Rent the Founders Memorial Garden

At the Founders Memorial Garden, we provide the venue, tables, white chairs and, for smaller events, white or black table cloths. For receptions we also provide a security guard, and for larger events we bring in additional restrooms. The client is responsible for hiring the florist, caterers, tent, lights, linens and any other specialty features desired. We do not dictate specific caterers, etc. but we do ask that you keep us informed on planning so we can coordinate logistics with your chosen consultants.

All events requests will be scheduled and coordinated through the Director and Curator of the Founders Memorial Garden and booked no more than 12 months and no less than 30 days in advance. We recommend renters tour the facility before booking the event. After the tour, the renter may place a complimentary temporary hold on a date for one week. During that time, an official contract will be sent for review. At the end of the week, a signed contract and refundable security deposit are due. The final rental fee is due 30 days prior to the event date.

Parking is extremely limited on site (4 spaces + 1 accessible space) but the UGA North Campus Parking Deck is a short walk from the venue and charges a maximum of $10/day/car. You may consider organizing a shuttle. There are also numerous parking garages in downtown Athens that are an easy walk to the venue. Wheelchair accessibility is limited to the parking lot and Serpentine Garden with access via an ADA compliant path from the parking lot. The Courtyard and Kitchen House are accessible with mobile ramps at this time. We are working on accessibility to the Founders House.

All the parking spots around the Founders Memorial Garden are pay-to-park in the evenings and on weekends at the same rate as the parking decks on campus using the ParkMobile app.

• Entry – 30 minutes $1
• 31 minutes – 1 hour $3
• 1 hour – 2 hours $5
• Each additional hour $1
• Maximum daily fee $10

There are 2 restrooms at the Founders Memorial Garden: one in the Founders House and one in the Kitchen House. For larger events with more than 72 guests we provide an additional 2-3 stall portable restroom.

• The Ballroom is the house seats 60-75 people with only chairs and a central aisle or 48 people at 6 round tables. Max capacity is 80 including event staff.
• The Serpentine Garden lawn seats 175-216 people with a central aisle and has capacity for 250 standing; 64-80 people at 8-10 round tables.
• The North Lawn seats 130 people on the back half with a central aisle and up to 200 if the entire lawn is used.
• The South Arboretum seats 117 ppl.

For Weddings + Private Events:

You must hire a bar tender to serve alcohol and no people under 21 may be served. A security guard is included in all rental packages except the 6 hr ceremony only package.

For UGA Departments + UGA Affiliated Groups: 

A security guard surcharge is required for events hosted by student groups but is not necessary for UGA departments.

The garden does not provide catering. We are currently developing a vendor list but there are no restrictions at this time.

Power is limited across the garden and in most cases, extension cords will be needed. The FMG offers two, 100-foot extension cords with each rental package.

The garden does not permit open flames inside the buildings. All candles must include a glass, ceramic, or metal candle holder and we highly recommend a glass, ceramic or metal globe to keep candles burning clean and bright. No bird seed, glitter, confetti, or petals may be thrown outdoors. Only silk petals may be thrown indoors. Indoor lighting, floral arrangements, and other décor must be freestanding. Items may not be attached to interior or exterior walls. All items must be removed from the building and gardens after the event as part of the clean-up process.

The garden provides tables and chairs setup and takedown for all events. The renter must arrange all other setup and cleanup with the event planner/caterer/rental company directly. If the event will not be catered or managed by an event planner, the renter is responsible for all setup and cleanup beyond tables and chairs. Setup may not begin until the rental start time and cleanup must be completed by the rental end time. The garden recommends at least one hour for setup and one hour for cleanup. Incomplete cleanup may result in additional fees or loss of the security deposit.

UGA affiliated groups, organizations or departments are eligible for a discounted rate. A non-profit discount is applicable with an appropriate tax ID.

We always encourage interested parties to come visit the venue, so you can see the various spaces, and we can describe the ways each area has been used in the past. We find these kinds of descriptions to be very helpful as you are envisioning your own event.