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Weddings

About

The Historic Barn @ Cooke Tavern is a wedding venue located in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania. This charming property is situated on a 33-acre nature reserve, only a short drive from State College in Central Pennsylvania. Couples have access to various locations on the property to say “I do,” hold a cocktail hour, set up outdoor activities, and more. You and your guests can also stroll along the banks of Penns Creek and on a wooden boardwalk extending into the reserve.

Facilities and Capacity

This classic, Amish-built, post-and-beam timber barn features 3,500 square feet of event space. Couples and their guests can enjoy the barn’s large wrap-around deck and covered balcony, offering scenic views of the tadpole pond and wildlife areas. Couples renting this venue for their special day will have access to tables and chairs for 175 guests indoors. In addition, there’s space for 250 guests outdoors on the nature preserve grounds. The Historic Barn @ Cooke Tavern also includes the following amenities:

  • A 1964 Vintage Bambi Airstream
  • Bar
  • Barn decorations and supplies to add some flare and provide a personal touch
  • Catering area and a full commercial kitchen
  • Newly installed indoor restrooms

Services Offered

The barn can accommodate a range of wedding-related events, like engagement parties, showers, rehearsal dinners, ceremonies, and receptions. Power for the barn is supplied by a 10-kilowatt solar array, and the venue offers full recycling, ensuring a lighter carbon footprint for your wedding. The event space’s helpful team strives to make your big day as seamless as possible. The Historic Barn @ Cooke Tavern also offers the following services:

  • Getting ready room
  • Parking
  • Pet-friendly areas
  • Wheelchair access

History

In 2005, the barn, based on a photo that was taken prior to 1913, was constructed by a local Amish crew. Combining history with modern construction, it was built on the original 1808 foundation of the Cooke Tavern barn.

  • Woman-owned
illustration popular

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

$2,500

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$2,500

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

Which of the following are included in the starting site fee?

Chairs
Parking
Tables

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

1

Describe your venue:

Barn
Garden

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Covered Outdoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Pet Friendly

What event items are available?

Chairs
Tables

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Wheelchair Access

What months are included in your peak season?

May
June
July
August
September
October

What months are included in your off-peak season?

April
November

Reviews of The Historic Barn @ Cooke Tavern

Erin
Erin Sent on 09/22/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Wonderful!

We truly could not have chosen a better venue for our wedding. There is not a single thing we would change or done differently. First of all, the Historic Barn is already decorated beautifully inside with string lights, chandeliers & tulle. I wanted to keep things simple, we literally only brought table cloths and centerpieces and it was more than enough. I loved that it was pre-decorated… my favorite part about the barn is the wonderful dressing room (with a separate bathroom!!!!!!) with 3-4 vanities so everyone can have a mirror and get ready together. There is room to hang dresses and full length mirrors! This was great for our photographer and getting pictures prior to our ceremony, with an adorable background I must add.
The outside of the Barn is just beautiful. We had our ceremony in the marsh, it was perfect.. During the reception, our guests were spread out outdoors because the weather was just right. Our guests sat near the pond and the many different places to sit outside and spread out. Multiple people complimented the venue and the amenities.
Most importantly- the owners, Mary Kay and Greg were exceptionally kind and helpful. I needed an iron for the table cloth/cake table & within minutes Mary Kay brought me her iron and ironing board.. Also, they have a room with all kinds of different things left behind from ceremonies & receptions and she welcomed us to use anything we’d like from her collection! We did end up using a couple of easels! I almost forgot to mention that there is a golf cart we were welcomed to use! Which we did, my Dad and I drove it down for the ceremony. It was great to have available for my grandparents and cousin on crutches to get them to our ceremony spot… just Awesome!
Needless to say; We liked them so much we wanted them to stay the entire time and be as present as possible to celebrate with us. They’re a blast & we sincerely enjoyed their company l!
We are forever grateful with the wonderful experience we had at the Historic Barn at Cooke Tavern!
T
Tasha Sent on 11/28/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Absolutely amazing!

