Commonwealth House

Situated on the edge of campus at 226 E Maxwell Street, Commonwealth House provides an elegant venue for events, receptions, and retreats, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows and polished wood floors. The ground floor consists of:

the Piano Room - a large airy space containing a comfortable seating area and a grand piano
the Library - a bright space with a cozy conversation nook, library shelving, and a stunning stained glass window
the Front Lobby - an open space, perfect for gathering and mingling
the Commonwealth Gallery - a private gallery space with exhibit-friendly lighting

Entrance to the front of the property is via red-brick steps; the side entrance benefits from an accessible ramp. The front, side and upper porches are perfect for group photographs. The upper porch is accessed via a flight of stairs at the rear of the building. Behind the building, Commonwealth House boasts an outdoor seating area, perfect for events in the spring and summer. A four-cycle rack is conveniently located to the side of the building and is shared with Bingham Davis House.

The Gaines campus abuts the Memorial Coliseum (Joe E Craft) parking lot. Holders of E-permits can use this parking lot at any time; the lot is open to any UK parking permit after 3pm, and to any user after 7pm. Public, metered parking is available on Lexington Avenue, and the Student Center parking lot (open to the public) is located just a short walk away.

To reserve the ground floor of Commonwealth House for your event, please complete the event request form here. You must also complete an event approval request in UK's Event Management System. Please also review the guidelines (below the gallery) prior to making your reservation.

Submit an Event Request Form

Commonwealth House - The Commonwealth Gallery

Guidelines for our Campus Partners

PARKING

The Gaines parking space is NOT part of any reservations for Commonwealth House. The parking space is used 24/7 by Gaines staff and faculty. Please ask your guests NOT to park in this space as unauthorized parking will result in towing.
Parking in the surrounding E-lot is usually available (but not guaranteed) for staff/faculty with an E-permit. You can purchase a day permits for the E-lot for non-UK guests at the UK Parking and Transportation office on Press Avenue.

TECHNOLOGY

The downstairs rooms do NOT have any AV technology.

EVENT SET UP

The room is available for set-up (and doors will unlock) thirty minutes prior to your event start time. Please do not arrive earlier than thirty minutes prior as the space may be in use for a previous reservation. If you think you will need the room for set-up earlier, please let us know so that we can check for earlier availability.

CATERING

You are welcome to arrange catering for your event. You can use any UK-approved catering vendor; you do not have to use UK Catering Services
You will need EMS approval and a licensed bartender if you plan to serve alcohol at your event.
Please note that the oven/stove and microwave in the kitchen are NOT functional.

AFTER YOUR EVENT

If you will be serving food, please ensure that any waste is sealed in a large black bag (in the large refuse can) at the end of your event; we’d be even more grateful if you could relocate the full trash bag to the dumpster at the end of the back lawn area.
Please wash any dishes or mugs that you use.
If you or your guests move any of the furniture in the building, please put them back where you found them.
Any food items left in the fridge after your event will be disposed of.
The doors to the building will lock automatically thirty minutes after your event; please let us know if you need us to adjust this time.

A NOTE ABOUT THE PIANO

We have several piano classes use this space and the piano for their performances. We politely request that you refrain from playing the piano unless you are part of these classes as we have very limited access to a piano tuner/repairer. Thank you for cooperating with us on this.

Commonwealth House