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Rental FAQ's

I know you're located in Center City Philadelphia, so where do my guests park?
The Society has a fenced-in parking lot that holds roughly 40 cars.  Outside of business hours, there is usually plenty of street parking along Spring Garden (barring any other major activities happening in the area at the same time).  Some of the street parking is metered, some of it is not.

How many hours can we rent your rooms?  Will you charge us extra if we go over a certain number of hours?
The German Society rents by the room, not by the hour.  Therefore, it is the same charge whether you rent the room for one hour or twelve.  Provided a volunteer is here to monitor the building, it is generally acceptable for you to drop off items a day or two beforehand, or come in to decorate a few hours prior to your event.

Can we bring in our own items and decorate your rooms?
Absoluely.  In fact, the way you set up the room gives us ideas for how we can decorate for our own events!  As long as none of your decorations are damaging, i.e. no nails, tacks or tape, you can use lights, potted plants, flowers, banners, garland, etc.  We permit the use of candles in every room except the Library (for obvious reasons).

Can we smoke inside the German Society?
We are a smoke-free facility - that includes foyers, doorways and stairways leading into the building.  You can smoke outside, but we kindly ask that you dispose of cigarette butts properly (preferably NOT on the steps or ground outside of our building.)

Can we bring in live music or a DJ?
Certainly.  We can even give you suggestions as to where to put your music in order to maximize the acoustics in each of our rooms.

Do you have tables and chairs we can use?
The Society has rectangular folding tables (that seat 10) and accompanying folding chairs that can be put in any arrangement you choose.  If you would like round or high-top tables, you will have to rent those from your caterer or a party supplier.

What if we need to rent tables, chairs, etc.?
We will be happy to receive your rented items and hand them back over to the rental company again, as long as the drop-off and pick-up are scheduled between the hours of 9:30am-4:00pm, Monday-Friday.  Please let us know when you schedule your deliveries so we can meet the drivers and have someone available to sign for them.  There is no additional charge for this service.

Do you have a bar area?
Both the Ratskeller and Auditorium have bars with refrigeration units.  These can be used to serve both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.  We do not have a beer tap.  

Are you handicap accessible?
Due to the fact that our buildings are 100+ years old, we are not presently handicap accessible.  There are five or six steps to get into the building and the restrooms are located in the Ratskeller (basement).  We plan to begin installing an elevator this year (2008), but no completion date has been set.

Do you have outdoor space we can use?
Yes.  We have a small fenced-in courtyard on the Spring Garden side of our building.  Depending on your usage of it, we may charge you a small fee to cover the landscaping costs to prepare it properly for your event.

Does the German Society have a list of caterers we are required to use?
While the GSP can certainly recommend a few caterers with which we have established relationships or who have done events on our premises before, we do not have a select list of caterers from which you MUST choose.  You may bring in any caterer you choose, or you can even cook the food here in our kitchen(s) yourself.

To what extent do we have to clean up?
At the end of your event, you are required to leave the space the way you found it.  Trash needs to be taken out and deposited in the containers in the parking lot.  If there are spills or other messes on the tabletops, floors, or restrooms, please clean them up.  Some caterers will arrange to take care of this for you.   All food must be properly sealed, refrigerated, or disposed of at the end of your event.  Dirty dishes must (at the very least) be rinsed.  We inspect our spaces after each event, and if we need to enlist a cleaning party, we will retain your cleaning deposit as stated below.

Are there any additional fees I should know about?
Yes.  We charge a refundable cleaning deposit for each room rented.  If the terms of clean-up mentioned above are not adhered to, the Society will call in a cleaning party to take care of the mess, and therefore will keep your deposit to cover those costs.  If the rooms are left in proper condition, the German Society will fully refund your cleaning deposit.

Do you have room dimensions and floor plans to help me setup my event?
The dimensions can be found on each room's respective webpage.  We do not presently have floor plans available.  

If I purchase items for my event that I'm left with once it's over, can I leave them behind as a donation?
Yes.  Some parties who have rented our space find that, at the end of their celebration, they're left with extra items they purchased specifically for the event that they don't know what to do with.  So, for example, if you purchase a candle holder for each of the 20 tables at your wedding reception and need a home for them once the event is done, we welcome you to leave them behind as a donation.  We will even issue you a receipt for the fair market value of the items to deduct from your taxes.   

What is the general neighborhood like around the German Society?
During the day, the area along Spring Garden Street is well-populated and trafficked.  At night, we usually recommend people to walk to their cars in pairs or groups just to deter the approach of any unwanted individuals.  Also, the hidden nightclubs along Spring Garden Street tend to come alive at midnight and beyond; therefore, we urge you to take that into consideration when planning the times for your event, especially if you have seniors or children attending.

What if I want to come and see your space in person?
Please do!  We hardly ever rent to parties site unseen, so call Sharan Knoell at 215-627-2332 or email info at germansociety dot org to set up an appointment.  Generally, we are available Monday-Friday, 9:30am-4:30pm, but we will certainly make every effort to accommodate your schedule.

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German Society of Pennsylvania
611 Spring Garden Street
Philadelphia, PA  19123
(P) 215-627-2332
(F) 215-627-5297