Scottish Rite Center

This was my first time to visit the Scottish Rite Center — for the occasion of my son’s graduation from the Oakland Police Academy.
The setting, across from Lake Merritt, in Oakland, is really lovely. I think parking can be a bit difficult if it is a crowded venue but we lucked into a street parking space only two blocks away.
The facility is large… somewhat cavernous… though, frankly, I didn’t really look around. We sat in an upper balcony and could see quite well. We chose not to stay for refreshments but went out to take photographs along the lake.

Stunning venue to have any type of even. It is breathtaking in so many ways– you and your guests will not be disappointed.
Came here to watch my brother in law graduate with the rest of the 173^rd OPD Academy and i couLdnt have been more surprised by it’s beauty.
The thought of OakLand doesn’t normaLLy conjure up postitive images due to aLL the negative aspects that surround this city but I stood corrected.
Scottish Rite Center has a massive auditorium– pLenty of seating (coliseum styLe), gorgeous high ceiLing, and a grand center stage. They aLso have a banquet dining room perfect for any type of reception and can easiLy seat guests in the hundreds.
I AM A FAN!!! HopefuLLy there will be another reason for me to return soon.

We had our wedding at the scottish rite center on the 6^th. The whole experience was fantastic. William is the consummate professional and knows what he’s doing. More importantly he’s honest and will not lead you on. The spaces are absolutely beautiful and they’ve made a lot of improvements since we booked the place. We toured at least 5 places before deciding on the Scottish rite and I never felt as comfortable as I did here. Hector, who was on hand the day of our event, was also amazing. He was super helpful and even showed us some very cool parts of the building letting us take pictures. He helped to make sure every part of our big day was exactly how I dream it. I could not recommend them more.

This is a very gorgeous venue to hold an event. I attended a small trade show in the auditorium. The room is large enough to fit tables for eating, setting up a buffet lunch, and more tables for business people to conduct business.
I don’t know if they have their own in house caterer or if the group who put on our event hired someone else. That bring said the food was good. We had a choice of beef or chicken with a mixed green salad. I had the beef, with was good. I didn’t try the chicken. The dessert spread was fabulous! I don’t judge people, I judge desserts.
There’s another aspect that makes this place classically beautiful. The women’s bathroom had the grandest sitting room. It’s as big as a two bedroom house in there. Giant velvet stuffed chairs and mirrors with subtle lighting. I could picture Elizabeth Taylor sitting there talking trash about Richard Burton and putting on mascara.
They also have their own parking lot. Parking is at a premium in this area of Oakland. It’s a must for holding a large event.
I hope we have another event here again.

I have attended numerous events at the Scottish Rite center and I an always amazed at how great this place has been maintained and upgraded with awesome acoustics and lighting. I would highly recommend anyone looking to book a venue or attend a event there. you need to go see this place at least once

The Oakland Scottish Rite is «as good as it gets» !
Perfect for conferences, concerts, proms, anything you can think of. even president Obama had an event there. No kidding!
135,000 square feet of mind blowing beauty, a ball room, an 1100 seat theater with the best audio system and light show money can buy. multiple dining rooms, multiple kitchens, and a whole lot more.
built in 1926, this historic building is fully restored and continues to be owned and run by the same organization who designed and built it originally.
If you want the best, the Oakland Scottish Rite is a stunning building rite on Lake Merritt with private parking. Easy to find, easy to access. The memories you make there will last for a lifetime.
Philip L.

This expansive space is the perfect venue for weddings, proms, parties, fairs, etc.
This is hands down the spot to host your next Bay Area event. The building’s classic look provides an effortless elegance. The staff is friendly & accommodating and the catering is top notch.
And to top it off, you truly can’t beat the balcony view overlooking Lake Merritt.

If you are looking to host an event, you don’t need to look any further! The Scottish Rite in Oakland will make your event unforgettable and enjoyable. A similar setting and atmosphere simply cannot be matched anywhere else in the Bay Area and the staff is always extremely helpful and accommodating. We definitely will be back!

Attended an event at the Scottish Rite and was so impressed by the beautiful facility. They did a great job from start to finish, would love to host my own event there soon!

As an event planner, I have worked with the Scottish Rite Center in planning some of my charity functions at their beautiful location. Their staff and management have been nothing short of sensational in terms of the planning process and assisting with logistics day of. They are friendly and down to earth and they get it done which is all that matters to me when the heat is on. They have recently also remodeled some parts of the building and the modern upgrades really translate well to the event feel and energy. I always suggest this location as a possibility when any friends, family or clients ask for a recommendation for a venue in the Bay Area. Much more beautiful on the inside than it would appear from the outside. check it out!

