Facility Rentals

The EcoCenter is available for facility rentals for private meetings and gatherings. Book your next event in our beautiful facility in the Palo Alto Baylands!

History:

In the early 1940s, philanthropist Lucie Stern commissioned the building as the future home for the Sea Scouts, an organization committed to enhancing boating skills, water safety, and knowledge of maritime heritage. In 1941, the building opened and the Sea Scouts launched boats onto the Palo Alto harbor, a thriving harbor that once fronted the building.

In 1986, the Palo Alto City Council voted to close the harbour and allow the Palo Alto Baylands to restore to their natural state as tidal salt marshes.

In 1999, the building received a Preservation Award from the Art Deco Society of California as an outstanding example of art deco style architecture. A few years after, Environmental Volunteers was given the opportunity to embrace the challenge of making it the ultimate recycling and restoration project.

After years of permitting and construction, on July 22, 2012, the center opened as the headquarters for the Environmental Volunteers and functions as a public nature center and community education resource. As you enter the building, look for round markers that denote the Green Building features that the EVs incorporated during restoration. These include refurbished siding, flooring, and windows; blue jeans insulation; and soda bottle carpet.

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Space:

750 square feet

Porthole windows

Natural light

2 restrooms

Kitchenette (sink, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, water heater- NO oven or stovetop)

Capacity:

75 people- Standing/Social mixer

50 people- Sitting/Lecture seating

40 people- Sitting around tables

Available for use:

50 chairs

6 tables (6’ length)

2 folding tables (1- 4ft, 1- 6ft)

Speaker’s podium

Sound bar

Projector

Screen (TV)

Whiteboard

Printer

HDMI, VGA, DVI, Thunderbolt adapter cables

Amenities:

Free WIFI

Air conditioning

Heating

Wheelchair Accessible

Breakout space

Facilities:

Free parking on premises- (5 spaces located 90 feet from building, including 1 handicap)

Free additional parking-

Near duck pond/across venue (9 spaces located 330 feet from the building, including 1 handicap)

Near duck pond/ranger station (11 spaces located 0.1 miles from the building, including 1 handicap)

Near airport (19 spaces located 430 feet from the building, including 2 handicaps)

Rooftop deck (second floor)

Outdoor area deck (main floor)

Catering allowed (not provided)

Surrounding:

Palo Alto Duck Pond- 276 ft/1 min walk

Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center- 0.2 mile/5 min walk

Byxbee Park- 0.5 mile/10 min walk

Palo Alto Airport- 0.2 mile/5 min walk

Hiking and biking trails

Rules:

All booking start and end times are inclusive of setting up and tear down time

Must return space in the same condition received

NO smoking inside or outside the building

“Leave no trace”- no food left outside

Safety Features:

Fire extinguisher

Smoke detector

First aid kit

Security system

Availability:

Saturday-Thursday:

8:00AM- 10:00PM

Friday:

8:00AM- 10:00AM, 2:00PM- 10:00PM

Pricing:

$150/hour (2 hours minimum)

15% off (8 hours+)

$75 cleaning fee

Special Note:

We are unable to clear the room. There are permanent nature displays that will remain in place located in the back of the room along the wall. 

At least 1 staff member present during the event

Inquiries and/or free tour:

Fill out the rental interest form or email Susan Phung at Susan@environmentalvolunteers.org