Grace E. Simons Lodge

Does anybody have Lisa Aguilar contact info? After reading all the great reviews I would like to hire her for my vow renewal,

I recently had my wedding at the lodge (10÷18÷15) and it was beyond beautiful. I would definitely recommend this venue for something elegant like a wedding. I held my ceremony and reception here and I received a lot of compliments from my guest because everything was in one place. I hired vendors for décor, linens, food, music and flowers.
I went with Lisa for decorations because she knows the rules and regulations of the venue. I would recommend lisa to anyone trying to do their event at the lodge because she works with your budget and goes beyond what you requested. Lisa and evelyn her daughter where amazing on my wedding day, they set up my decorations how I envisioned and they set up more then what was originally asked. I hired Lisa to setup my décor, the ceiling décor, and clean up. If I could do my wedding again I would hire them as the event coordinator as well because trying to organize your own event is overwhelming. These women are worth every penny, they made it easier for me when it came to decorations and clean up.
My caterer was also amazing her name was patty and I met her because they catered the open house at the lodge. Patty was also amazing she worked with my budget and actually gave me more then what I paid, everyone had more then enough food and they really enjoyed everything. If you go with patty hire her to set up, clean up, cut the cake and serve the food they will save you time and stress. She was also worth every penny!!!
This venue was perfect for my intimate wedding, they provided 3 security guards that went around to make sure everything was under control and the venue provides you with tables and chairs.

Everything worked out really well with the venue. The chairs and tables were arranged as promised. They were flexible with some last minute changes. Just be aware of all the rules in the contract regarding outdoor sound and you’ll have a great wedding.

We had our wedding celebration at the Lodge in May 2015 and it was perfect. This is a beautiful space in a beautiful park. Although it is very accessible by highway and close to downtown, it feels like you are outside of Los Angeles. No matter how you decorate, this will never have the feel of a ballroom, but we didn’t want that– we wanted a fun space that felt down to earth and close to nature. It was perfect.
We hired Lisa and Evelyn Aguilar to decorate– the lodge has their information. They did a beautiful job, they were very responsible, and they even picked up the slack of another vendor. We highly recommend them and the lodge.

Just had my wedding on 5.15.15. Had the best time. The staff was very professional and flexible with last minute changes. Of course like every bride I wanted to ensure everything was perfect and the staff made sure of it. I contracted Lisa Aguilar as our decorator and day of coordinator. She was amazing! I will be posting pics of her beautiful work as soon as I get them. Decorations were on point and so was the coordination. Our DJ was DJ/​MC Ace from Flawless entertainment. His services were flawless and he kept my guest on the dance floor all night! He was also amazing! We also contracted Sunseris bar services, the bartenders were great. Would definitely recommend this venue and vendors to everyone. All the vendors know the set up which made it easier for everyone.

The Grace E. Simons Lodge was the perfect place to celebrate my retirement! I had attended several functions over the years at the Lodge. I remember my first time I had a bit of difficulty finding it, but after the first time, I never forgot. Surprisingly, after that first experience, I noticed how well marked the signage was to get there, I had just not really looked up and seen all the signs. The Grace E. Simons Lodge is a slice of nature in the middle of an urban jungle. When I’m on the grounds, I feel like I have been magically transported to wilderness mountains. The brook, waterfall, pond, Japanese garden, and fountain all make for gorgeous photo ops. Also, we love that you can have your event either indoors or outdoors. This makes event planning free from weather worries («weather independent»).
While the Lodge can handle up to 200 people, our final count was a group of 110. Capacity was important to us because we did not have an accurate count until four days before my party. My retirement sendoff went off without a hitch, actually, it was perfect! When we arrived, the tables were set up exactly as promised. There was plenty of room for the caterer to set up his Hawaiian buffet with a separate serving station for the roasted pig. The Lodge provided a huge screen for us to project a photo slideshow. The podium and microphone/​sound system were included at no extra charge. Everything was in perfect order. The restrooms were spotless and the kitchen was immaculate.
The staff was helpful and accommodating from the first day I came in with my inquiries (about eight weeks before the event). This helpful attitude was maintained all the way through the process including our final minutes after the party ended. Shortly after I decided this was definitely the place for me, they held an open house which my wife and I attended.
At the open house, there were many vendors demonstrating their offerings. We actually hired the Shave Ice truck we were introduced to at the open house. Most importantly, we got to meet the staff and the people behind the scenes and got a great feeling about how much they care. They were totally dedicated to serving us. As an example, on the day of the event, we asked if we could have a smaller rectangular table than we had originally requested weeks earlier. Their response was so relieving, «yes, we have several sizes, which size would you like?» They proceeded to fetch the table, set it up, and, all the while, with a smile.
Most of the reviews I read used the Lodge for weddings. It is a great venue for weddings and so much more! As a fresh retiree, I can clearly say, the The Grace E. Simons Lodge was the PERFECT venue for me, my family, and my coworkers. I am thrilled to have had my party at the The Grace E. Simons Lodge. Special thanks to all the staff members that were so kind, effective, and diligent!

