Planning Your Gardens Event
The Gardens at SIUE is a beautiful outdoor venue, and the rewards of hosting your event in these natural surroundings may include a gorgeous day, a visit by white-tailed deer or, during the right time of year, a dazzling display of butterflies.

Where to Start
If you are considering holding an event such as a charity walk, wedding and/or reception, begin by contacting Emily Skowron in Educational Outreach, 1 Rendleman Hall, 618-650-3985 or emailing eheikes@siue.edu. She will work with you to register your event and determine necessary support and accommodations in order to make it a success. If you are interested in reserving The Gardens for a wedding, please be aware that a limited number of dates are available each season. In 2019, several dates are already reserved. The open date for 2019 is November 9. The available 2020 wedding dates are June 6, July 18, August 29, September 19, October 10, and November 7.

The Gardens Center
The Gardens Center is located in The Gardens at 6 Arboretum Lane. It is open to the public and hours change seasonally. The Center provides office space for staff, classroom space, two public restrooms and storage space for volunteers. Whenever the building is open, the restrooms are available to the public. Scheduled events may use The Gardens Center but will be sharing the space with visitors who stop in to fill their water bottles or use the restrooms.

Parking
There are three parking areas at The Gardens which can accommodate up to 108 vehicles, including three slots for handicapped visitors.. There is also space on the upper parking lot, near Treetop Bridge, which can be used by larger vehicles (e.g. buses). Additional parking is available nearby at P10, the Pool Lot, for large events.

Catering
The Gardens cannot support food service, but catering can be arranged through SIUE Food Services, the preferred vendor for The Gardens. Contact Food Services at 618-650-3040.

Venues/Pricing
The Gardens offers several venues for your event. As of January 1, 2019, non-university groups will pay the basic fee of $600 for each venue. Events may be scheduled for a minimum of one (1) hour and a maximum of three (3) hours. Events that exceed the contracted time will be charged an additional $150 per hour and a $100 extension fee. Photography time before and after an event is included in the scheduled time charges. A $150 non-refundable security deposit is required for all events. Rehearsal fees may be scheduled on preceding day(s) and will be charged $75 per hour.