White Oak Savanna is a unique, eco-friendly wedding and events venue in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, located just 35 miles west of Madison. Our property sits on 88 acres of rolling hills in the Driftless Region, which you would have full access to with your rental. We are also a certified organic farm focused on operating sustainably and bringing the land back to it's native state. Our venue offers rustic charm with elegant and modern touches to help captivate the natural, outdoorsy feel without having to give up the luxuries of being in the city. With beautiful indoor and outdoor locations, we have everything you need for an array of events, both large and small.
Facilities and Capacity
White Oak Savanna can accommodate events for 300+ people, depending, which we would be happy to discuss in greater detail in conversation. We have 5 main areas for ceremonies, and utilize our barn + surrounding areas for receptions.
Indoor Locations:
The Lloyd Jones Barn Pavilion is our main event space, and is much more than your typical country barn. With our restoration process we aimed to reuse and maintain as much of the original barn as we could, while upgrading and adding many new features. It now offers a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system (we can display any color under the rainbow!), handmade tables and live-wood counter tops around the perimeter, a cathedral-like beamed ceiling, and plenty of natural light streaming through. For a ceremony, we can fit ~300+ people. For a reception we can fit ~200 people formally seated comfortably with room for a tent adjacent to the barn (tent is an extra rental fee) for another 100 formally seated. This varies case-by-case, of course.
Our Quansi Hut is another option for a smaller indoor ceremony. It is the original hut made of tin with full sliding doors that open on both ends offering a one-of-a-kind intimate indoor (yet basically outdoor) atmosphere.
Our farm also has 3 captivating outdoor ceremony locations:
The Sundial (as we call it) is a circular grassy space in the main event area at the top of a hill overlooking our property. There is a natural center aisle from one of our dressing rooms to the alter, and an area for guests to sit in the shade, if needed. We are able to fit ~300+ people, and have electrical hookups at this location.
The Pond Amphitheater is a natural limestone amphitheater. It is at the base of the hill, ^ described above, and next to our natural spring pond. There are a few different ways we could go about setting the seating, but we can fit about 200+. People can sit on the limestone or hill if they want, making this option a bit more informal if you'd like. There are electrical hookups down here as well.
The Savanna Sanctuary is a magical place and the epitome of an outdoor wedding. It is set farther back in our property surrounded by pre-Civil War bur oak savanna trees and full of vegetation. Guests can take a little walk up our path, or hitch a ride on our shuttle service (included in rental). The canopy of trees provide partial shade to keep things cool on a hot day. We can fit 400-500+ out here and recently purchased 170 chairs for your use. If you do a full 360, all you see is nature; quite amazing.
Services Offered
With our venue rental we offer several useful services including (but not limited to):
Event planning
Two appointed dressing rooms
Full, in-house beer/wine/liquor services
Many catering options - with 4000 sq. ft. kitchen complex
Lighting/sound system
Facility set-up & tear-down
Most staff
Use of 300 chairs and handmade tables
On-site shuttle service
Yard games
Campfire pit
On-site accommodations (extra fee)
Hayride (extra fee)
On-site Accommodations
White Oak Savanna offers 2 on-site accommodations, 11 campsites, and 2 RV hookups for an extra rental fee so your fun doesn't have to end! Our Norwegian Hollow Farmhouse sleeps up to 13 people; perfect for your wedding party or family. Our Driftless Cottage sleeps up to 5, but is perfect for a honeymoon suite. Our campsite rentals come with access to our shower room and spacious bathrooms.
History
White Oak Savanna began as a family farm in the early 1900s, where the barn was built by Frank Lloyd Wright's first cousin, Charles Lloyd Jones, and utilized by his family until the land was subdivided. The current owners, Paul and Audrey Gaynor, fell in love with the beauty of the Driftless Region and have since purchased 88 of the original 100 acres. They are dedicated to bringing the land back to it's native state, and strive to operate their business as sustainably as possible. Recent construction, restoration, and renovations finished in April of 2017, and no details were spared. This amenity-rich, eco-friendly sanctuary provides the premiere place to immerse yourself in the beautiful environment we live in without having to give up your city-like comforts.