Not only was the venue absolutely beautiful, but the owners were amazing! We were so thankful to have been married in such a breathtaking venue. I cannot say enough about how sweet Mary Kay & Greg are!
G
Grace Sent on 11/22/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Wonderful experience

We had our wedding at Cooke Tavern on 10/16, and it was amazing! There is no shortness of beauty around the property and the indoor facilities are great. Mary Kay and Greg were nothing short of amazing and made our experience easy and hassle free. We were able to visit the venue as much as we wanted leading up to the wedding for planning purposes. The owners just want your day to be perfect. 100% would recommend this venue. So thankful this is where we had our wedding.
J
Jessica Sent on 10/25/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Couldn't have asked for anything better!

This venue is amazing. If you're looking for something rustic, natural, and eco-friendly this is your place! We had our ceremony out by the willow tree and didn't need to spend a dime on decorations as it was already jaw-droppingly gorgeous. We then had our cocktail hour outside of the barn and continued to dinner and party in the barn. We had an amazing time and it was made so much easier and low-stress due to the amazing hospitality of Mary Kay and Greg! An amazing perk is having access to their garage filled with all sorts of decor, tables, signs, and supplies in addition to having more than enough tables and chairs for all of the events. I highly recommend booking your wedding here.
J
Jordan Sent on 09/20/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Wedding Venue

Mary Kay and Greg were amazing! This location is perfect for events providing endless picture opportunities, access to different decorations, and the owners are more than accommodating! This was the perfect place for our wedding and we could not have imagined having it any where else! We highly recommend to check it out.
Jordan
Jordan Sent on 09/07/2021
5 out of 5 rating

10/10 must book

Booking this venue for our wedding was hands down the best decision we made when planning. The owners were an absolute DREAM to work with even during our COVID postponement. I couldn't recommend this venue more - the grounds are absolutely gorgeous. This is a well-maintained, well-managed, professional venue with professional staff. We loved working with them and consider them friends!
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Sent on 08/08/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Is there a better place in Centre County?

The answer is no. This one place has EVERYTHING and it’s absolutely perfect! They think of everything and everyone on your special day! Mary Kay and Greg were beyond words helpful and caring. Everything is accessible and easy to use.
S
Sue C. Sent on 06/23/2020
5 out of 5 rating

No better place in Centre County....

Mary Kay and Greg are the sweetest couple. They went above and beyond to make my daughters wedding day so special. The venue is simply beautiful. It was the best experience. I would highly recommend everyone to use this venue. It was very stressful for my daughter with the Covid virus and the unknown of what could be done and what couldn’t be done. Mary Kay and Greg stepped right up and worked with us to make the wedding perfect. They both offer so much to everyone. The Historic Barn @ Cooks Tavern is perfect.
M
Morgan Sent on 06/23/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Phenomenal!

I cannot say enough about my wedding experience at The Historic Barn @ Cooke Tavern. Mary Kay and Greg were so kind, accommodating our changing plans due to COVID and figuring out a “plan B”. They were extremely helpful, making sure that we had everything that we needed and were very warm and welcoming to us and to our guests. The venue itself was absolutely beautiful and there were so many options for ceremony sites and photos. We are so glad that we chose to spent our “big day” at The Historic Barn @ Cooke Tavern and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a beautiful wedding venue with generous and very sweet owners!
E
Emil Sent on 11/03/2019
5 out of 5 rating

We throughly enjoyed working with the vendor

We would highly recommend this venue for any event especially a wedding. We were well pleased by the atmosphere of the venue, the upkeep of the grounds and the hospitality of the owners. The grounds are just amazing and deliver a rare opportunity for outstanding photos. Our guests were allowed to stroll the grounds and enjoy Muddy Paws Marsh and Penns Creek. Our guests all had positive remarks and stated how beautiful everything was at the barn. The venue fulfilled our dream wedding.
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Awards

14
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner

Map

The Historic Barn @ Cooke Tavern frequently asked questions

The Historic Barn @ Cooke Tavern includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Chairs
  • Parking
  • Tables
The space offered by The Historic Barn @ Cooke Tavern for wedding events is known for:
  • Barn
  • Garden
The Historic Barn @ Cooke Tavern offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Covered Outdoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
The Historic Barn @ Cooke Tavern offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Rehearsal Dinner
The Historic Barn @ Cooke Tavern offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Pet Friendly
The Historic Barn @ Cooke Tavern offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Chairs
  • Tables
The Historic Barn @ Cooke Tavern is recommended by 100% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 5.0, with the same score awarded for quality of service, flexibility, value, professionalism and average response time.
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