Facilities Rental - Beacon Hill Friends House

Book one of our gorgeous spaces for your next meeting or gathering!

Our great location, within steps of all major transit lines, makes BHFH a great venue for gatherings of all sorts, from retreats and meetings, to fundraisers and concerts.

We are thrilled to be able to offer affordable sliding-scale rates for non-profits and community organizations.

To submit a booking request, click here.

Our spaces:

The Meeting Room

The Meeting Room is our primary event space. It has 12 benches that are easily moved to accommodate different needs for the space. Most commonly, the benches are arranged in square format for worship, or in auditorium style for concerts. A number of benches can be moved out of the room to create an open floor plan. There are also 10 cushioned folding chairs that may be used for seating.

The balcony that overlooks this room is used for office and storage space and is generally not available as part of the rental.

Food and drink are permitted in this space, and are usually served from the adjoining “Butler’s Pantry” which is located behind the curtained glass doors in the upper left of the first photo. There are two large wooden tables and a few smaller folding tables that can be arranged according to various needs.

The permitted capacity for the Meeting Room is 70 people.

There is a side door off the Meeting Room that requires no stairs and is accessible to most wheelchair-users.

The Parlor

The Music Room and Parlor are two adjoining rooms connected with an open arch. There is capacity to seat approximately 20 people in either room. Seating is a mixture of armchairs, wooden chairs, and folding chairs. The archway between the rooms gives a feeling of continuity between the rooms, but the wall that the archway is in limits the ability for people in one room to fully participate in the activity in the other room.There is a Steinway grand piano in the Music room.

Food and drink are rarely permitted in this room.

This room is on our first floor, and is accessible only via stairs, or by a small elevator which cannot accommodate many mobility devices.

Our policies:

Respect

This is a private residence—you and your guests must stay within the public spaces on the 1st floor and ground floor. The resident kitchen and lounge are not public spaces. There are bedrooms in the basement hall by the bathroom, next to the parlor, and above the parlor. Please be conscious of residents’ needs for privacy and space. We have quiet hours between 10:30pm and 9:00am, and do not rent out space during those hours.

We strive to be welcoming to all people. We are especially concerned with being a safe place for queer and trans-identified people and for people of color. Please be aware of your words and assumptions while you are here.

Set-up and Clean-up

Unless make arrangements with BHFH in advance, you are responsible for arranging the furniture according to your own needs. Set up and clean up times must be taken into consideration in reserving the space, and will be included in your bill. You are responsible for returning the room to the condition it was in when you rented it, including rearranging furniture, sweeping, and removing excess trash. We can accommodate one garbage bag and one crate of recycling. If your event generates more waste than that, you are responsible for disposing of it yourself.

If you would like us to set up the room for you, we can provide this service for $15.

Greeting your Guests

You are responsible for greeting your guests. You must have someone posted at the door when your guests are arriving. Doors to the street may never be left open. BHFH may be able to provide this service for $15 (for up to an hour).

Food and Drink

Events in the Meeting Room often include food and/or drink. Food and drink are only rarely allowed in the Music Room and Parlor. If food and drink are necessary for your event, you may coordinate with the Residency Manager about using the Meeting Room or Dining Room for that portion of your event.We have a small kitchenette by the Meeting Room that can be used for staging and reheating foods. There is limited storage, refrigeration, and freezer space. Please coordinate with us ahead of time if you would like to use the kitchenette.

The Beacon Hill Friends House maintains a welcoming space where people who wish to avoid alcohol will be comfortable. To that end, we allow alcohol consumption only in moderation. Conspicuous or otherwise disruptive intoxication of guests is not acceptable. Please let us know in advance if you would like to serve alcohol, and we will send more detailed policies.

Payment

Rates:
Regular rate: $180/hr
Non-profit/charitable rate: $50-$150/hr (sliding scale)*
We offer discounts for extended rentals (4hr+)Extra services:
Set-up: $15
Greeting: $15 (for up to 1 hour)

*If you are a community organization and these prices are out of your budget, please get in touch to ask about reduced rates. We love our space to be used by and useful to the community, and to be able to support other organizations with our space.

Payment:
We require payment in advance. 50% is refundable if you cancel at least one week in advance.

We will be happy to send you an invoice, which you may pay online, or by check.

Checks can be sent to:
Beacon Hill Friends House
6 Chestnut St.
Boston, MA 02108

Click here to submit a space reservation request.