What a great place to hold an event. The recently restored Oakland Scottish Rite temple is an awesome place to behold. A recent change in organization has dramatically upgraded the facility to the highest 2^st century expectations while maintaining a very cool connection to the original theme and design. There are numerous large banquet rooms that will accommodate any sized event from small clubs, to private events with thousands of guests. There are numerous restroom facilities as well as a secured parking lot. The amphitheater has to been seen in person to behold the size and grandeur. It is breathtaking. Located right on Lake Merritt the Oakland Scottish Rite is the perfect place for all private events your organization can dream off. Check it out.

An incredibly complex and multidimensional venue, the Oakland Scottish Rite building wows from the first flour to the fourth. I love going to events here, especially if I have time to have lunch or dinner at Lake Chalet across the street.
Their main ballroom and the auditorium are huge, and while the building seems to have maintained its history, I love the updates they have made, especially with the lighting and sound systems.
Very cool place for a wedding too, and it is large enough to accomodate a significant amount of people. Would love to book this place for a New Years party.

Surely this is the most beautiful building in Oakland, California. The staff are always helpful. They have a video production studio in house that does great work.

I tried to have my wedding reception at the Scottish Rite Center. My fiancé and I worked with William who is the rental manager. William was nothing but unprofessional and rude. First off, it was extremely difficult to get a hold of him via telephone or email. When we finally did meet he did not try to accommodate us for our wedding and would not budge on anything. He had this mentality of «take it or leave it. «I felt like he was not considerate and had no empathy. We still ended up paying the 500 deposit and wanted to have our wedding reception here, but William would not allow our decorator to come in earlier and said the latest he can let the decorator come was 3 PM or else we had to pay $ 120 per hour for someone to be at the venue. Keep in mind that our reception starts at 6 PM. He was rude and disrespectful and I had to speak with his manager, Constance. Constance was a great help, he was kind, and he was understanding of my situation. We ended up getting a refund of $ 500 and we will never look at the Scottish Rite Ctr. ever again for any future occasions.

The Scottish Rite main room doesn’t seem like the best place for a wedding ceremony, the coliseum style seating seems awkward for such an intimate venue, but the banquet room feels like a good spot for a large reception.

SUCH A BEAUTIFUL VENUE.
The room was able to fit like 500. My neighbors had their reception here yesterday and it made me want my reception here too.

Went for a High School reunion. Beautiful place and the event was very well organized with a great buffet dinner.

I’ve been here for two weddings now and I absolutely love this venue for weddings. I live how open it is, the ceiling once your inside, the lake across the street. Beautiful!
Parking: small lot behind the building and street parking can be hard to find.

I visit this facility multiple times a year for Gaskell’s Ball (
), California Revels (
), a wedding, and other events. I can honestly say I’ve been here more than 20 times (bit didn’t think to check in until last night, go figure).
Overall the building needs some love, the main ball room is in fairly good shape and the large auditorium has seen some repair in the last few years but someone really needs to take this place under its wing and do a renovation. I have not been in the Scottish Right rooms, those are restricted to members, but I was in one of the Masonic lodge rooms about 6 years ago and I could be surprised if it were in use (a real pity because it showed the marks of being a beautiful room once).
The good things: The security guards working the building during every event I’ve attended have been friendly, the kind of people you want to say hello and good night to and not just walk by. The building is stately, and you can feel the history when you visit. The auditorium has good acoustics which helps the enjoyment of performances no matter where you sit. The ball room is large with two wings on the short ends giving a place for people to congregate and relax even when the main room is full of people whirling about.
This place could easily be 5 stars, it just needs someone to get a grant or something and work it over top to bottom. Don’t let 3 stars fool you though, as a venue it is still well worth the use.

Oh… just indulge me for a second as I let spill my perorations…
Resplendent and anchored in its historical roots. Built in 1883, this subset of Freemasons have been assisting in helping children with language disorders. Philanthropy is a plus in my book.
I finally got to step foot inside to watch OSA’s production of Les Mis, and to ascend to the ⁴⁄₅^th floors last night (ground floor is a ballroom, being guarded by security guard). Those solid Gothic columns and majestic chandeliers… the sway and space and grandeur…
The sitting parlor of the women’s bathrooms… larger than some folks’ little homes. I have jogged/​walked/​driven by the SRC over the years, and have always wondered… the inside of that puppy has *got* to be prettier than the rather plain exterior?!
Nestled on Lakeside just across from the Lake Chalet, with peekaboo views of the rather romantic lake at dusk, bejeweled with those little lights… SRC boasts of a ballroom on its ground floor and a large, European-​esque upper theater!
A lovely testament to history, standing strong!