Event Spaces at the Sands Point Preserve
The Guggenheim Estate was designed for entertaining in the grand style that defined the opulent Gold Coast period. Its original owners – Howard Gould, and later Daniel and Florence Guggenheim – hosted events that impressed the international, high-society world in which they lived. Today, these exquisite mansions and expansive grounds are available for extraordinary private and corporate events. Historic Hempstead House, Castle Gould, and the magnificent grounds of the Sands Point Preserve are unique and stunning backdrops for events of all types.
Hempstead House
Built in 1912, this massive Tudor-style mansion was the site of society parties, performances and exhibitions by world-class artists, and gatherings of the powerful elite of the time. Today, Hempstead House stands ready for entertaining on any scale – with its magnificent architecture, landscaped gardens and exquisite views. From the portico, enter the mansion’s sixty-foot-tall entry foyer with stained glass windows and an equally impressive staircase. The air-conditioned ground floor features the sunken palm court, winter and summer living rooms, the mahogany wood-paneled library, dining room, and billiards room – all with working stone-carved fireplaces and breathtaking views of the Preserve’s gardens, grounds and the Long Island Sound. Luxurious bedrooms and newly renovated marble bathrooms complement the grand scale of this mansion. The summer living room opens to the lush Rose Garden with its fountains and terrace overlooking the beach and the Long Island Sound. The rooms and gardens of Hempstead House can be combined in various ways to meet the size and breadth of your special event, from intimate dinners to dramatic full-scale celebrations. The combined spaces of Hempstead House can host up to 300 for a seated dinner and 350 for a cocktail reception.
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Gardens & Grounds
The first view of the Sands Point Preserve includes Castle Gould, Hempstead House, and the Long Island Sound from a distance. The Great Lawn is the green centerpiece of the Preserve, a majestic park that can be tented for large-scale receptions and dinners. The Rose Garden behind Hempstead House is home to 1,500 red rose bushes, historically distinguished fountains and unique architecture. The Rose Garden overlooks the expansive blue waters of the Long Island Sound while shaded paths wind through natural woods, past a serene pond, and culminate in a mile-long stretch of beach. Nowhere on Long Island can you find this combination of gardens, greens, beach and naturally serene settings that can serve as the backdrop for your event as well as spectacular commemorative photography.
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Castle Gould: The Black Box
Modeled after the Medieval Castle Kilkenny in Ireland, Castle Gould is a 100,000-square-foot architectural masterpiece, built by the Sands Point Preserve’s first owner, Howard Gould. The Castle features a 7,000-square-foot ‘Black Box’ – a New York State-certified Sound Stage that is a clean slate for every type of event. The Black Box is a particularly interesting venue for bar/bat mitzvahs and other lifecycle celebrations as well as corporate and holiday parties, as it easily conforms to event decor and lighting of any type, and often projects a private nightclub feel. The Black Box can host up to 400 guests for a seated dinner and up to 500 for a cocktail reception or party.
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Castle Gould: The Great Hall
Within the 100,000-square-foot medieval-inspired Castle Gould, and beneath its clock tower, enter the Great Hall, a fully renovated multi-purpose room with grand vaulted ceilings, wrought-iron chandeliers, polished dark-wood appointments, plush draperies over enormous windows overlooking the Preserve’s grounds and a distant view of the Long Island Sound. The Great Hall easily accommodates 100 persons for a seated dinner, and 150 for a cocktail reception.