Windmill Hill Barn Weddings & Events LLC is located 3 miles north of Manchester, IA, just off Hwy 13 onto 165th ST. The location is approximately midway between the cities of Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, and Waterloo, and roughly 50 miles from each of those cities.
The Gothic-arch barn (or round top) and corn crib buildings were built in the mid 1950’s as typical farm use, and were used for many years as a milking barn, calf pens, and corn and oats storage. They had been used for many different things over the years, and it was decided in 2018 to restore the buildings to their original looks and style as much as possible, and to give others the opportunity to use the site for wedding celebrations and other type gatherings.
There are two levels in the barn that can be used however you would like to set them up. Two outdoor decks, mens and womens restrooms, and a old style bar compliment the upstairs level, while the lower level has a large deck, a modern restroom, and a kitchen area available for use. There is a stair lift handicap chair for the disabled or elderly available for use on the 5’ wide steps to access the upper level. Between all areas, we can accommodate up to 300 total guests, with comfortably 150, and 200 maximum, on the top level, and up to 100 on the lower level. We supply chairs and tables for up to 250 indoor guests, plus seating and tables for 50 on the patios. Our kitchen has a sink, refrigerator, oven, and microwave, and several cupboards for storage. The four different restrooms at Windmill Hill are all indoor, with full length mirrors and running water.
Right outside the barn is a large, double level, outdoor concrete patio with seating and tables. A firepit and a pair of bench swings set nearby the patio for your use during the rehearsal dinner or wedding reception. There are areas outside that will work for outdoor ceremonies should you decide to do that, if the weather is not co-operating, it can be moved indoors! There are several picturesque areas around the buildings, such as an old tractor and manure spreader, benches, and rock gardens, that may be used for wedding photos or family pictures.
Only 30 feet away from the barn, the inside of the old corn has been remodeled for the use of the wedding party, into mens and ladies dressing rooms, a private rest or break area, a restroom, and an area for young children to rest or watch movies. The dressing rooms are complete with makeup lighting and mirrors, accent walls to hang dresses and take pictures, couches and chairs to rest, and places to hang coats, extra clothes, etc. The break room is complete with a small fridge and a microwave, and stools and chairs, to hang out or sit at the counter and snack. The dressing rooms in the corn crib building are air conditioned and heated for the wedding party’s comfort.
We also have a storage room in the corn crib where we have wedding decorations, antiques, arch and podium, burlap table runners, wooden slabs and signs, jars, and other items that may be used to compliment your decorations, or completely by themselves.
There is parking available for approximately 80 vehicles on site. There are many small amenities such as indoor sound systems with wireless microphones, for your ceremony and reception should you decide to provide your own music, and also a portable outdoor sound system with microphones. A big screen TV is upstairs for your flash drive picture slide shows, to help accentuate your day if desired. Outdoor lawn games are available as well.
Our wedding and party packages are designed to allow several different days for decorating, rehearsals and rehearsal meals, vendor setup, and the actual ceremony and/or reception for the wedding party. Ceremonies and receptions may be performed, at your choice, at any location on the site, outdoors, upstairs or down.
Have a graduation coming up? Or how about a family reunion? The site is available for graduation parties, reunions, birthday parties, etc. on available Sundays thru Wednesdays, and is available from 10am until midnight. Both barn levels, the kitchen, and patio areas are available for use for these.
The Windmill Hill barn is an older, non air conditioned, non insulated, rustic style barn. If it is cooler out, we have furnaces on both levels to help warm it up to comfortable levels. If it is warm out, both ends of the upper level open up to allow a breeze to flow through, plus we have personal fans available to people that may need one. It is actually quite comfortable on warm days with the large top doors open on the upper level, and the concrete walls and open doors on both ends keep the lower level comfortable. Because the barn is not insulated though, we do not hold events from November thru March.
At Windmill Hill, we allow you to get all your catering, DJ’s or bands, photographers, etc yourself. We don’t supply any caterers or alcohol, bartenders, etc. We do allow alcohol, and you can bring it all yourself, but you are responsible for anything alcohol related.
Our Main Packages!
There are several different options available for our venue, most of our wedding packages will allow you full access to all of our facilities and benefits, rather than having separate charges that really add up! No hidden or extra charges. Basically the difference is how many days you would like for decorating and setting up in the venue. Plus there are a few options to save some money if you would like.