What a hidden gem. I’ve lived in the general Los Angeles area, and never knew this place even existed. It’s actually part of the Parks and Rec Dept. It’s a nice gated area that is available for rental from the city. There’s a BBQ pit area and a little lake. There’s a large grassy lawn and a few covered area for events. There’s also covered concrete picnic benches. Also on the property is an adjacent building for events. I’m not sure if there is a kitchen, because the event I attended was catered. Really nice area and a great surprise. The only thing is that it is not easy to find. Using any major map app or directions using address listing only will take you inside Dodger Stadium. It’s actually in Elysian Park. Once you are inside the park, there is signage directing you to the lodge.

I had my wedding in Aug. 2014 Cute hidden gem in Los Angeles! The staff are kind and will work with your ideas. Very flexible. I had my wedding there and was able to hang lanterns, lights, burlap wall, ribbon wall, and banners.
For decorators I went with Lisa! She works with her daughter and they are an excellent team. Lisa and her daughter saw my vision and ran with it. Lisa the decorator basically was easier to get a hold of, neater and more up to date.
For flowers and centerpieces I went with Details Done Right. Another mother-​daughter business that did an amazing job! They are located in San Diego ca and have a Facebook page.
I catered through Rodgers Catering in Norwalk Ca. I received so many complements about how delicious the food was.
For the cake it was a little difficult to find someone inexpensive so I went with Frost my Cake in Brea. Even with delivery it was cheaper than most local bakeries.
As for the bar I went with Sunseri’s.
As for the Dj I went with Vox Dj located in Manhattan Beach. The Dj we chose was Henry. He was great.
They were also amazing and easy to contact. If you fall in love with this place, you can book a year in advance. We came at 6 in the morning on August 1 the year before to secure our date. Dates fill up quickly.

Simons Lodge is amazing !
I had my quince there two years ago. My closest friends have also had theirs there as well. It’s secluded in a nice place up in Griffith Park.
Really clean however not very big inside the place but the gardens and fountain make it a nice place. It’s perfect for pictures in the afternoon and very clean.\
I think it’s too pricy especially having to pay extra for bar and for alcoholic drinks!
CRAZY.
But in the end worth it ! All my guests love it just make sure to tell them to watch their kids near the fountain ! Also try to make some signs because you can definetly get lost trying to get there.

I heard there is a year long waiting list for this place so plan ahead! Perfect for gatherings! It has a little kitchen for keeping food warm/​service/​etc. Our visit was for a wedding and it is perfect for that. Great location for any type of event.

