The Los Angeles Athletic Club
A 1912 Beaux-Arts private club and boutique hotel in Downtown LA, pairing a grand two-story ballroom with a twelfth-floor rooftop skyline ceremony.
About The Los Angeles Athletic Club
The Los Angeles Athletic Club is a twelve-story Beaux-Arts landmark at 431 West Seventh Street, founded in 1880 as the city's first private club and long a haunt of Hollywood's Golden Age. Weddings unfold across historic upper floors: the Centennial Ballroom with its two-story ceiling, mahogany pillars and burgundy velvet drapes; the Olympic Lounge; intimate speakeasy-style rooms; and a rooftop terrace with panoramic Downtown skyline views for ceremonies.
Couples choose the LAAC for turnkey, in-house service inside a genuinely iconic building — full catering and bar, nine custom-designed hotel suites for getting ready and staying over, and a rooftop-to-ballroom flow all under one historic roof. It delivers classic-Hollywood glamour with the convenience of an on-site 72-room boutique hotel.
Last updated July 2026 · laac.com, The Knot, WeddingWire, Wedding Spot, Lin & Jirsa
The complete LA Athletic Club planning guide
Capacity & spaces
Rentable spaces
- Centennial Ballroom — flagship reception hall with a two-story ceiling, mahogany pillars and burgundy velvet drapes; up to 300
- Rooftop Terrace — twelfth-floor open-air ceremony space with panoramic Downtown skyline views
- Olympic Lounge — foyer and ceremony/large-reception space
- Invention Bar/Lounge — craft-cocktail bar available for late-night receptions
- Blue Room — private 50-person speakeasy for intimate gatherings, plus Gallery and 1984 rooms
Pricing
Catering & bar
All food and beverage is handled in-house by the club's culinary team, with customized plated, buffet, station, cocktail and French-service menus and signature cocktails. Alcohol must be provided by the venue (no outside bar), with full-bar and premium-liquor packages starting around $65 per person; a wedding coordinator is required.
Rules & restrictions
- Rooftop amplified music must end by 10:30 PM
- Indoor amplified music permitted; confirm ballroom curfew
- In-house catering and bar only; alcohol provided by the venue
- Wedding coordinator required; décor subject to venue approval
- Open-flame/candle policy — confirm with catering team
- General liability insurance required
Getting ready, parking & access
How to book
Book through the club's catering office; a wedding coordinator is required and general liability insurance must be provided. Reserve 10–14 months ahead for prime rooftop-season Saturdays.
Photographing LA Athletic Club
Light peaks in late afternoon: floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floors pour western light into the ballroom and lounges, so a 3–4 PM ceremony sets up golden-hour rooftop portraits immediately after. The rooftop's western skyline exposure is ideal for sunset and blue-hour couple frames.
Best backdrops are the Downtown skyline from the twelfth-floor rooftop, the Centennial Ballroom's two-story mahogany-and-velvet interior, the Beaux-Arts architectural details and grand staircases, and the speakeasy-style Blue Room and Invention Bar for moody night frames.
Engagement sessions at LA Athletic Club
The club's Beaux-Arts interiors and rooftop make a cinematic engagement or pre-wedding setting, typically arranged for couples booking a wedding or hotel stay rather than as a public shoot location.
The studio coordinates rooftop timing around sunset and building access so engagement portraits share the wedding day's look.
What couples love
- Genuinely historic 1912 Beaux-Arts building with Golden-Age Hollywood pedigree
- Twelfth-floor rooftop ceremony with panoramic Downtown skyline
- All-in-one: in-house catering/bar, day-of coordination and an on-site boutique hotel
- Nine themed hotel suites for getting ready plus a complimentary couple's room
- Highly rated catering team and smooth, coordinated service (4.8 stars)
Good to know
- In-house catering and bar only, with a required wedding coordinator — less vendor flexibility
- Rooftop music must end by 10:30 PM, and rooftop capacity caps around 130
- Bar starts around $65/person and hours beyond five add $700/hour, so costs climb
- Downtown LA location means paid parking and city traffic for guests
- Historic upper-floor layout means moving between floors via elevators on event day
A typical wedding day at LA Athletic Club
Getting ready — themed hotel suites, gym and spa on-site
Ceremony — 3–4 PM on the twelfth-floor rooftop with skyline views
Cocktail hour — Olympic Lounge or Invention Bar
Reception — dinner and dancing in the two-story Centennial Ballroom
Golden hour — rooftop sunset and blue-hour skyline portraits before a late-night speakeasy nightcap
Frequently asked questions
How much does a wedding at the LA Athletic Club cost?
