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.
Facility Details
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
AMENITIES:
- Free WIFI
- Air conditioning
- Heating
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Breakout space
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
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:
- $165/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 Ella Wong at Ella@environmentalvolunteers.org