Elkins Estate at 1750 Ashbourne Road in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania is 42 acres and a 45-room Italian High Renaissance mansion built in 1898 for William L. Elkins, designed by Horace Trumbauer with interiors by Allard et Fils — the French decorators who worked on European palaces. The craftsmanship was made in Europe and shipped to Pennsylvania and assembled on site. Frescoed ceilings. Marble columns. Gilded molding. Crystal chandeliers. Gargoyles. This is not a venue that gestures at grandeur. It is genuinely, structurally dramatic from the floor up. The light in those rooms is extraordinary. I have photographed here multiple times and I would not hesitate to travel from New York for it.
About the Venue
1750 Ashbourne Road, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, just north of Philadelphia. 42 acres. Elstowe Manor — 45 rooms, Italian High Renaissance, built 1898. 69 to 70 overnight accommodations on the estate. Managed by By Landmark. Single day packages and 3-day 2-night wedding weekend packages available. Site fees starting around $12,000 to $18,000. Outside catering permitted for South Asian and Kosher events only. All other catering in-house. Valet parking included. Pet friendly for ceremony and photos.
Elstowe Manor
The primary wedding venue. Built 1898, designed by Horace Trumbauer in Italian High Renaissance style with interiors by French decorators Allard et Fils. The ornately carved woodwork, gilded molding, marble columns, gargoyles, and frescoed ceilings were crafted in Europe and assembled on site. Crystal chandeliers. The Grand Ballroom with slate floors and a neutral palette for maximum flexibility. Multiple ceremony and cocktail hour locations within the manor and on the 42-acre grounds.
The getting-ready suite is large enough for a full hair and makeup team with room to spare. The overnight accommodations across the estate allow for true wedding weekend immersion — 69 to 70 rooms meaning most or all of a wedding party can stay on the property.
Chelten House
The English Tudor mansion on the estate, designed by Horace Trumbauer, with a balustraded terrace, pond views, and fountain courtyard. Arriving as a second independent wedding venue in late 2026. Designed for smaller and more intimate guest counts. Overnight accommodations included. When Chelten House opens, Elkins Estate will be capable of hosting two entirely separate private weddings simultaneously, each with its own team and atmosphere.
Photography at Elkins Estate
The frescoed ceilings and gilded rooms of Elstowe Manor for getting-ready coverage and indoor portraits. The crystal chandeliers and marble columns for ceremony and reception coverage. The grand staircase. The gargoyles and carved architectural details for dramatic editorial portraits. The 42 acres of grounds — the rolling lawns, the fountain, the pond — for outdoor ceremony and couple portrait coverage. And the quality of light inside those rooms: the European-crafted interiors were designed with natural light in mind, and what it does against gilded surfaces and frescoed ceilings in the afternoon is genuinely unlike any other venue near Philadelphia.
Frequently Asked Questions: Elkins Estate Weddings
Where is Elkins Estate located?
1750 Ashbourne Road in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, just north of Philadelphia.
What is Elkins Estate?
A 42-acre historic estate in Elkins Park with Elstowe Manor — a 45-room Italian High Renaissance mansion built in 1898, interiors by French decorators Allard et Fils. 69 to 70 overnight accommodations. Managed by By Landmark. Single day and 3-day wedding weekend packages. Site fees starting around $12,000 to $18,000. Chelten House English Tudor mansion opening as a second venue in 2026.
What makes Elkins Estate distinctive?
The interiors are not reproduction grandeur. They are the real thing — frescoed ceilings, carved panels, gilded molding, marble columns, and crystal chandeliers crafted in Europe in the 1890s and assembled on site. Allard et Fils designed interiors for European royal residences. What they built at Elkins Park is structurally dramatic in a way that most American wedding venues cannot replicate. The light inside those rooms, the scale, the detail — it photographs at a level that justifies the trip from anywhere in the Northeast.
Are overnight accommodations available at Elkins Estate?
Yes. 69 to 70 overnight rooms across the estate, with both single day packages and 3-day 2-night wedding weekend packages available. The weekend package allows couples and guests to fully immerse in the estate experience from rehearsal through farewell brunch.
Do you photograph weddings at Elkins Estate?
Yes. I have photographed here multiple times!!. If your wedding is here, I would love to hear about it.
