Pioneer Village — Attraction in Perham

My wife and I had our wedding and reception here this weekend. We were told we would have all day Friday and Saturday to set up. Shirley refused to come open things up any earlier than 11am. We were told they had a ready to go full kitchen, which turned out to be absolutely disgusting. It had a very positive odor of dead mice and pee. The cookware and countertops were sticky and greasy, and the kitchen lacked simple things like measuring cups. 7pm rolled around the night of the grooms dinner and all we heard were demands from Shirley about how we needed to hurry up and get out so they could lock up and leave. Finally Saturday rolls around, Shirley didn't open any of the windows or turn on the fans to cool that dance hall. The groomsmen had to do it only about 2 hours before the wedding. The previous Tuesday Shirley said they had people to come out and set up the chairs and benches for the ceremony and it's a job they took care of. The groomsmen and ushers had to take this upon themselves after she had nobody to do it only an hour before the ceremony. The chairs were filthy and one even had a birds nest in it, so they all had to be cleaned. She had a complete fit about where the wedding party was parking, even though we were supposed to have rented this place for the entire weekend. Once the reception came she falsely complained about guests bringing outside alcohol, and even called the cops to come out, who found no issues. Before too long they were serving warm beer to the guests and the gentleman running bar totally lacked brain power. Once the dance was over, Shirley had an altercation with the DJ and his assistant because they were taking too long to pack up and leave so she could get out of there sooner. Come Sunday morning Shirley threatened to have the city send us a bill for not putting the chairs away that we should not have had to put out in the first place. Overall, the venue is great, the rustic setting makes for great photos, and it's cheap. But Shirley is by far the rudest management I've ever dealt with. Unless you have no other option, don't have a wedding here! You will regret it. This place could be amazing under new management, but for now, Shirley way over promises and...

If you were thinking of using this as a wedding venue, you might want to think twice-especially if you are going to be catering it yourself. We were told it had full kitchen facilities. When we arrived we found bugs all over the place, it smelled like mouse pee, and there were no garbage bags or towels or washcloths. The ovens look like they are from 1970. They are missing racks. We were promised 2 large coolers would be working. When we arrived only one was working. I had to make several runs to local businesses for basic supplies like spatulas and measuring cups. Every surface, utensil, container, or pot had to scrubbed because they were greasy or sticky. We had to mop the floors before we could start food prep because the floor was disgusting. The manager runs the place like a small dictator. She barks orders at people, gives unreasonable times and expects you to do all the work, even though they said they were a “full service venue”. Rude and sharp are two words to describe the communication here. On the day of the wedding none of the chairs had been set out for the outdoor ceremony. The groomsmen and the ushers had to wipe down all the dirty chairs and benches and set them up as guests were arriving. We were also expected to take them all down. If you are looking for a venue where the only redeeming quality is the price then this...

Historical and adorable! Great place for weddings, family reunions, and work gatherings!

We had our wedding here in 2019 and it was the most adorable place. Shirley helped me set up all my decorations just the way I wanted. She also helped me organize the day and the rehearsal. She also helped direct our caterer to the best spot. She was super helpful and so great to work with! We did set up and put away the chairs and benches, because it was discussed that we would do that. My day would have been more chaotic if not for Shirley! I definitely recommend the pioneer village for your...