance floor, this probably isn’t the place unless you scale down to 100 people.
To sum up, Kohl has some unique benefits and drawbacks, but if the weather is great and your vendors deliver, you could really have an amazing wedding here. Our guests definitely had a great time and so did we!

I feel very blessed to have had my wedding at Kohl Mansion. I fell in love with the venue when I was introduced to it for the first time during a work event. Dianne and Terri were absolutely wonderful to work with and had every bit of patience with me throughout the planning process.
The venue allows you to have everything in one place from ceremony to cocktails to an elegant dinner reception. No fuss with guest transportation to/​from and makes it easy on everyone. Not to mention the venue is completely private to your group without the worry of bystanders intruding on your special day.
The venue is absolutely breathtaking in every way — from the minute you walk in the front doors, to the masculine library, gorgeous architecture in the main space, the green rooms stunning chandelier and breathtaking windows, the black and white checker room’s unique charm to the beautifully manicured rose garden.
You will feel every bit of special that you deserve at Kohl Mansion!

Did not enjoy my experience communicating with Terri. She isn’t very friendly and makes the whole idea of booking an event here very uncomfortable. Such a beautiful venue with such a blunt person being in charge of events… not a good match.

Kohl Mansion made the perfect backdrop for our August 2013 wedding. The grounds are stunning, and the house creates an old-​timey elegance that just added so much character and class to our wedding day. All of our guests were in awe of the beauty of the house, and the mix of colors and elegant backdrops made for stunning wedding photos. We could not be more pleased with our choice of Kohl Mansion as the venue for our big day!

Kohl is an amazing venue for getting married! My now husband and I loved getting married at this mansion and all our guests loved the venue!
Terri is great and showed us around Kohl on our initial visit and Dianne was great for answering all my questions as she is very responsive for those kinds of things!
Yes Kohl is expensive but if you want a great venue that will wow your guests and is something important to you then Kohl is your place! I recommend hiring a day of coordinator tho since Dianne and Terri represent the mansion but aren’t coordinators. If you want something more full service I recommend a hotel where you will have a coordinator and less vendors to deal with since you have to get a caterer and rentals etc! But if you like to pick all that then kohl gives you the freedom to pick most vendors!!! Caterer and music they prefer you pick from their list! But they have tons of options so don’t worry!
The mansion is amazing! So many amazing rooms to use for cake cutting, cocktail hour and dancing! Plus they have so many amazing places to get pictures! Couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere else!
You can get married inside or outside and the mansion has room to fit 200 plus people!!! The possibilities are endless!

I contacted Dianne (the original manager I had spoken with) regarding the issue that occurred with Terri and Dianne was quick to respond to the complaint and offered to amend the poor services asap with a site visit managed by her instead. Terri also later responded today and apologized which I appreciate.
Unfortunately, the bride is still no longer interested but this has brightened my experience with this venue and I will still keep Kohl Mansion in mind as a venue for future events. The venue is really beautiful.

Was very excited to make my first visit here, ever, as the guest of a wedding.
If you ever wished you could get married at Filoli — but you know, you can’t — Kohl Mansion may be worth investigating as an option. Sure you won’t have the crazy-​gorgeous gardens available at Filoli, but you DO get the stately appearance of the building, the pretty surroundings, a large lawn area that allows plenty of space for your ceremony, and an «away-​from-​it-​all» feeling that allows you to have a «destination» wedding in your own backyard (that is, if your backyard is in the Bay Area).
I can’t tell how much of the food and service was in the hands of Kohl Mansion operators as opposed to outside vendors (and I assume, like many venues, they have a list of preferred vendors), but everything ran smoothly, and it seemed that there was sufficient space for everyone and everything.
One thing I’d ask: IMPROVE THE SIGNAGE. It’s hard to know where to turn as you’re coming up Adeline. Parking is OK, seems sufficient for an event’s needs.
Of course, you can hold events here other than weddings — do check the website for details, policies, etc.
And apparently, there are other times it’s open to the public, such as Music at Kohl, so you can visit without being the guest of a private event.
Overall a lovely venue, especially if you want a stately or historical setting. Check it out.
(Shout out to those who know: why yes. Yes, I did end up reviewing this venue!)

Kohl Mansion easily took our wrap party for Rise of the Guardians to a whole new level. I can’t even begin to describe the décor in each of the rooms. I felt transported to different dimensions when I walked throughout the grounds. It beckoned existential thought.
Each room was professionally themed with colors, furniture, food and drink. It got a little crowded, but it felt cozy when appropriate and spacious when your personal space demanded it. How they achieved that is a mystery to me.
There was simply way too many things to describe about the mansion that I experienced that night. Unfortunately, that experience lasted merely a few hours. It would probably never be replicated again for others to see and feel as I had that evening.

My friend is a fantastic jewelry artist and she participates in the yearly holiday boutique here. She always enjoys it and has nice things to say so this year I went along to help her. I’ve never been here for a wedding so this review is only for the holiday event.
The mansion and grounds are lovely and the people hosting the event were very friendly and helpful. The event started at 5pm and ran til 9pm and was quite crowded at times but everyone was in a festive mood so it was pleasant (if a bit hot inside).
Vendors consisted of mostly handmade items of varying quality, as well as fudge, cookies, sauces and things of that nature. I particularly liked the vintage china, glass and silverware vendor.
Wine was available for $ 5/​glass and the cafeteria was open and serving food, though I didn’t try any.
It was beautiful to see the mansion all dressed up for the holidays. If you’re in the area next year, do be sure to check out the event.

Its a mansion that has been turned into a private all girls school and during the evenings it can be rented out for events. I have found that working with the staff has been easy. They are accommodating and friendly. the ground our lovely in that old fashion kind of way. Its very regal with impressive detail throughout. They also have a nice outdoor space with grass, rose garden and Koi Pond. One of the Koi is named Einstein because it figured out how to knock the lilly pads in order to get more food. There is also a fantastic kitchen for the caterer to set up in.
A fish named Einstein. Thats funny.

A very elegant place in Burlingame. I never knew it existed!
I made an appointment to view the place with Dianne. She gave me a tour of the place inside and out and answered my questions as well as let me take my photos.
Since I’m only looking for a ceremony site, they only have 9:30AM to 12:30 available for ceremony only. The cost is rather expensive: $ 3500 to $ 4000. There’s a range because at the time, Dianne had mentioned they were in the midst of doing some fee changes. The price includes the standard white plastic Samsonite chairs and long rectangular tables if you need them. If you’re only doing a ceremony, you can serve and bring in drinks and light snacks, otherwise you need to go through one of their caterers if you plan on having the reception there as well.
You are allowed to put a «soft hold» on your date. When someone else is interested, they will call you for your decision.
The grounds are well kept, there’s plenty of parking in the front and places for pictures including a rose garden, koi pond and the room (with the couch) inside the mansion.
What separated this from Ralston Hall was that although there are two separate rooms, they are unfurnished (Ralston Hall has many small nooks and rooms inside rooms that are furnished). During your wedding you can either makes use of these rooms or you can ask them to close them.
I forgot to ask about a Bride/​Groom changing area so don’t know if they have one…