Historic Rock Ford is a wedding and event venue located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This property is surrounded by gardens and overlooks the Conestoga River. The 33-acre farm estate contains a restored barn in which couples can host their celebrations. It also has a large tent pad that can host outdoor events for up to 250 guests.
Facilities and Capacity
The barn at Historic Rock Ford features details such as hand-hewn beams, lanterns, and exposed stone walls while boasting modern amenities. The venue can accommodate up to 110 guests inside, with additional outdoor space available for larger gatherings. To make the most of the balmy weather, starting in the springtime of 2022 tents will be available for all weddings taking place from April to October. A number of contemporary amenities are available for couples and their guests to help the big day run smoothly. The venue has free WiFi. The venue contains a designated catering area equipped with a microwave, a refrigerator, and running water for the chosen catering team to utilize. Furthermore, the space is climate-controlled to help maintain guests’ comfort. Adjustable lighting allows couples to create their desired atmosphere throughout the festivities. An additional feature of the barn is its custom-made old-style bar, suitable for use by licensed outside bar staff.
Services Offered
Historic Rock Ford offers full weekend packages throughout the year for weddings. Couples are granted the use of their event site from 8 am on Friday to set up the space according to their vision. Additionally, they have until noon on Sunday to clean up, allowing plenty of time to wind down after the reception. A range of tent sizes for celebrations are offered depending on couples’ requirements. They can also supply seating for 110 guests and a number of round and rectangular tables. Outside vendors are allowed, encouraging couples to select the cuisine, cake, flowers, entertainment, and more that best fits their theme. In addition to hosting the ceremony and reception, the venue is also available for the rehearsal dinner, showers, and engagement parties.
This place was so accommodating and flexible. Having the property to ourselves to set up for the entire weekend was such a blessing and a tent included sealed the deal for us. Since it’s a historical place the money all goes back into the property and to have educational opportunities for inter city schools. The venue can hold your wedding in various locations on the property and it is sprawling and beautiful! It made our wedding weekend amazing! Reviewed on 15-12-2023
Kelsey Turpin(other)5 out of 5 Rating
From first email to day-of-event every step was easy, professional, and fantastic to plan! Super appreciative of this venue and their staff when it came to flexibility and accomodations. We could not be more thankful for choosing this beautiful location! Reviewed on 18-08-2023
Avery F(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 25-06-2022 Historic Rock Ford was the perfect wedding venue and I cannot recommend it enough. The grounds, mansion, and barn are meticulously maintained, creating a beautiful setting for a wedding ceremony and reception. Working with the Rock Ford staff in planning, setting up, and cleaning up was a breeze. All staff were extremely kind and helpful (shout out to Amanda and Paula). We didn't even need too many decorations as the character of the property spoke for itself. If you want a picture perfect wedding, book Historic Rock Ford for your special day, you won't be disappointed. Reviewed on 08-07-2022
Christine Tietsworth(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 24-10-2020 Amanda was fantastic to work with. Prompt with responding to me and flexible with my concerns especially with covid. Worked well with my day of coordinator too and it turned out to be a perfect day. Reviewed on 03-11-2020
Dave Stoler(groom)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 28-09-2019 I can't say enough about Rock Ford. We are a gay couple, living in a very conservative Lancaster County. From the moment we met Meagen, we felt comfortable being us. We didn't have to change who we were. Being two guys, not knowing anything about weddings or how to do the wedding, Meagen helped us from step 1 till the final step. The site was gorgeous, lots of wild deer, cool history and house. This site was way more affordable then the other competitors out there and definitely worth every penny. Reviewed on 29-09-2019
Crystal Sensenig(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 18-05-2019 The Rock Ford is a beautiful place to have a wedding! There are so many places for great photos and the barn is very nice inside. The Rental Coordinator, Meagen, is wonderful to work with. She went out of her way before and during the wedding to make sure everything went great! I would definitely recommend Rock Ford! Reviewed on 27-05-2019
Shanna Van Dusen(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 27-10-2018 I'm a little biased being a descendant of General Hand, but honestly the Rock Ford Plantation is the most Beautiful hidden gem in the entire U.S. The site has all the accommodations you need to keep your guests happy, entertained, and warm. Our guests LOVED the tour of the house, it was a nice transition between the ceremony and the reception while they waited for the bridal party photos. Meaghan and Nancy were super helpful and I am so grateful for their help to make this day special!!! I love you guys!!! Reviewed on 30-10-2018
Sharon M(parent)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 20-10-2018 We loved our daughters wedding at the beautiful Rock Ford Plantation. It’s like having three venues in one. The front of General Hand’s Home for the ceremony, which is just beautiful, the barn that we decorated with vintage furniture for the cocktails and desserts , and the tent for our reception. Plus you have the whole place from Friday through Sunday, so no rushing to get your items removed. We also paid a modest amount to have the museum open so guests could take a quick tour if they wanted. Nancy and Megan were great to work with and help direct vendors to set up. It was a beautiful and memorable day. Reviewed on 25-10-2018
Brooke Steinmetz(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 13-10-2018 Absolutely the best experience we could have had with a venue!! Nancy was incredibly helpful and friendly. Loved the fact that we weren’t rushed out of the venue at the end of the night and were able to come back the next morning and clean things up. Beautiful location and we had an amazing day!!! ❤️ Reviewed on 16-10-2018