We came here for a wedding. Because this was connected to a park and there was a wedding going on, parking was hard to find. The lodge was cute but the decorating by the wedding party made it look fabulous. It fit about 200 people comfortably. The pond next to the lodge was nice — but extremely green. We witnessed a hawk swooping down and taking some baby ducks! :(

I didn’t have trouble finding Grace when I came looking at it for a possible wedding venue, but I know others have!
I got married here in October and it was pretty great! Ana, who works at Grace for the City of LA was very helpful in showing us the venue and explaining everything. For a Saturday afternoon thru late evening event, utilizing both the gorgeous outdoor and ample indoor space, including security, it was very reasonably priced, especially for Los Angeles! I mean she isn’t going to BEG you to have your event there or kiss your butt, because she isn’t in sales! I actually appreciated that after checking out other venues.
Grace provided the chairs, tables, sound system (we used an iPod and it worked well), as well as an outdoor PA for our ceremony. Also included in the price is your security guards for the event and an event monitor. $ 500 was returned to us as deposit after the event (there was a delay on this, but once I called a couple times we got it straightened out).
Everything else is kinda DIY. I chose to hire a decorator who did a bulk of that stuff for me. She came on recommendation from Ana and her name is Lisa and she is wonderful! We brought in our own caterer. The only vendor you have to use is one of 2 city approved bartenders. we went with Sunseri’s and they were great.
All in all, we had a great wedding with a unique, secluded venue right in Los Angeles and saved a lot of money!

This location is great for weddings as there is room for an indoor reception as well as an outdoor ceremony. It’s also great for birthday and quincenara parties. The chairs and tables are included but the decorations are brought in by the patron/​decorator. The place becomes transformed once it is decorated. And the prices are reasonable. This lodge is owned by the City of Los Angles and there is more inforamtion on their website offering more pictures and prices etc.
in the ‘Banquet Halls’ section. And the prices already include 3 security guaurds for your event :-) Yes, the place is a little tricky to find and most car GPS’s don’t give the correct address. But the phone map (google) works great.

This location is VERY hard to find… GPS will take you up some random mountain and into private property… but once you find it, the location is actually very nice. Calming fountain in the background… wonderful service by the staff… the wedding I went to was absolutely beautiful. Décor was great, open bar was YAYYYYY!!!, and everything was constantly refilled. Definitely somewhere to consider for large events :)

Since the cat’s already outta the bag on this hidden spot in Elysian Park, I may as well add another review to the pile. It’s often used for private and special events and I believe it’s owned by the LAPD, but if you’re ever in the area walking or hiking or just enjoying the park, you can usually sneak in here to have a stroll along the lovely Japanese gardens, complete with a pretty little bridge, and bright blue man made falls and fountains. There’s also an attached event space but I haven’t had a chance to peek inside since I’m usually ambling around the outer areas looking over my shoulder for someone to shoo me out.
The lower area has some benches (and even clean loos!) to take a picnic, making it a great little romantic spot… so long as you don’t get caught. ;)

I kind of didn’t want to write about this place because I wanted to be selfish and keep it a secret! But anyway, the story…
I woke up a bit early today to go «hiking» with my friend. I had planned on working up a sweat from trudging up some hills and running away from dogs. Instead, I somehow ended up at the Grace E. Simon Lodge. This place is a hidden gem in the Elysian Park! I always thought that it was closed off to the public because… well, I don’t really know… there were scary looking gates that don’t seem to be open, ever.
Anyway, today there was a group of people there for a workshop so the gates right outside the lodge were open and we just walked right in. We walked passed the building and continued up a small, short path to the beautiful water garden! Check out the pictures… the water is so blue and there’s even a cute wooden bridge. There are stone benches located all around the garden so you can enjoy the mini-​waterfalls and the lovely river. **Please note: my pictures make the garden look a lot bigger than it really is. It’s actually not that big, but definitely can accommodate at least 50 – 70 people!
This place is definitely perfect for a small, intimate wedding. I heard from a friend that it costs $ 1,000/hour to rent out the place.

Not falling from grace.
This place is a great for events and weddings. We went recently and had a great time. This facility is in a separate gated section of Elysian Park near the back.
It can be a challenge to find if you are coming from Echo Park/​Silverlake. If you use Google or MapQuest you will be sent to the gate of Dodger Stadium. See this map for a direct route:
There is a huge fountain, Japanese garden in the back, great little reception hall with vaulted ceilings and blonde hardwood floors. The staff was great. Our friends had an outside company cater the food, but there is a kitchen there for them the staff to cook.
The bathrooms (outside and inside) were SO clean and well taken care of. I assume that is because there are people from the park screwing them up.
Don’t half step. Have a celebratory event there.