Reception venue fees run $500–$5,000 for a five-hour event, with starting packages around $18,000 (from about $8,871 for 50 guests); bar service begins around $65 per person and extra hours are $700 each.
What is the capacity?
The venue hosts up to about 300 guests — roughly 250 seated indoors (300 for reception) and up to 130 for an outdoor rooftop ceremony, with standing capacity to 500.
Is there a rooftop ceremony option?
Yes — a twelfth-floor rooftop terrace offers panoramic Downtown skyline ceremonies; the ceremony site fee is $1,500 and rooftop capacity is about 130.
Can we use our own caterer or bar?
No. All food and beverage is handled in-house, and alcohol must be provided by the venue; a wedding coordinator is also required.
Is there a curfew on music?
Rooftop amplified music must end by 10:30 PM; indoor ballroom end times are set per contract, so confirm your space's curfew.
Where do we get ready?
The on-site boutique hotel offers nine custom-designed suites for getting ready, plus gym and spa access and a complimentary room for the couple.
Is parking available?
On-site and valet parking are available, with additional Downtown garages nearby; expect paid parking typical of DTLA.
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
Yes — elevators serve the upper event floors and rooftop, and the club is wheelchair accessible.
What's the rain plan for a rooftop ceremony?
Ceremonies move indoors to the Centennial Ballroom or Olympic Lounge, keeping the historic setting fully sheltered.
Do we have to be members?
No — the private club hosts weddings for non-members, and some couples take an inexpensive membership; the club approves outside vendors like photographers.
How historic is the building?
The club was founded in 1880 and its current 1912 Beaux-Arts building hosted stars like Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino and Mary Pickford, and produced Olympic athletes.
Getting there & logistics
Nearby getting-ready hotels
- The Los Angeles Athletic Club Hotel (on-site, 72 rooms)
- Hotel Per La (formerly NoMad LA)
- Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles
- The Hoxton, Downtown LA
The history behind LA Athletic Club
- Founded in 1880 as Los Angeles's first private club, when the city had about 11,000 residents
- Current twelve-story Beaux-Arts clubhouse at 431 W 7th Street opened in 1912
- Charlie Chaplin lived at the club in his early years; Rudolph Valentino, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Johnny Weissmuller were among its members
- Early membership included city-shaping figures such as Harry Chandler, Henry Huntington and Edward Doheny
- Longtime producer of Olympic and national-champion athletes across swimming, volleyball and squash
Similar venues we love
More venues we photograph: Greystone Mansion · Calamigos Ranch · Houdini Estate · The Biltmore · The Ebell of LA.
Planning a wedding at LA Athletic Club? Reach out to check your date →
Build your Los Angeles Athletic Club timeline
Move the slider to the hours of coverage you are considering, then pick the size of the day and where the ceremony is. The timeline below rebuilds itself as you change any of them.
The whole wedding at The Los Angeles Athletic Club
- 2:10 PMArrival, the venue and the details
- 2:40 PMFirst look and couple portraits before guests arrive
- 3:30 PMTucked away while guests arrive. Ceremony space and details photographed
- 4:00 PMCeremony
- 4:30 PMFamily formals
- 5:05 PMCouple portraits around The Los Angeles Athletic Club
- 5:50 PMCocktail hour, guests and candids
- 6:40 PMGrand entrance, dinner and toasts
- 7:55 PMGolden hour, then the evening light
Ceremony set at 4:00pm as a starting point. Tell us your ceremony time and we rebuild the day around it.