Included with these packages are all areas in the upper & lower barn, kitchen, modern restrooms, and outdoor patio areas will be included, plus the heated and air conditioned corn crib building with mens and ladies dressing rooms, break room, and restroom. Our kitchen has a sink, refrigerator, oven, and microwave, and several cupboards for storage. The 4 different restrooms at Windmill Hill are all indoor, with full length mirrors and running water.
Ceremonies can be outside, downstairs, or upstairs, wherever it suits you. Depending on your reception needs, we have 8’ and 6’ rectangular tables, as well as 6’ round tables. We will supply you with white linens, and seating for up to 250, to set up however you would like. Also included is the use of any props or decorations we have at no extra charge. If it is cooler outside, we can turn on the furnaces to knock the chill off.
When the night is over, you can just walk away! We will do all the cleanup for you, pick up trash, remove cans, etc. You will need to remove any decorations you have set up, and to make it easier, you can come back the next morning until 10am to do that if needed. A signed contract and a $500 deposit will be required to hold your date.
All of the above is included in four different options.
#1, Thursday Through Saturday Package - $3000.00
#2, Friday And Saturday Package - $2500.00
#3, Saturday Only Package - $2000.00
#4, Sunday Only Package - $1500.00
All of the above packages will allow you access to the venue beginning at 10am the first day, and until midnight each night. If you need to come back the morning following the party to remove decorations or clean, you may do that until 10am. (#4 Sunday Only Package excludes linens, plastic table coverings will be provided, plus we clean up, and corn crib building removal is not available.)
Save some money if you’d like!
However, if you’d like to save a little money, we do have the following options for you on packages 1 -3 above only:
If you can do a good job of cleaning up, sweeping floors, taking trash out, removing cans, stacking chairs, etc., you can save here. We do have a place for you to put all trash and cans. From any of the above #1 thru 3 packages, deduct $300.
If you want to provide all your own linens, and don’t need any of ours, deduct $200. (For #1 thru 3 Packages)
If you don’t need the corn crib building and dressing rooms, or any of the decorations we have, for #1 thru 3 you can deduct $300.
Optional Specialty Packages!
We do have a couple options for couples looking to perform a ceremony only, or people wanting to have a graduation party, class or family reunion, birthday party, or whatever.
#5, Ceremony Only Package - $1000.00
If you only want to use the venue for a ceremony only, with no reception, you can do that! You get a single day beginning at 10am, until midnight if needed, and get everything included in the full packages. Indoor seating for up to 250, wherever you would like to set up, and we’ll do any cleanup. A signed contract and $500 deposit will be needed to hold your date.
#6, The Party Package - $250.00
A single day package for a reunion, graduation party, etc., you get all areas of the barn, and all outside areas including the patios. This could be on any available Sunday thru Wednesday, from 10am until midnight. This package does not include the corn crib or decorations. Seating for up to 250, plastic table coverings included if needed. You do all the cleanup, unless you want us to do it for an additional $300. A signed contract and $100 deposit is required to hold your date.
The deposit that is required.
(The $500 or $100 deposit is not part of the actual package price, it is a security deposit that is due upon signing a venue contract, and will be returned to the customer within 2 weeks after the event, provided there was no damage or any other issues to the venue. The package price, for example $2500 for the Saturday package, can be paid at any time, and is due in full at least 2 weeks before the date of the event.)
The contract and a few rules...
The contract for all of these packages is available to view or print on our website, www.windmillhillbarn.com
We do have a few rules here, these are the major ones. Any others are listed in the contract that is available on the website.
Alcohol serving stops by 11pm, no underage drinking, and guests should be gone by midnight.
Windmill Hill does not supply any venders, alcohol or bartender, alcohol is bring your own.
No smoking, va**ng, or open flames in any of the buildings, other than caterer pot heaters.
Maximum capacity between both levels of the barn, and indoor seating is 250, plus 50 on the patios.
No animals are allowed (other than service animals) in the venue at any time (unless previously approved).
Also we ask any guests with young children to keep an eye on them, it could be easy for a young child to wander off into the corn fields or other places. We don’t want to lose anybody!
Check us out!
We hope that you will come and check us out, and find out what all we have to offer. We offer tours of the venue by appointment, usually on open Saturdays or Sundays, or weeknights, we will be glad to show it to you! There is more detailed information with available dates and a printable contract on our web site. Go 3 miles north of Manchester on Highway 13, then right (east) on 165th St, and we are the first place. Thanks for looking!
Contact us at www.windmillhillbarn.com, [email protected], or 563-920-5037.
Windmill Hill, 1713 165th St, Manchester, IA. 52057