Barbara Broomell(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 01-09-2018 Rock Ford Plantation was the perfect venue for our casual, garden party style wedding. We held our ceremony on the porch of the house and the reception in a tent by the barn. We were even able to set up the barn as a \"lounge\" for those that wanted a quieter place to talk, away from the music and dancing. Located in Lancaster, Co. Park, Rock Ford gives you much privacy away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The team is incredibly professional and just a dream to work with. I was particularly impressed with the fact that our rental agreement included the whole weekend, making set up and clean up stress free! I can't rave enough about how happy I was with Rock Ford as our venue and how it provided the perfect setting for what was truly the happiest day of our lives. Reviewed on 26-09-2018
Hope Byers(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 12-05-2018 Where can you find a venue that's available to you from Friday morning through Sunday! We got to customize all the things we wanted. We really wanted to have our own caterer and purchase our own alcohol which most places didn't allow. We got to buy our linens and set everything up just the way we wanted on Friday. No wedding coordinator needed. We got to leave a bunch of cars over night too. Thanks to the support of our friends and family everything went perfectly. They do force you to work with Rental World if you want a tent on site. It worked out fine but their tent fees were pricey and greatly increased the overall cost of the wedding. The staff member on site for our wedding was a miracle worker. We knew severe weather was coming and we had left two sides of the ten open. She provided updates on the incoming storm every 15 minutes and gave us a step ladder to throw the sides on quickly. Our ceremony was off-site and she was there to give basic information to all our vendors. She was so kind to us and really tried to make everything perfect.Everyone complimented us on this venue. It was beautiful, spacious, and a perfect casual wedding. Our photos at the home on the porch were amazing and the seclusion of the park is great. This is really a great all-in-one location that you can have for a whole weekend! The best part was that we were supporting a historic site with our rental fee. We hope this site is well cared for and open for many years to come. Reviewed on 15-05-2018
B Lizzi(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 30-09-2017 What a beautiful venue! You have the place for the whole weekend, no rushing in or out, so private and serene! Reviewed on 12-11-2017
Sam G(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 02-10-2018 What a great place to have our wedding! We were allowed an entire day just to set up our wedding and an entire day to tear down. We had the wedding of our dreams and still stayed within our budget. The atmosphere was fantastic and added bonus we had deer walking in the field next to us the day of our wedding! Reviewed on 02-08-2017
Andrew Bishop(wedding party)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 29-07-2018 Rock Ford was a beautiful setting with great support for our daughter's wedding. Could not have asked for more! Reviewed on 29-05-2017
Emily Chevalier(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 07-07-2018 We loved having Rock Ford Plantation as our venue for our ceremony and reception! The staff was responsive and easy to work with, and we were able to put our own touch on things. The day was gorgeous and the place was gorgeous! Reviewed on 07-05-2017
Lindsay Muir(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 16-07-2016 We LOVED having Rockford Plantation as the venue for our wedding! It was such a beautiful setting and we enjoyed having the flexibility to make our day exactly how we wanted it. The ability to set up the day before and tear down the day after, was a huge stress-reliever. Nancy was so kind and such a pleasure to work with leading up to the wedding. My husband and I were extremely happy with Rockford Plantation and are so glad we got married there! Reviewed on 23-02-2017
Eron Spigelmeyer(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 12-11-2016 This location was perfect for our wedding day. Our ceremony was in front of the historic house which provided a beautiful backdrop to our wedding. The barn was perfect for our 100 guests. We loved being able to set up the barn on Friday and that we had the choice to come back Sunday to clean up. Definitely a wonderful location for any wedding. Reviewed on 14-11-2016
Becca Martz(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 02-07-2016 This venue was absolutely everything we wanted and dreamed of for both our ceremony and reception. Nancy is also amazing to work with! Beautiful place and great staff....great place for your special day and affordable too. Reviewed on 15-07-2016
Andrea Ogden(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 04-07-2015 The Historic Rockford Plantation was a beautiful setting for my wedding. The barn is perfect for smaller wedding while those with a larger guest list can be accommodated with outside services. Reviewed on 22-07-2015
Dana Landes(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 20-09-2014 Great location, very flexible with set up and take down which is greatly appreciated by the DIY bride! If tour weather permits skip the tent and let the barn be your backdrop. Tables and chairs provided just and over all no frills great venue. Reviewed on 11-10-2014
Megan Jones(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 03-11-2012 Rockford Plantation is a great venue for do-it-yourselfers! It is beautiful, especially if you are going a bit \"rustic\" in your theme. We saved a lot of money having our wedding during the \"off season\" and when renting we got access to the venue the whole weekend (Friday-Sunday)! So we were able to set up most everything the day before and finish clean up the day after to really just enjoy our wedding day! This is a venue where you either want to do a lot yourself or hire a wedding coordinator as the venue itself does not have someone there to assist the day of your wedding. It was perfect for us! Reviewed on 19-11-2012
Detra Deatrick(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 22-10-2011 Rock Ford Plantation is a very historic, secluded venue that you will not be disappointed with! It is outside of Lancaster city, but found in the local community park. The plantation is a lot of \"do it yourself\" but there is much flexibility to make your wedding day exactly how you envisioned it! Would recommend Rock Ford to anyone who wants to be totally in charge of all the plans and activities that are associated with the wedding! \rThere is a historic plantation home and barn that is absolutely gorgeous for a wedding ceremony and reception! Everyone attending will be completely impressed! Reviewed on 08-11-2011
Joyce Silva(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 23-04-2011 We booked the place for all weekend, we have everything we needed, was perfect!!! Reviewed on 19-05-2011
My name is Amanda and I have followed my heart back to Historic Rock Ford, but this time instead of being the caterer or the bride, I am now the Rental Coordinator! Let me show you why I first fell in love with this historic and scenic venue on the outskirts of Lancaster,PA!